Residents concerned about U.S. forces' live-fire drill using white phosphorus shells

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Residents concerned about U.S. forces' live-fire drill using white phosphorus shells

In Shizuoka Prefecture, a local residents' group in opposition to the U.S. Marine Corps' live-fire exercises at the Higashi Fuji training field requested the prefectural government on October 11 to conduct soil and water surveys to examine if the local environment has been damaged by white phosphorus shells.

According to this group, a U.S. Marine Corps unit fired in its exercise in September a total of 365 white phosphorus shells (20 percent of all shells fired in the exercise).

Pointing out that more than 2 tons of poisonous white phosphorus had scattered in the area which is the source of water supply for local residents, the group urged the prefectural government to swiftly conduct a survey.

The U.S. forces have used white phosphorus shells in Iraq, causing inhumane suffering to Iraqi people.
- Akahata, October 12, 2006