White Phosphorus: A Lawful Weapon or a War Crime?
Image source: Pexels.com
White phosphorus is a chemical substance that has been used in warfare for various purposes, such as creating smoke screens, illuminating targets, and setting fire to enemy positions. But it is also a highly controversial weapon, because of the horrific injuries it can cause to civilians and combatants alike. In this blog post, I will explore the legal and ethical issues surrounding the use of white phosphorus munitions, and whether they should be banned or regulated.
What is white phosphorus and how does it work?
White phosphorus is a waxy solid that ignites spontaneously when exposed to oxygen, producing intense heat and white smoke. It can be used in different types of munitions, such as grenades, shells, rockets, and bombs. When these munitions explode, they scatter white phosphorus particles over a wide area, which can stick to surfaces and continue to burn until they are consumed or deprived of oxygen.
White phosphorus can have several military advantages, such as creating a dense smoke screen to conceal troop movements, marking targets for air strikes, and destroying enemy equipment and infrastructure. However, it can also have devastating effects on human health and the environment, as I will explain below.
What are the effects of white phosphorus on humans?
White phosphorus can cause severe and sometimes fatal burns to the skin, muscles, and bones. The burns are extremely painful and difficult to treat, as they can penetrate deep into the tissues and reignite when exposed to air. White phosphorus can also be absorbed into the bloodstream and cause organ damage, shock, and coma.
In addition to the direct effects of white phosphorus on the body, the smoke from burning phosphorus can also harm the eyes and the respiratory system, as it contains phosphoric acids and phosphine. These substances can irritate the mucous membranes, cause coughing, choking, and breathing difficulties, and damage the lungs and the heart.
White phosphorus can also have long-term consequences for the survivors of exposure, such as scarring, disfigurement, disability, psychological trauma, and increased risk of cancer.
What does the law say about white phosphorus munitions?
White phosphorus munitions are not explicitly banned by international law, but their use is restricted by certain rules and principles. The main sources of these rules are the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, which protect civilians and combatants from unnecessary suffering and indiscriminate attacks, and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), which regulates or prohibits specific types of weapons that may cause excessive harm or have indiscriminate effects.
According to these rules, white phosphorus munitions can be used for legitimate military purposes, such as creating smoke screens or illuminating targets, but they cannot be used to attack civilian populations or civilian objects, or to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering to combatants. Moreover, white phosphorus munitions must be used with caution and care, taking into account the risk of collateral damage, the availability of alternative means, and the proportionality between the military advantage and the harm caused.
However, these rules are not always clear, consistent, or enforced, and there have been many allegations of violations and abuses of white phosphorus munitions by various parties in different conflicts, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza. Some of these allegations have been investigated and condemned by human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which have called for a ban or a stricter regulation of white phosphorus munitions.
Why is white phosphorus controversial?
The controversy over white phosphorus stems from the fact that it can be used for both lawful and unlawful purposes, and that it can have both intended and unintended effects. For example, white phosphorus can be used to create a smoke screen to protect friendly forces, but it can also inadvertently harm civilians or combatants who are exposed to the smoke or the burning particles. Or, white phosphorus can be used to mark a target for an air strike, but it can also intentionally harm the target or the surrounding area with its incendiary properties.
The difficulty of distinguishing between the lawful and unlawful uses of white phosphorus, and the lack of transparency and accountability of the users, make it hard to monitor and regulate the use of white phosphorus munitions. Moreover, the moral and ethical implications of using a weapon that can cause such horrific and indiscriminate injuries, and that can violate the principles of humanity and dignity, raise serious questions about the legitimacy and necessity of white phosphorus munitions.
Conclusion
White phosphorus is a controversial weapon that can have both lawful and unlawful uses, depending on the context and the intention of the user. However, given the horrific and indiscriminate effects of white phosphorus on humans and the environment, and the difficulty of ensuring compliance with the existing legal rules, I believe that white phosphorus munitions should be banned or severely restricted, and that the international community should work together to prevent their proliferation and misuse.
0