With the U.S.’ controversial stance in optioning a military strike against Syria after chemical attacks near Damascus took the lives of over 1400 civilians in late August, some can’t help but question the West’s hypocrisy in its leading stance against chemical weapons use when considering its not so chaste past.

U.S. Uses White Phosphorus in Iraq

In 2004 reports began to circulate that U.S.’ troops had used white phosphorus in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. White phosphorous is a chemical that burns when exposed to oxygen and when touching the skin causes severe burns which can extend down to the bone. The use of white phosphorus is illegal as an incendiary weapon but legal in its use for smoke screening to cover troops.  The U.S. originally denied allegations but later admitted to them claiming their use of white phosphorus was in line with international laws. The March 2005 edition of the US Army’s Field Artillery Magazine, written by a Captain, First Lieutenant and Sergeant of the US army, explained the use of white phosphorus in the battle of Fallujah. "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 where we could not get effects on them with HE [High Explosive]. We fired "shake and bake" missions at the insurgents, using WP to flush them out and HE to take them out," Lt Col. Barry Venable later revealed in an interview with the BBC that the U.S. had used white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon. The use of white phosphorus in Fallujah not only killed enemy combatants but innocent civilians, including women and children who were burned alive.

Iran-Iraq War

During the Iran-Iraq war between 1980-1988, Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, used chemical weapons against Iranian forces, as well as civilian populations, most notably in committing a genocide against the Kurdish populations in parts of Northern Iraq. The U.S. supported Saddam through his worst atrocities. Under the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush the U.S. sold Iraq anthrax, VX nerve gas, West Nile Virus germs, brucella melitensis, which causes organ damage and clostridium perfringens, which causes gangrene. Not only did the US sell chemical and biological weapons to Iraq but we also communicated locations of Iranian forces to Iraqis via satellite imaging. It is estimated that 20,000 Iranian soldiers died directly from the use of chemical weapons while tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians suffered illnesses from chemical exposure. About 100,000 Iranians receive government compensation today for injuries and illnesses resulting from Iraq’s use of chemical weapons. According to declassified documents, the U.S. was aware of Iraq’s atrocities against both Iranian forces and Kurdish populations. What became one of the most well known chemical attacks took place in the Kurdish town of Halabja. This town was part of a larger genocide against the Kurds known as the An-Anfal campaign that in total took the lives of 100,000 Kurds. The attack on Halabja killed 6800 people, most of them civilians, yet to the US the Al-Anfal campaign became just another atrocity to add the list of U.S. supported genocides during the 1980’s.

Vietnam

Between 1962 and 1971 during the Vietnam War the U.S. dumped 20 million gallons of herbicides over Vietnamese crops and forests, feeding and concealing opposition forces. 11.4 million gallons consisted of Agent Orange in addition to 8 million gallons of Agent White, Blue, Purple, Pink and Green. 4.8 million people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, in addition to 500,000 babies born with birth defects. Throughout the war Agent Orange destroyed 5 million acres of forest in addition to 500,000 acres of crops. Dioxin, a chemical laced in Agent Orange, which has been persistently linked to cancer, birth defects and other disabilities continues to affect generations 40 years later. The U.S.’s indiscriminate use of these chemicals in combination with the bombing of urban concentrations, killing countless civilians, constitute major war crimes by the U.S.

This photo gallery of the lasting effects of Agent Orange continues to haunt present generations.

Israel Uses White Phosphorous Against Palestinian Civilians

During Operation Cast Lead in 2009, Israel indiscriminately used white phosphorus over densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip causing the deaths of Palestinian civilians. Israel originally denied allegations but later admitted to its use of white phosphorus after compiling, contradictory evidence maintaining that its use was in line with international law. Sound familiar? Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch cited Israel’s use of white phosphorus as a war crime.  Fred Abrahams, senior emergencies researcher at Human Rights Watch who co-authored  a 71-page report, "Rain of Fire: Israel's Unlawful Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza" released by HRW stated, "In Gaza, the Israeli military didn't just use white phosphorus in open areas as a screen for its troops.. It fired white phosphorus repeatedly over densely populated areas, even when its troops weren't in the area and safer smoke shells were available. As a result, civilians needlessly suffered and died." White phosphorus munitions were fired into populated neighborhoods, damaging civilian infrastructure, including a school, market, humanitarian aid warehouse and a hospital. Amnesty International's director for the Middle East and North Africa program Malcom Smart stated, “As the major supplier of weapons to Israel, the USA has a particular obligation to stop any supply that contributes to gross violations of the laws of war and of human rights. The Obama Administration should immediately suspend US military aid to Israel”. The U.S. has been a long time supplier of weapons to Israel, signing a 10-year, $30 billion deal to fund Israel’s military expenditures in 2007.

Police Use Tear Gas on Occupy Protesters and Waco Siege

During the 2011 Occupy Protests police used tear gas on protesters. Tear gas is illegal in its use against combatants during war but remains legal in police use during riots, the United States a lead supporter of this use. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades into crowds during the 2011 demonstrations.

During the Waco Siege in 1993 on the community of Seventh Day Adventists, the FBI fired tear gas into buildings occupied by women and children in an attempt to end a standoff between police and leaders of the group. During the raid a fire started in the compound killing 76 people including 27 children.

Army Tested Chemicals on Poor, Mostly Black, St. Louis Neighborhoods in the 1950’s

During the 1950’s the US Army set up motorized blowers on top of residential high rises in poor, mostly black, St Louis Neighborhoods, filling the air with powdered, zinc cadmium sulfide. The city’s population was told that the army was testing smoke screens to protect them from possible Russian attacks. Professor Lisa Martino-Taylor, a sociologist at St. Louis Community College, who has gathered hundreds of declassified documents on the matter, claims that a radioactive additive was also mixed into the compound. Her research also shows that the greatest concentration of spraying took place in the Pruitt-Igoe public housing complex. This complex was home to 10,000, low-income families, 70 percent of which were children under the age of 12. Professor Martino-Taylor has linked the testing to the now defunct company US Radium. The company came under heavy lawsuits after several of its workers were exposed to radioactive materials in its fluorescent paint, killing and sickening many of them. Since the tests took place in St. Louis a disturbing number of the area’s residents have developed several types of cancers.

U.S. Drops Atomic Bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima

Though the atomic bombs dropped by the U.S. on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 were technically not chemical weapons, the radiation from the bombs killed tens if not hundreds of thousands of people. Within the first few months of the bombings it is estimated that between 90,000 and 166,000 people died from radiation in Hiroshima while 60,000- 80,000 died from radiation in Nagasaki. The use of atomic weapons over densely populated civilian areas is yet another major war crime committed by the United States.

 

Reach contributor Eric Rivero here.