Two days ago the U.S. military again denied the use of white phosphorus grenades in directly targeting enemy positions in Afghanistan. In today's NYT, a reporter embedded with U.S. front troops again confirms such use.

Last week the U.S. military bombed some compounds in Farah, Afghanistan, and killed over 140 civilians, 95 of which were probably children. Like usual the military first denied civilian casualties but later, after the International Red Cross' findings supported the local reports, had to confirm them. Local doctors in Herat say at least 14 victims of that attack in their care have unusal burn wounds and accuse the U.S. of using white phosphorus in the bombing. In another case a girl currently in U.S. care at Bagram was confirmed to have been burned by white phosphorus.

The U.S. denies any use of white phosphorus grenades and bombs in direct combat and in turn accuses the Taliban of having used WP. That I find laughable. While the Taliban may use old WP grenades from somewhere to prepare IED's it is very unlikely that they would use them in direct fighting. A Taliban spokesperson denied any use of WP by them.

The U.S. military claims that it only uses WP to generate smoke or for illuminating:

Major Willis confirmed that the US and Nato’s International Security Assistance Force used white phosphorus in Afghanistan but never as an anti-personnel weapon. “That’s not allowed under the terms of international law,” she said.

White phosphorus, she said, was only used for marking targets, screening troops from enemy positions, illuminating areas, destroying unoccupied bunkers and buildings and “for igniting enemy ammunition or petroleum production”.

But while not one independent report can be found of Taliban use of WP, the U.S. military has used such in direct combat as anti-personel weapon has been documented in Fallujah, Iraq, and also in Afghanistan.

Just open today's NYT and read C. J. Chivers report from the Korangal valley where the U.S. military for whatever reason is fighting local timber-smugglers:

After the ceremony, the violence resumed. The soldiers detected a Taliban spotter on a ridge, which was pounded with mortars and then white phosphorus rounds from a 155-millimeter howitzer.

Another Chivers NYT report from mid April also documents the U.S. use of white phosphor rounds in direct targeting of enemy positions in the Korangal valley.

By continuously lying about its use of chemical weapons, by seizing farmland and destroying ancient water-systems the U.S. is each day creating more and more enemies in Afghanistan.

Even the U.S. commander says that al-Qaeda is no longer operating in Afghanistan. What again is then the purpose of all that killing there?