Thursday, November 17, 2005

What Defines "Chemical Weapons"?

I first heard of the US use of white phosphorus in Fallujah from Lux.Et.Umbra a few days ago. The White house defends it's use here.

What is a chemical weapon? One would believe that a weapon using chemicals as an explosive or as an agent of some kind would constitute chemical weapon. Wikipedia defines chemical warfare here. Here is the opening of their definition: "Chemical warfare is warfare (and associated military operations) using the toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure or incapacitate the enemy."

What is phosphorus? Wikipedia has a section on it here. Here is one particular quote from the wikipedia section on phosphorus labeled precautions: "This is a particularly poisonous element with 50 mg being the average fatal dose (white phosphorus is generally considered to be the lethal form of phosphorus while phosphate and orthophosphate are essential nutrients)."

So, with the admission of the White House on the use of white phosphorus in Fallujah, aren't they guilty of using WMD's in Iraq? Aren't we calling the kettle black once again? Shouldn't someone be held accountable for something in the White House?

It is pretty clear to me that we used a chemical weapon on the insurgents in Fallujah. The White House says "It's part of our conventional-weapons inventory and we use it like we use any other conventional weapon." The article via Reuters says, "A protocol to an accord on conventional weapons which took effect in 1983 forbids using incendiary weapons against civilians." Does the White House think that there were no civilians in Fallujah?

We used them on the insurgents they say. Isn't an insurgent technically a civilian? They aren't part of an organized military associated with a country, are they? They are no different then the colonial soldiers taking up arms against the British in the Revolutionary War. They don't agree and they fight that. If insurgents are soldiers and not civilians, then wasn't this country founded on a terrorist overthrow of British rule?

Ask yourself, what you would do if a foreign country invaded your country and imposed it's way of life upon you? A way of life that goes against many of your religious beliefs and undermines your society in every way imaginable. Just ask yourself, what you would do? I think any US Patriot would say they would fight to the death to defend our way of life. That is what I would do. That is what I am trying to do with our current administration, diplomatically of course. A war of words per say. Someone need to keep an eye on the Fascists running this country.
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