Last December leading anti war campaigner Alice Mahon, then MP for Halifax, asked the government whether Napalm or similar substances were being used in Iraq. She got an unequivocal response from the armed forces minister Adam Ingram that it was not. This answer was repeated on other occasions when MPs raised its use. Harry Cohen asked about the use of MK-77 firebombs, to which Minister Ingram replied that the US had confirmed that they had not used these bombs, “which are essentially napalm canisters”.
Particular concerns were raised over its use in Falluja, where contrary to US assurances civilians were present.
In May Alice Mahon stood down from Parliament so it was her successor who received a letter from Adam Ingram in which he expressed his regret that he had to correct his previous statement. He did not explain why US officials had lied to him nor why the UK was taking no further action on the matter.
Alice is calling for an inquiry into this clear breach of international law. She regretted the lack of interest in the UK media over the issue and contrasted this the reaction elsewhere. In Italy the RAI television channel uncovered much of the evidence showing that the US were using both MK-77 bombs and White Phosphorus against civilian targets. A 30 minute video “Hidden Massacre” is available on their website.
