Some in the press and anti-war political circles have been scandalized by US military use of white phosphorus munitions in Fallujah, Iraq. Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff USMC, tackled the subject head-on at the Nov. 29 Pentagon briefing, arguing that these so-called “Willy Pete” munitions—for example, 120 mm mortar smoke cartridges fired in Iraq–are “legitimate tools” in close combat situations. He added that WP munitions are used primarily in two situations—to mark a location for a strike by an aircraft and to act as a screen for troop movements. “It is not a chemical, it is an incendiary,” Pace said. As if that matters to some of the learned commentators out there…..
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
