More to come on phosphorus story? Maybe not!

Earlier this morning, I wrote that more was to come on the story of the admitted American use of white phosphorus as a chemical weapon against the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

So, where is that additional information? Is there more to come on the white phosphorus story?

Well, there is and there isn’t. The story is that there is no story – not if you live in the United States, at least.

Journalists are reporting on this story across the world, except in the United States. Go on and do a Google News search for white phosphorus in the news. As of 12 Noon, hours and hours, after the story broke, you’ll find articles on the story today from the press in Switzerland, in Australia, in Canada, in Italy, and from across the United Kingdom.

But what about in the United States? There’s just one journalistic news source in the entire United States that’s acknowledging that the story even exists: The San Jose Mercury News.

From Reuters, you’ll see a story on white phosphorus all right – from November 8, eight days ago. Searching the Reuters news site, the most recent article on this story is entitled “US denies using white phosphorus on Iraqi civilians” Search the CNN web site using the words “white” and “phosphorus”, and you’ll see articles from 1998 and 1997.

What gives? Why is the United States news media ignoring this story, pretending that it doesn’t exist? There have been statements from the Pentagon itself admitting that white phosphorus was used as a weapon against Iraqis. Doesn’t at least the story that there is a story in the international press deserve some attention? Why is this information being kept out of the American press?

More to come? I hope so, or the story will become censorship by the American news media.