U.S.-led Coalition Uses White Phosphorus In Raqqa Offensive

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has this week revealed that the U.S.-led coalition fighting in the Islamic State-held city of Raqqa have repeatedly launched white phosphorus munitions at areas believed to be populated by civilians in the Syrian city. Evidence that these munitions were being used in Raqqa comes as coalition forces, constituted mainly of units from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), SDF-allied Manbij Military Council, and a U.S. artillery battery, enter their seventh month of “Operation Wrath of Euphrates” to liberate the area.

HRW’s Arms Division director Steve Goose has expressed significant concern regarding this development, noting that white phosphorus “poses a high risk of horrific and long lasting harm in crowded cities like Raqqa.” White phosphorus is a chemical agent typically used for marking and concealing objects and burns at a temperature of approximately 1000 degrees Celsius upon coming in contact with air. It is notorious for causing horrific burns that can reignite hours after initial contact and are mostly fatal.

The SDF, a military group constituted largely of Kurdish People’s Protection Units and various smaller Arab and Assyrian military groups, has led the offensive on Raqqa with U.S. military in the form of air and artillery strikes. The coalition has achieved a number of successes in recent months, with most of the small villages and hamlets surrounding Raqqa successfully cleared of Islamic State fighters, and the city almost entirely encircled. Nevertheless, local civil rights groups and human rights monitors have warned that any successes must not come at the expense of civilians trapped in the de facto capital of the Islamic State group.

As many of these groups have pointed out, the use of white phosphorus as an offensive weapon is strictly controlled by the United Nations “Protocol III.” This mandates the chemical be used only where potential harm to civilians is unlikely, r can be adequately controlled. While HRW has been unable to independently verify that civilian casualties have been caused by the coalition’s use of the chemical, many have pointed out this is highly likely where the chemical is used in a city as densely populated as Raqqa. Earlier in 2016 Amnesty International pointed out that similar indiscriminate use of white phosphorus incendiary weapons in Iraq’s Mosul area may constitute a breach of the Protocol, and a war crime. Its use in Raqqa is at best deeply troubling, and at worst indicative of a flagrant and reckless disregard for the safety of civilians who have been unable to escape.

Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the UN’s Commission of Inquiry has intimated that while the exact figure remains unclear, increased coalition airstrikes on Raqqa have resulted in “staggering”’ civilian casualties. It is not known exactly how many civilians remain in Raqqa, but the extreme danger that incendiary weapons like white phosphorus pose make their use in Raqqa entirely unacceptable. If coalition forces are truly committed to the welfare and freedom of those civilians still trapped under oppressive Islamic State rule, they must demonstrate their commitment and take all steps reasonable to prevent civilian deaths and casualties.

Matthew Bucki-Smith

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