I am Kyle's self-indulgence

The Independent reports that the United States used chemical weapons during an assault on Falluja last year.

This is the kind of story that is so awful, you absolutely pray it is not true. The Independent at least claims to have verifiable evidence of the claim:

But now new information has surfaced, including hideous photographs and videos and interviews with American soldiers who took part in the Fallujah attack, which provides graphic proof that phosphorus shells were widely deployed in the city as a weapon.

If this evidence exists, I hope that it reveals the truth to the world. I think our initial reaction to this type of story is that it simply can't be true. We like to think that America does not commit such atrocities. However, we know that during the Vietnam War the US used napalm as a weapon against enemies, as well as commit a host of other atrocities against civilians. The sad truth is that we are not only capable of wartime atrocities, but have established a long record of committing them. We tell ourselves we've learned from our mistakes, and that we're a better country now. Our treatment of prisoners and now this story (if true) paint a different picture.

Incidentally, while searching for other information on this story, I found this map that shows nations around the world that have "probable or known involvement in chemical and/or biological weapons." We keep some interesting company.