U.S. ADMIT USING 'SON OF NAPALM' ON IRAQIS

AMERICAN jets killed Iraqi troops with a controversial napalm- type weapon during the war in Iraq, the Pentagon has admitted.

Mark 77 firebombs were dropped on Iraq on at least two occasions during the recent conflict.

A senior Pentagon colonel confirmed the bombs have "similar destructive characteristics" to napalm - the use of which sparked world outrage in the Vietnam war. The photograph of nine-year-old Kim Phuc, screaming in pain from napalm burns, turned public opinion in America against the war. In 1980 napalm was banned by the United Nations, but the US did not sign the agreement.

Three months ago, after Gulf War II, the Pentagon denied using napalm against Iraqi troops. However, it has now admitted using "Mark 77 firebombs", which are produced using a similar fuel-gel mixture.

Colonel Mike Daily of the US Marines confirmed Mark 77 bombs were dropped around the Kuwait-Iraq border at the start of the war.

He said they had "similar destructive characteristics" to the Vietnam-era napalm.

In March, an Australian journalist said "napalm" was used in an attack on Iraqi troops at Safwan Hill, near the Kuwait border. The US government called the story "patently false" and said it destroyed its last batch of napalm in April 2001.

However, this referred only to the Vietnam-era Napalm-B. This week a Pentagon official admitted that US Marine jets dropped the fire- bombs at least once.

He added: "It is like this: you've got an enemy that's hard to get at. And it will save your own lives to use it."

It is known the Marines used the bombs on at least two other occasions during the drive to Baghdad.

Colonel Randolph Alles, commander of the Marine Air Group 11 explained: "The generals love napalm. It has a big psychological effect."

British soldiers yesterday fired shots in the air to disperse stone-throwing crowds protesting at fuel and power shortages in Basra. US troops seized No 29 on their Most Wanted list, Iraq's ex- Interior Minister Mahmoud Diyab al-Ahmed.

MARK 77 FIREBOMB

Similar in size and appearance to earlier napalm canisters

Loaded with 44lbs of polystyrene-like gelling compound & 63 gallons of jet fuel

Army experts say it has the same 'destructive powers as original weapon'

Without fins, bomb tumbles to ground spreading the flames over a wider area

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