Reply #4: It has been viewed as a war crime to drop WP on people since WWII [View All]

[happyslug]

In Vietnam it was used, as the Israelis are claiming here, that it is being used only on material. Yes, you can burn equipment with WP including housing, if that is the intent, the use of WP has never been a war crime. On the other hand, if the intent to is burn people it is a cruel and unusual way to do so and is thus illegal. High explosives can kill better and more "humanly". I know any form of killing can be inhuman, but this is one of the area where a line is drawn by the International community.

Napalm (Gelled Gasoline) is another weapon used to burn areas. Extensively used in the South Pacific, Korea and Vietnam. Now replaced by Air Fuel Munitions (Similar in Nature) but the purpose of Napalm, like WP was to set fires. A secondary reason to use Napalm was to burn the oxygen in a tunnel, or cave, so that the soldiers in the cave would die of a lack of oxygen as opposed to being burned to death. Flame Throwers were also intended for this mission, from what can be determined from the remains of the soldiers found in caves hit by Napalm and flame throwers most Soldiers died of a lack of Oxygen well before any flame reached them.

Flame is an important weapon in war, but it is NOT to be used directly on people. In modern Warfare they is no purpose to do so, they are more human ways that are more effective to kill people out in the open. Unless you are talking about dug in locations, flame weapons are of marginal use (and today, with the ability to shoot hand held rockets filled with "Air Fuel Munitions" into caves etc, even the Flame Thrower is obsolete, but the concept of using flame is alive and well. The criminal act is using them directly on people, there is no justification for that in modern warfare.