Amongst stupid decisions made in the Iraq war this is one of the worse kinds - use of white phosphorous as an offensive weapon. It does collateral damages to innocent civilians too... in particular an urban combat enviroment. Plain dumb decision.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4440664.stm
Keep doing that and see what happens in retaliation- the point being there will not be too much outrage displayed at what equally horrid weapon may be used in reprisals..... it borders on using mustard gas effects. I've seen/read many soldiers accounts of phosphorous contact effects on the body -mostly from WW2 era - basically, the skin burns bubbling.
Fortunately that was a rare case of its use but another reason to get out before more bad decisions made in that war turn the 'policing' role into something irreversibly worse.

Well-its happening.... McCain wanted it both ways; cheerleading the surge because progress was made in its military achievement scope, but the surge has failed miserably in its defined target to bring stability there. So McCain's 'other' scenario of staying there 100 years to keep things status quo is more realistic-> so how can he pat himself on the back by saying the surge is working.... bombings still go on and alot of US soldiers keep dying--> and where's the Iraqi army the pentagon said was supposed to be fully trained more or less at least 1 or 2 years ago..... lies, and veiled false hopes all the way.