The government was asked yesterday to explain why the US failed to tell it the truth about use on Iraq of incendiary bombs, successors to the napalm used in Vietnam.
The MoD repeatedly denied Mark 77 incendiary bombs were dropped, on the basis of US assurances. Defence secretary John Reid now says the assurances, made to predecessor Geoff Hoon, were wrong and he "must correct the position".
US Marines dropped 30 Mark 77 fire bombs between March 31 and April 2 2003 "against military targets away from civilian areas". In a letter to Michael Ancram, shadow defence secretary, Mr Reid also says: "The MK77 does not have the same composition as napalm, although it has similar destructive characteristics."
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