Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Napalm in Iraq

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=647397
US lied to Britain over use of napalm in Iraq war
By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor
Independent (London)
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."
Mr Ingram said 30 MK77 firebombs were used by the 1st Marine
Expeditionary Force in the invasion of Iraq between 31 March and 2
April 2003. They were used against military targets "away from
civilian targets", he said. This avoids breaching the 1980 Convention
on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), which permits their use only
against military targets.
Britain, which has no stockpiles of the weapons, ratified the
convention, but the US did not.
The confirmation that US officials misled British ministers led to new
questions last night about the value of the latest assurances by the
US. Mr Cohen said there were rumours that the firebombs were used in
the US assault on the insurgent stronghold in Fallujah last year,
claims denied by the US. He is tabling more questions seeking
assurances that the weapons were not used against civilians.
Mr Ingram did not explain why the US officials had misled him, but the
US and British governments were accused of a cover-up. The Iraq
Analysis Group, which campaigned against the war, said the US
authorities only admitted the use of the weapons after the evidence
from reporters had become irrefutable.
Mike Lewis, a spokesman for the group, said: "The US has used
internationally reviled weapons that the UK refuses to use, and has
then apparently lied to UK officials, showing how little weight the UK
carries in influencing American policy."
He added: "Evidence that Mr Ingram had given false information to
Parliament was publicly available months ago. He has waited until
after the election to admit to it - a clear sign of the Government's
embarrassment that they are doing nothing to restrain their own
coalition partner in Iraq."
The US State Department website admitted in the run-up to the election
that US forces had used MK77s in Iraq. Protests were made by MPs, but
it was only this week that Mr Ingram confirmed the reports were true.
Mike Moore, the Liberal Democrat defence spokes-man, said: "It is very
serious that this type of weapon was used in Iraq, but this shows the
US has not been completely open with the UK. We are supposed to have a
special relationship.
"It has also taken two months for the minister to clear this up. This
is welcome candour, but it will raise fresh questions about how open
the Government wished to be... before the election."
The MK77 bombs, an evolution of the napalm used in Vietnam and Korea,
carry kerosene-based jet fuel and polystyrene so that, like napalm,
the gel sticks to structures and to its victims. The bombs lack
stabilising fins, making them far from precise.
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http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/mk77.htm
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.
The MK-77 is a napalm canister munition. The MK77 familiy is an evolution of
the incendiary bombs M-47 and M-74, used during the conflict in Korea and
the war in Vietnam. Napalm is an incendiary mixture of benzene, gasoline and
polystyrene. The Marine Corps dropped all of the approximately 500 MK-77s
used in the Gulf War. They were delivered primarily by the AV-8 Harriers
from relatively low altitudes. MK-77s were used to ignite the Iraqis
oil-filled fire trenches, which were part of barriers constructed in
southern Kuwait.
The containers of napalm bomber are very light and fabricated of aluminum,
with a capacity for about 75 gallons of combustible gel. They lack
stabilizing fins, and consequently acquire a tumbling motion on being
dropped that contributes to the scattering of the combustible gel over a
wide area.
While the MK-77 is the only incendiary munition currently in active
inventory, a variety of other incendiary devices were produced, including
the M-47 Napalm bomb, the M-74 incendiary bomb, and white phosphorous and
munitions manufacturing. Production of these devices continued during the
Korean conflict, though various demilitarization and decontamination
programs were initiated in the late 1950s. Munitions destroyed included M-47
Napalm-filled bombs and incendiary cluster bombs.
Napalm is a mixture of benzene (21%), gasoline (33%), and polystyrene (46%).
Benzene is a normal component of gasoline (about 2%). The gasoline used in
napalm is the same leaded or unleaded gas that is used in automobiles.
  Gasoline is a mixture of hydrocarbons, which burn in an engine. It is a
clear liquid, made from crude oil that burns and explodes easily. It
naturally contains some benzene (which makes gas smell the way it does).
Gasoline is lighter than, and floats on, water, but it will not mix with
water. It dissolves grease and oil but will not dissolve polystyrene by
itself, more benzene must be added to it. If gasoline is inhaled or
swallowed, it can be dangerous or fatal. Breathing it results in an intense
burning sensation in the throat and lungs, resulting in bronchitis and,
eventually, pneumonia and possibly death. Swallowing gasoline results in
inebriation (drunkenness), vomiting, dizziness, fever, drowsiness,
confusion, and cyanosis (blue color).
  Benzene is a light, colorless, aromatic liquid made from a variety of raw
materials, mostly crude oil and coal. In many ways it is similar to
gasoline, of which it is a part. The major uses of benzene are in making
plastics and other chemicals, not fuel, although it could be used as one. If
benzene is breathed or swallowed, it causes throat irritation, rest lessens,
excitement, depression, and, finally, convulsions, which can lead to death.
A long exposure to benzene vapors (months or years) leads to bone marrow
depression and in rare cases, leukemia.
  Polystyrene is the white, tough plastic that is used to make cups, plates,
and other tableware and food containers. In the pure state it is slightly
heavier than water. It dissolves easily in acetone and benzene, but not in
gasoline. It is not poisonous; if swallowed it passes unchanged through the
digestive tract. But it is possible to choke on it. Heated polystyrene
softens at about 185 F. At higher temperatures it turns back into styrene,
the chemical from which it was made. Styrene has been tested as toxic to
rats. In air, polystyrene melts and burns with a yellow, sooty flame.
Styrene itself has a sharp, unpleasant smell that is easy to recognize.

combustible gel over a wide area.
Quindi il gel viene disperso durante la caduta e non alla rottura che
avviene all'impatto :)
-Stefano

 avviene all'impatto :)
E quindi?
Peggio ancora.