Caught lying again...

US troops used white phosphorus as a weapon in last year's offensive in the Iraqi city of Falluja, the US has said.

"It was used as an incendiary weapon against enemy combatants," spokesman Lt Col Barry Venable told the BBC - though not against civilians, he said.

The US had earlier said the substance - which can cause burning of the flesh - had been used only for illumination.

BBC defence correspondent Paul Wood says having to retract its denial is a public relations disaster for the US.

Col Venable denied that white phosphorous constituted a banned chemical weapon.

Washington is not a signatory to an international treaty restricting the use of the substance against civilians.

The US state department had earlier said white phosphorus had been used in Falluja very sparingly, for illumination purposes.

Col Venable said that statement was based on "poor information".

I really am disgusted with our government.

First they deny using it as a weapon, and now they deny it is a chemical weapon, and now they deny using it against civilians. Lies lies and more fucking lies..

The rest of the world thinks it's a chemical weapon, but because our fascist fucked up government doesn't think so means it's okay to burn people to death en masse?