When was napalm outlawed

Although technically an incendiary bomb, the MK is often referred to colloquially by soldiers and experts, and even in some military documents, as napalm. Remember the previous discussion of napalm as a catchall term? During the Persian Gulf War, U. These bombs were used on trenches that Iraqi forces had dug and filled with oil. Iraqi soldiers were going to light these oil-filled trenches on fire when U. At the end of that conflict, Iraqi Kurds led a revolt against Saddam Hussein's government.

In its reprisal attacks, Hussein's forces also used napalm to brutally crush the rebellious Kurds. Although the U. They contend that while the old form of napalm isn't used, a similar, reformulated compound, also a jelled incendiary substance, has been used, most notably in the form of the MK bomb.

In , U. One American commander told The Independent newspaper that commanders like napalm for its "psychological effect" [source: Buncombe ].

In the same article, a Marine spokesman said that Mark 77 bombs -- specifically the MK Mod 5 used in Iraq -- were "remarkably similar" to napalm bombs although less environmentally harmful , but referred to them as "firebombs" [source: Crawley ]. There have been allegations that napalm was used when American forces assaulted Fallujah in November [source: Iraq Analysis Group ]. But there has been considerable debate about whether this is true.

The use of napalm or napalmlike weapons has drawn some controversy for countries working with U. Protocol III but were working with or under the command of U.

The eventual revelation that U. Whatever the final verdict, napalm, like Agent Orange , has become a loaded word, symbolizing for many the carnage and brutality of war. But despite the ghastly images we've seen, some experts on the subject point out that while napalm produces horrific results, it's used as part of waging war, which itself contains numerous images and symbols of horror, death and destruction. Yet even if napalm is a weapon like many others, something in particular about the substance and the images that have chronicled it, have lent it a special symbolism, unlikely to fade.

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How Napalm Works. He loves the smell of napalm in the morning -- Robert Duvall as Lt. Kilgore on the set of "Apocalypse Now. Napalm's Effects on Health and the Environment " ".

What Were They Thinking? Napalm in Vietnam " ". Kim Phuc, seen here with then-Sen. Joe Biden, stands in front of the famous photograph of herself as a child, being burned by napalm. Scott J. The MK and Napalm in Iraq " ". Images like this one, of napalm exploding in an area south of Saigon, became well known during the Vietnam War, but napalm hasn't exactly died out since then.

Was that something the Founding Fathers ever envisioned? Despite its heritage and horror, napalm — the word is a marriage of its two original components, naphthenic and palmitic acids — has played a major role in the history of war. Neer, a historian at Columbia University, elected to write a book about it. Battleland conducted this email chat with Neer earlier this week:. What is the bottom line in your new book, Napalm: An American Biography? Its story shows how defeat on the battlefield, grassroots protest, vilification in popular culture, regulation under international law, development of alternative weapons, and the rise of a global civilian culture can constrain military power.

Second, because it is an American weapon: it was invented in America and has been used longer, more widely, and to greater effect by the United States than any other country.

Third, because this is a story of America, from global authority at the end of World War II to its increasingly constrained position in a globalizing world. It was invented in a top-secret war research collaboration between Harvard University and the U. Its most recent large scale use was by the United States during the invasion of Iraq.

We completed the destruction of our last batch of napalm on April 4, , and no longer maintain any stocks of napalm," Commander Davis said. He was apparently referring to Vietnam-era Napalm-B, which consisted of inflammable fuel thickened with polystyrene and benzene.

The inflammable fuel in Mark fire bombs is thickened with slightly different chemicals, and is believed to contain oxidisers. A Pentagon official told Agence France-Presse on Thursday that US forces used the Mark fire bombs against Iraqi forces in their drive towards Baghdad and defended their use as legal and necessary.

The official, who did not wish to be identified, said that US marines jets dropped the fire bombs at least once to destroy Iraqi positions at Safwan. The official told AFP: "It is like this: you've got [an] enemy that's hard to get at. It drew a distinction between traditional napalm, first invented in , and the weapons dropped in Iraq, which it calls Mark 77 firebombs.

They weigh lbs, and consist of 44lbs of polystyrene-like gel and 63 gallons of jet fuel. Officials said that if journalists had asked about the firebombs their use would have been confirmed. A spokesman admitted they were "remarkably similar" to napalm but said they caused less environmental damage. But John Pike, director of the military studies group GlobalSecurity. Org, said: "You can call it something other than napalm but it is still napalm. It has been reformulated in the sense that they now use a different petroleum distillate, but that is it.

The US is the only country that has used napalm for a long time. I am not aware of any other country that uses it.