The use of white phosphorus, as a marker, smokescreen layer or as a weapon, is not banned by . What is prohibited is the use of incendiary weapons against targets in close proximity to civilians or civilian property. The protocol specifically excludes weapons whose incendiary effect is secondary, such as smoke and tracer rounds. The United States is among the nations that are parties to the convention but have not signed Protocol III. In the 1990s, the U.S. government condemned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein for allegedly using “white phosphorus chemical weapons” against Kurdish rebels and residents of Irbil and Dohuk.