I didn't set a red line, the world did. - Obama in Sweden just now

[joshcryer]

90. Only 5 states are not party to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

One of which is a brand new country (South Sudan, became a country in 2011) and doesn't really count.

Saddam was in 1991, the US finally came around against chemical weapons in 1997, as did a whole slew of countries due to the 1995 Sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway.

There hasn't been a state sanctioned chemical weapons release since 1991 when Saddam gassed the Kurds. All chemical releases since then have been by terrorists / rebels.

Until, allegedly, Syria.

Under international law napalm or white phosphorous falls under Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. It is not banned, simply banned in civilian populations.

I am speaking strictly from an international law perspective. I do think white phosphorous should fall in that category, but it does not.