U.S. Denies Incendiary Weapon Use in Afghanistan

NOW ZAD, AFGHANISTAN - APRIL 03, 2009: U.S. Marine Sgt. Monica Hardin loads a 120mm white phosphorus mortar while firing towards a Taliban position on April 3, 2009 in Now Zad in Helmand province, Afghanistan. U.S. Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment fired mortars and staged a ground assault on a section of the Taliban front line as part of the major strike. American air power dropped more than ten tons of explosives on dug-in Taliban fighting positions, according to the military. The U.S. operation involved Air Force, Marine, Navy and Army aviation and was coordinated as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The military says the civilian population of Now Zad fled in 2007, leaving the city a battleground between U.S. forces and entrenched Taliban fighters. Hardin is from Nashville, Tenn. (Photo from Daylife)

From The Danger Room:

More than a year ago, I came across a curious line item, buried in an an inventory report outlining all of the U.S. Army’s equipment in Afghanistan. It was for a bazooka that fired controversial incendiary rockets. At the time, the Army denied using the weapon, which relies on a napalm-like substance that burns skin on contact, and the matter seemed to end there. But I couldn’t help thinking about that line item again this week as a new furor has arisen over the use of incendiary weapons in Afghanistan, showing that there is likely to be renewed scrutiny into the weapons held by both sides in the Afghan conflict.

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My Comment: Armchair Generalist has more on this topic here.

The U.S. may deny the use of WP in Afghanistan, but as the above picture proves, the U.S. definitely has WP weapons in the Afghan theater.