Weaponry
- Cluster Bombs
- Amnesty International: Use of cluster bombs - Civilians pay the price (02 Apr 2003)
'Amnesty International is deeply concerned about the high toll of civilian casualties and the use of cluster bombs in US military attacks in heavily populated areas.'
- Human Rights Watch: Documents on Cluster Bombs
- Amnesty International: Use of cluster bombs - Civilians pay the price (02 Apr 2003)
- Napalm and White Phosphorus
See also information on firebombs in the Briefings section.
- An interview with Sigfrido Ranucci, director of documentary 'The Hidden Massacre' (14 Dec 2005)
Interview in which the maker of the Rai News 24 documentary on White Phosphorous use in Falluja talks about the making and the content of the documentary.
- RAI documentary: 'Fallujah. La Strage Nascosta' (08 Nov 2005)
'Fallujah: the Hidden Massacre'. Documentary by Italian state broadcaster RAI detailing use of White Phosphorus in the 2004 assault on Fallujah. Uses video, photographs, and interviews with US soldiers.
There was an English report in the The Independent.
This appears to be a copy of the documentary, provided by Information Clearing House.
- Iraq Analysis Group Briefing: Firebombs in Iraq (17 Apr 2005)
Report detailing evidence for the use of a new generation napalm weapon known as the ‘MK77 firebomb’ by US forces in Iraq. There was growing concern about this weapon, as the UK is a signatory to a convention banning it on humanitarian grounds. The UK authorities had repeatedly denied that US forces were equipped with it, claiming their US allies had told them so. This was in the face of evidence including statements from the US State Department admitting MK77 use.
- Field Artillery magazine: White Phosphorus in Fallujah (March 2005)
The March edition of Field Artillery magazine, a U.S. Army publication, reveals that the U.S. military did in fact use the incendiary weapon white phosphorous in Fallujah, and not just for 'lighting' purposes, as officially claimed.
"WP proved to be an effective and versatile munition. We used it for screening missions at two breeches and, later in the fight, as a potent psychological weapon against the insurgents in trench lines and spider holes when we could not get effects on them with HE. We fired “shake and bake” missions at the insurgents, using WP to flush them out and HE to take them out."
The rest of the article (The Fight for Fallujah) is also interesting, in a horrifying kind of way.
White Phophorus was also used near Irbil, according to an article in Infantry Magazine (May/June 2004).
- Daily Mirror: 'Fallujah Napalmed' (28 Nov 2004)
'US troops are secretly using outlawed napalm gas to wipe out remaining insurgents in and around Fallujah.'
- Further report of white phosphorous use on Falluja (10 Apr 2004)
Account from North County Times reporter on assignment with a squad of U.S. troops in Falluja in April 2004, reporting the use of white phosphorus directly against combatants.
- The Independent: 'US admits it used napalm bombs in Iraq' (10 Aug 2003)
'American pilots dropped the controversial incendiary agent napalm on Iraqi troops during the advance on Baghdad.'
- The San Diego Tribune: 'Officials confirm dropping firebombs on Iraqi troops' (05 Aug 2003)
'What the Marines dropped, the spokesmen said yesterday, were "Mark 77 firebombs." They acknowledged those are incendiary devices with a function "remarkably similar" to napalm weapons. Rather than using gasoline and benzene as the fuel, the firebombs use kerosene-based jet fuel, which has a smaller concentration of benzene. '
- Federation of American Scientists - Military Analysis Network: Napalm and other fire bombs
'A fire bomb is a thin skinned container of fuel gel designed for use against dug-in troops, supply installations, wooden structures, and land convoys. The MK 77 500-pound fire bomb is the only fire bomb now in service. Fire bombs rupture on impact and spread burning fuel gel on surrounding objects. MK 13 Mod 0 igniters are used to ignite the fuel gel mixture upon impact.'
- Parliamentary Questions about firebombs
- Firebombs from RAF Fairford? (29 June 2005)
- Adam Ingram admits US used firebombs (28 June 2005)
- Adam Ingram denies US used firebombs (11 Jan 2005)
- Napalm in Fallujah? (11 Jan 2005)
- Adam Ingram denies US used firebombs (10 Jan 2005)
- Adam Ingram denies US used firebombs (06 Dec 2004)
- US Army Firebomb Procurement
- Amendment to the Solicitation (PDF File) (04 June 2004)
- US Army Federal Procurement Solicitation for more MK77 Mod 5 firebombs (PDF File) (13 Jan 2004)
From the Federal Business Opportunities Database. Also online.
- An interview with Sigfrido Ranucci, director of documentary 'The Hidden Massacre' (14 Dec 2005)