White Phosphorus as a Weapon

White phosphorus (WP) is a flare- and smoke-producing incendiary device[1] or smoke-screening agent that is made from a common allotrope of the chemical element phosphorus. The main utility of white phosphorus munitions is to create smokescreens to mask movement from the enemy, or to mask his fire. In contrast to other smoke-causing munitions, WP detonates immediately causing an instant bank of smoke. As a result of this, WP munitions are very common -- particularly as smoke grenades for infantry; loaded in defensive grenade dischargers on tanks and other armored vehicles; or as part of the ammunition allotment for artillery or mortars.

However, white phosphorus has a secondary effect. While much less efficient than ordinary fragmentation effects in causing casualties, white phosphorus burns quite fiercely and can set cloth, fuel, ammunition and other combustibles on fire. It also can function as an anti-personnel weapon with the compound capable of causing serious burns or death.[2] The agent is used in bombs, artillery, and mortars, short-range missiles which burst into burning flakes of phosphorus upon impact. White phosphorus is commonly referred to in military jargon as "WP". The slang term "Willy(ie) Pete" or "Willy(ie) Peter", dating from World War I and common at least through the Vietnam War, is still occasionally heard.

White phosphorus weapons are controversial today because of their potential use against civilians. While the Chemical Weapons Convention does not designate WP as a chemical weapon, various groups consider it to be one. In recent years, the United States, Israel, and Russia have used white phosphorus in combat.

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[gummywormz]

man fuck you cnn, im SO SICK of hearing how we are in humane. we dont decapitate people and we follow the geneva conventions at least. you all have no idea what your talking about, then you twist it to make it seem as if we can solve wars with sanctions and being touchy feely. war is rough.but thats life, definitely not as barbaric as a 100 years ago either.

[SAMFlSHER40l7]

Fuck you israel!

[2012freegaza]

thats bull crap

[sharkness01]

This is outrageous! I have never heard of this before on the regular news. This is no different than using poisonous gas, or cluster bombs as anti personnel weaponry. It's hard for me to feel pity for Israel when the treat their Arab neighbors in the same fashion as Hitler treated them during World War II. No the Jewish State has not lined Arabs up for the gas chambers...and then the ovens.... they just brought the ovens in the form of white phosphorus

[cheater30]

@afterray I am possessed by Hitler, I am the Avatar of Hitler on this planet. My mother, after i was born, she performed a satanic ritual by sacrificing my father and cutting of his penis and giving it as a payment to Satan, a payment that would ensure my soul to be possessed by Hitler. Come and fight me!

[amnazulqadar]

May God be as surgical to you as you are to the residents of Gaza. May all your generations burn in hellfire !

[afterray]

as an american.

it HURTS my soul when our nation (usa) gives israel appx. $2 BILLION a yr, via OUR taxes - use our taxes to happily drop phosphorus on civilians. the israeli govt slime is HAPPILY FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF H-I-T-L-E-R.

* we must cease sending the SPIRIT OF HITLER big cash and use it instead to CREATE JOBS - the hell with helping israel !

soon the state of israel will sink into the darkness,while many of nations calibrate.

peace to palestine.

[chillcoconut]

If people were to open their eyes and see that no matter where you come from and what you do, were all the same and nobody is greater than another maybe there would be peace

[shadowofears]

@ddandyy Most of these Immigrants are not even from Germany but from Russia.Atleast 100,000 Migrated to Palestine.Most of them hv role in Genocide of Christians in Gulags under orders of Zion Trotsky so saying that all were victums of Nazi Holocaust is BS.Infact Many of the these Zions were even present in Hitler SS Forces too Now you understand how they are so good in torture and occupation:)

[ddandyy]

gaza is nothing but a concentration camp.the jews learnt alot from the nazis.