White Phosphorous: Israel fires artillery shells into Gaza

[DogPoundPup]

Israel unleashed an artillery bombardment on Gaza today for the first time in its week-long offensive, prompting increased speculation that a ground invasion is about to begin.

Palestinian medical officials also said that an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza mosque had killed 10 people and wounded dozens more. Al Jazeera quoted witnesses as saying there were at least 200 people at prayer inside the Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque in northern Gaza when the missile struck.

The Israeli TV station Channel 10 said the entire length of the Gaza Strip was under attack. Palestinian witnesses told Reuters the shelling had caused a large explosion in Gaza City and there were a series of blasts close to the frontier with Israel. There were no immediate reports of casualties.



http://www.sott.net/articles/show/172089-White-Phosphorous-Israel-fires-artillery-shells-into-Gaza

[Lithos]

1. Please remove the image to conform to I/P guidelines

Lithos
DU Moderator

[Dennis Donovan]

2. White Phosphorous - how does that stop rockets?

Isn't that used to kill large groups of people?:grr:

[hack89]

3. No - it does have legitimate(and legal) uses as an obsucurant.

I would be nice if there were more details.

[Lithos]

5. White phosphorus is used for two different uses

1) It is primarily used to create smoke (which is what it is above)
2) It can be used as an anti-personnel weapon, but the delivery is different (it is embedded into a weapon to spread at impact not launch.). This latter use is what is considered illegal.

[IndianaGreen]

7. IDF using phosphorus bombs to incinerate people

just like we did in Fallujah. Those are American bombs and shells being used in Gaza.

[Dennis Donovan]

9. That was my very first thought - Fallujah...

:(

[Dennis Donovan]

8. What about good, old-fashioned smoke bombs...

...and good, old-fashioned cluster shells?

I'm not trying to be facetious - I'm just trying to understand why they choose to use such horrific weapons in such densely populated areas...

[Lithos]

12. Smoke differs based on how it is made

But most of the methods used to generate smoke involve chemicals which have issues (burning, toxicity, etc.) which are more dangerous to an unexposed population than white phosphorus. The only safe method is oil generation (oil mist) which is not very practical in mobile operations as it requires a machine (as opposed to artillery which can be fired to a location) to generate the smoke.

L-

[Statistical]

33. There is no such thing as "good ole fashion smoke"

Smoke shells ARE WP. Called "Willie Pete" by Artillery.

The only method of generating a large amount of smoke via an Artillery Shell is WP.

It is used by every military in the world including the United States.

[sam sarrha]

14. it is a Weapon of Mass Distruction.. period

[ProgressiveProfessor]

30. Not even close to reality...

[sam sarrha]

42. my link>

**WARNING! VERY GRAPHIC!!!**
Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down - When Willie Pete Comes To Town
http://www.wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/3624

[ProgressiveProfessor]

44. Which has nothing to back your claim that WP is considered a weapon of mass destruction

No arguing it nasty stuff.

[11 Bravo]

6. Willie Pete can be used as an illumination round (but it was broad daylight)...

or as a screening agent to mask troop movements, or as an anti-personnel flame weapon which can cause excruciating burns and death.

[sam sarrha]

13. they think it only burns up terrorists inside their clothes

[fascisthunter]

4. sick

[IndianaGreen]

10. http://twitter.com/ajgaza For Twitter updates from Gaza

http://twitter.com/ajgaza

[DogPoundPup]

11. contrast ... rockets vs. missles

http://palestinian.ning.com/forum/topics/the-other-side-of-the-story

[ProgressiveMuslim]

15. The face of Zionism in 2009. (Not appropriate for children).

[LeftishBrit]

28. The face of war at any time. (Never appropriate for children).

[ProgressiveProfessor]

36. More BS - site has nothing to do with rockets vs missiles

The difference between rocket and missiles is on board guidance. Nothing more.

Hamas shoot rockets. Aimed but not guided at 100% civilian targets.

IAF uses mostly laser guided bombs while the helos shoot guided missiles (mostly laser as well). They are claiming military related targets only though civilians are clearly being hurt

The URL listed is not showing the damage done in Ashkelon or Ashdod or the school recently hit. Its more partisan than Faux.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Behind the Aegis]

17. Is this a joke?

[LeftishBrit]

27. I assume this is a piece of sarcasm?

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dennis Donovan]

19. Recommended.

:(

[helderheid]

24. I missed it before the mods scrubbed it.

[helderheid]

26. I missed it before the mods scrubbed it.

[grassfed]

20. recd

[spanone]

21. .

[DS1]

22. You mean the US is the only producer?

:eyes:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

32. Far from it

[scubadude]

23. Also know as "Willie Pete"

At least that is what our servicemen call it. It was reportedly used in Fallujah and left melted bodies still inside cloths.

[TahitiNut]

25. "200 people at prayer inside the Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque in northern Gaza when the missile struck"

Isn't it interesting that the IDF waited until afternoon prayers to bomb the mosque??? Now, tell me again about not targeting civilians??? How FUCKING STUPID does one have to be to swallow that horse shit??

:puke:

[Dennis Donovan]

29. A very important question!

:grr:

[TahitiNut]

31. It reminds me of the cartoonish "marksman" with a bow and arrow.

He shoots arrows at the broad side of a barn and then proceeds to draw bulls eyes around them. Voila! "Expert."

Dead people can't talk back. :puke:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

34. Any secondaries? There were when they hit a another mosque a few days ago

[TahitiNut]

37. Propane tanks? Fuel oil for heating?

:eyes:

Don't buy the crap about "secondaries" -- it's hype.

And you don't address the timing -- why the IDF waited for afternoon prayers to bomb the place during MAXIMUM civilian occupancy.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

40. The secondaries on the prior mosque hit were more that you would get from

cooking gas. Also fuel oil burns it does not detonate. The timing is a concern, but until I see it from more than one source I consider it an assertion. It about the facts, things are to find in the Middle East in the best times. Way too many claims from both sides.

My personal bias is that Hamas needs to go and the PA resume control of Gaza. It looks to be the only way forward for the region that stands a chance.

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TahitiNut]

38. Thanks for the Heritage Foundation line. Got more?

:eyes:

[Taitertots]

39. Heritage Foundation?

I don't even know what a heritage foundation is. Based on your tone I would assume it is a right wing think tank. I can say without equivocation that I have not and am not associated with any right wing organizations or groups. I don't watch FOX news or listen to Rush. I read a variety of progressive and center news sources and came to my conclusions independently.

Care to comment on the content of the post.:eyes:

[TahitiNut]

43. "Too bad they didn't kill them all" is the ranting of a homicidal sociopath.

The "content of the post" is the kind of utter sewage I'd expect from Ann Coulter or Michelle Malkin.

[Taitertots]

45. All you have to offer is Flame attacks?

I don't care about the lives of terrorist or thier willing human shields. They can't protect thier bomb making/organizational headquarters by having them in a mosque filled with willing human shields. Israel has the right to protect itself and any number of willing human shields that die is acceptable to me.

A homicidal sociopath hurts innocent people and feels no empathy. These people are actively trying to wage war against Israel by protecting Hamas weapons of war. Praying in a mosque or not, they are active members of the fight against Israel and legitimate targets.

[RC]

46. Palestine has a right to protect itself from a powerful and heavily armed local superpower.

To turn things around a bit.

A homicidal sociopath hurts innocent people and feels no empathy. These people are actively trying to wage war against Palestine by protecting Israel's weapons of war. Praying in a synagogue or not, they are active members of the fight against Palestine and legitimate targets.

Hmmmm... that seems to fit quite well also.

[Taitertots]

47. Israel isn't doing that

That whole problem with your flipping things around that Israel isn't doing those things.

Israelis are not hiding their bombs in synagogues. Their attacks are not solely designed to kill civilians like Hamas. While it may happen, it is intentionally limited.
The day that Israel is found to be hiding bombs in the synagogues and people knowingly go there to protect them, is the day an attacked launched in that manner against Israel would be justified. The day Israel starts bombing targets whose nature is only to inflict civilian casualties, is the day I will turn against them. The day Israel forces children to wear suicide vests and parades them around over joyed at the innocent Palestinians he can kill, is the day I'm against Israel.

Israel doesn't do those things so you can't flip it around.

[uppityperson]

41. Too bad they didn't kill everyone who was praying? Good lord.