Source: Mondoweiss.net
A new Washington Post report reveals Israel used white phosphorus in Lebanon that was manufactured in Louisiana and Arkansas.
A new exclusive from The Washington Post shows that US-made white phosphorus munitions were used by the Israeli military in Lebanon. The reporting team of William Christou, Alex Horton, and Meg Kelly uncovered three 155-millimeter artillery rounds fired into the Lebanon border town of Dheira.
White phosphorus is not a chemical weapon under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), but the World Health Organization considers it a potential violation of international law to use it against people in a civilian setting. “To establish an illegal use under the CCCW, an investigation into the intent behind the use of white phosphorus would be needed, which exceeds the mandate of WHO,” notes the organization’s website.
The United States government supplies Israel with over $3.8 billion in weapons annually and President Biden has been pushing for billions more since the October 7th Hamas attack.
According to the Post, production codes on the uncovered shells match those from munitions two United States depots, Thiokol Aerospace in Minden, Louisiana and the Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas. The production codes indicate that the munitions were manufactured in 1989 and 1992.
At least nine people were injured in Israel’s attack on Dheira. The Health Ministry says that nearly 100 people have been killed on the Lebanese side of the border since hostilities between the two countries reignited. The Post quotes an interview from Lebanese farmer Uday Abu Sari, who was trapped in his home for hours during the attack and had trouble breathing.
“Emergency services told us to put something that was soaked in water on our faces, which helped a bit. I couldn’t see my finger in front of my face,” Sari explained. “The whole village became white.”
This isn’t the first time that a link between Israel’s white phosphorus and U.S. munitions facilities has been unearthed…