Boberts shock and horror - "Now we learn that a modern day napalm was also dropped on Iraqis."

Report on use of Napalm, Mk 77 Firebomb, call it what you will:

"American pilots dropped the controversial incendiary agent napalm on Iraqi troops during the advance on Baghdad. The attacks caused massive fireballs that obliterated several Iraqi positions.

The Pentagon denied using napalm at the time, but Marine pilots and their commanders have confirmed that they used an upgraded version of the weapon against dug-in positions. They said napalm, which has a distinctive smell, was used because of its psychological effect on an enemy.

A 1980 UN convention banned the use against civilian targets of napalm,..... The US, which did not sign the treaty, is one of the few countries that makes use of the weapon.

The upgraded weapon, which uses kerosene rather than petrol, was used in March and April, when dozens of napalm bombs were dropped near bridges over the Saddam Canal and the Tigris river, south of Baghdad.

"We napalmed both those [bridge] approaches," said Colonel James Alles, commander of Marine Air Group 11. "Unfortunately there were people there ... you could see them in the [cockpit] video. They were Iraqi soldiers."

From the above, and from other articles on this subject, we get the following:

The targets were clearly identified military targets, therefore "legitimate" under the terms of the UN convention mentioned above. The use was minimal, "dozens" not thousands, not millions. The use was selective and restricted in application.

From other articles the press present reported that the weapon was used last, i.e. after positions had been hit with artillery, bombs or missiles. Use was mainly for, "its psychological effect on an enemy" - by and large that seems to have worked, the Iraqi forces made no attempt to manouevre, or stand and fight.

The US did not sign up to the 1980 UN convention so they are perfectly entitled to use these types of munitions, and it should be noted that the UN convention only bans its use against civilian targets - It dosen't ban its use period.

As you have brought the subject up Bobert:

How about the number of Iraqi casualties? - Have you bothered to go the sites I mentioned when I originally challenged your totally arbitrary and fictitious figure? - No didn't think you had.

30,000 bombs of which 80% smart. - Targeted at what? When were the bulk of them fired, day or night?

"..., milions of rounds of tank, artillery and small arm weponery fired in the direction of Iraqia.." - Where the hell is Iraqia?

"...and according to Teribus, between 1400 and possibly 5000 Iraqis."

No Bobert, not according to me, according to world press reports and an extremely anti-war web site. The upper range figure that particular site gave was in actual fact closer to 6000, but then you never have been all that great at posting factually or accurately Bobert.

Quagmire Iraq? Last report I can remember hearing was something in the order of 58 US personnel killed in Iraq since 1st May this year, a period of three and a half months, 106 days. Area of incidence is very localised to areas known to be loyal to Saddam Hussein - his own tribal area. That is in a country the size of France, beginning of this week the French reported 50 people dead from heat-stroke, over a period of four days, in and around their capital. No intention of drawing parallels but it does put some sort of perspective on the numbers and time-frame. So quagmire Iraq? - Hardly.