Monday, May 11, 2009

The Return of Willy Pete

The sudden appearance of scores of strange burn cases in Afghanistan is pointing to the use of white phosphorus. The US Army has been quicker this time than they were with similar cases in Iraq. The United States is blaming it all on Taliban militants.

It's possible. Starbursts would be a useful strategy to use against American soldiers wearing night-vision goggles. Then there would be the propaganda value for the Taliban to martyr unsuspecting innocents and blame it on the Americans. It is certainly something they would do.

On the other hand, the American military has a history of using white phosphorus as an anti-personnel weapon. There is really nothing to add to the fact the the United States military includes the use of chemical weapons upon human targets as part of their anti-insurgency battle tactics. Bombing Afghan villages with Willy Pete is certainly something the US Army would do.

So, who is to blame? We will never know. It does prove, yet again, that war is hell. And that would make the people who fight wars demons, one and all.

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