Napalm

[wiggs]

Let's get the pitchforks and torches. These monsters have to be stopped.

US lied to Britain over use of napalm in Iraq war
By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor

17 June 2005

American officials lied to British ministers over the use of "internationally reviled" napalm-type firebombs in Iraq.

Yesterday's disclosure led to calls by MPs for a full statement to the Commons and opened ministers to allegations that they held back the facts until after the general election.

Despite persistent rumours of injuries among Iraqis consistent with the use of incendiary weapons such as napalm, Adam Ingram, the Defence minister, assured Labour MPs in January that US forces had not used a new generation of incendiary weapons, codenamed MK77, in Iraq.

But Mr Ingram admitted to the Labour MP Harry Cohen in a private letter obtained by The Independent that he had inadvertently misled Parliament because he had been misinformed by the US. "The US confirmed to my officials that they had not used MK77s in Iraq at any time and this was the basis of my response to you," he told Mr Cohen. "I regret to say that I have since discovered that this is not the case and must now correct the position.

snip

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=647397

This might be the margarita talking, but if I don't see front page headlines tomorrow in my newspaper about this, then I question whether or not America deserves its superpower position, its tremendous good fortune, its claim to be a world leader, or any remnant of admiration that any foreigner still might hold for us. We are lost.

[alittlelark]

1. I remember the pics from Fallujah of horridly burned bodys

They reminded me of news photos of the Napalm used in Vietnam. I am soo sad for this country. My family fought in the Revolutionary War.... I feel deeply for this country. What have we allowed ourselves to become?:cry:

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. Send this to your Senators! They need to know that WE know about this

and we aren't going to let this administration get away with this MURDER.

[wiggs]

8. You would think

You would think that this topic has come up in various committees and subcommittees and that congress would know about what we are doing.

One congresswoman yesterday in the conyers hearings talked about how unusual it is that congress knows little about the war and how it is being conducted.

Another example of congress conceding much power and its oversight role to the WH. Another example of suspecting that many in congress are complicity with the WH in all manner of misdeeds.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. The first articles on this subject started in November 2004....

...here's the Google search on this subject:

<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=napalm+Fallujah&btnG=Google+Search>

[shraby]

4. Sent to my senator...Russ Feingold n/t

[OneBlueSky]

5. napalm . . white phosphorus . . depleted uranium . . cluster bombs . .

monsters is an understatement . . . heartless, despicable international war criminals doesn't even do them justice . . . but it's a start . . .

[evermind]

6. 2 points: 1) this admission is not about Fallujah, 2) US admitted

napalm use as early as 2003! See LynnTheDem's posts in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1555688

Doesn't mean that they didn't use it in Fallujah, of course. They only admitted they used it during the actual invasion when it became undeniable because of evidence that journalists were reporting. There wasn't a huge journalistic presence in Fallujay, I seem to remember, and there were reports of the US removing quantities topsoil for mysterious reasons, as well as that strange press conference, reported in the Arab press, where an Iraqi health official (from Allawi's government) accused the US of proscribed weapons use). But there was no official admission.

As LynnTheDem pointed out in the LBN thread, this is a slightly weird story, because the Independent seem not to know that they themselves reported the official US admission on MK77's as long ago as 2003. The most plausible conclusion seems to be that this British chap, Ingram, lied to parliament and is now just blaming it on US officials lying to him.

The story should really say when the (US) lying is supposed to have taken place, but doesn't seem to.

[Karenina]

7. Kick!

:kick:

[wiggs]

9. I remember that the US admitted that

... we had napalm or something like it in Iraq. Don't remember that they admitted use.

Amazing how effective the administration and military are in controlling public discussion of such a sensitive, significant story. I would be interested to know what percentage of the American public believes that we would or did use napalm in Iraq. I bet it is a very low number.