Many think weapons are prohibited in war, but they are not

Throughout history, humanity has evolved through many technological advancements, especially during warfare. The evolution of weapons has occurred rapidly from the 1800s to today, with some weapons becoming so deadly that they are banned or have conventions not to use them.

Today, biological weapons and most chemical weapons are banned, and the development of nuclear weapons is closely monitored. However, some of the deadliest weapons of war that have been used in history are not banned, despite the controversies they may cause.

Napalm

Napalm is a sticky white gel flare and petrochemical, sometimes gasoline or diesel. Fused, the weapon can cause a widespread chain of fire that can cook a human body.

Throughout history, humanity has evolved through many technological advancements, especially during warfare. The evolution of weapons has occurred rapidly from the 1800s to today, with some weapons becoming so deadly that they are banned or have conventions not to use them.

Today, biological weapons and most chemical weapons are banned, and the development of nuclear weapons is closely monitored. However, some of the deadliest weapons of war that have been used in history are not banned, despite the controversies they may cause.

Napalm

Napalm is a sticky white gel flare and petrochemical, sometimes gasoline or diesel. Fused, the weapon can cause a widespread chain of fire that can cook a human body.

Incendiary uses of napalm would occur at the end of World War II, targeting key logistics cities in Germany and Japan. During the Korean War, napalm was frequently used to stop the human wave tactics of North Korea and China, although the bombings came at a cost of enormous loss of civilian life.

The effects of napalm and the grizzly toll of the torch came during the Vietnam War. While the Vietnam War was televised, the general public saw some of the most horrific effects of firebombing.

A plethora of Vietnamese civilians, in the then-separated north and south, suffered lasting burns, as did American troops caught under friendly fire. Napalm is prohibited for civilian purposes, but the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) completely ban its use on military targets.

White phosphorus

White phosphorus, another incendiary munition, is mainly used for lighting front-line forces. The torch is also extremely harmful to the human body, leaving horrible burn marks and often excruciating pain to those who touch it.

Although white phosphorus was widely used during the World Wars and Vietnam, the substance would gain importance in modern warfare as several conflicts demonstrated the horror of incendiary munitions.

During the US invasion of Iraq, white phosphorus was used by US forces against al-Qaeda in the Battle of Fallujah. Controversies arose over the potential use of civilians by coalition forces during the war.

In other engagements in the Middle East, Israel has been accused of using the substance in previous wars in Gaza and Lebanon, and the Turkish military has used it against Kurdish militias in Syria. According to the Geneva Conventions and the CCW, white phosphorus is not prohibited in war as long as it is not used deliberately against civilians.

Cluster munitions

Cluster munitions are surface-dropped explosive weapons that release/eject smaller shrapnel projectiles within a certain radius. Because munitions release small bombs and have varying degrees of misfire, cluster bombs pose great risks to civilians.

Cluster munitions have been used in wars such as the Vietnam War, Lebanon War, Soviet-Afghan War, Chechnya, Iraq, and Karabakh Wars. The US military currently uses its variant of the cluster munition, commonly known as the Dual-Purpose Enhanced Conventional Munition (DPICM).

Currently, the Russian and Ukrainian militaries are using cluster munitions in their ongoing war. However, it is important to distinguish the uses between the two countries.

Russian forces use cluster munitions against civilians, particularly in densely populated cities like Kharkiv. Ukraine uses it only on positions of Russian troops far from civilian areas, as promised to the United States, which supplies kyiv with DPICMs.

Cluster munitions are not covered by the Geneva Convention, except in cases of illegal use on civilians and population centers. Instead, they fall under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which has only 100 signatories out of more than 200 countries worldwide.

Depleted uranium shells

Depleted uranium (DU), defined by Reuters, is a dense byproduct of residual uranium that has been enriched. Although they still contain some forms of radiation, isotopes are far inferior to highly radioactive materials.

Designed for military use outside of nuclear weapons, primarily in artillery shells and tank shells. Only a handful of countries have depleted uranium canisters in their inventory, such as the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands, China, Japan, South Korea, South Africa and Singapore.

Depleted uranium canisters were used during the 1991 Gulf War, the NATO bombings of Serbia and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Serbia and some reports have complained about the use of DU and its link to cancer spikes, although A link has not yet been found thanks to an international investigation.

Debates have arisen over sending DU munitions to Ukraine, with British Challengers and American Abrams being equipped with these munitions. To date, Ukraine has used the tanks and munitions, but there have been no reports of radioactive activity from the munitions.

The Geneva Conventions do not prohibit depleted uranium munitions, but their use against civilian populations is prohibited.

Although some of the most brutal weapons are used in war, various weapons with horrible side effects are not banned today. However, major military regions and superpowers should strive to mitigate the aftereffects and use near civilian populations as much as possible.