Is Syria using Napalm against its people?

A video of a Syrian town burning has raised suspicion the dictator Bashar al-Assad is once again using Napalm in air strikes on civilian areas.

Incendiary, or fire-causing, weapons have been used extensively in wars throughout the ages. Who can forget this image of Phan Thi Kim Phuc running from the fire in her village in Vietnam, naked and burning after a Napalm attack?

Napalm is a particularly nasty substance, a mixture of petroleum and a gelling agent that makes it stick to whatever surface it lands on and burn for longer.

The use of the incendiary weapon on civilian targets was banned in 1980 by the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons however, if this video is to be believed, it seems Syria is willing to violate the convention.

The footage shows the aftermath of an alleged Napalm attack and was filmed by the Darayya Media Center and the Syrian Civil Defense, two groups that fiercely opposed to the Assad regime.

The pro-rebel activists say the raging fires were the result of 20 barrels of Napalm being dropped on the rebel-held neighbourhood in Darayya.

If the allegations are true (and the video remains unverified), it would be the second time Syria has used Napalm on civilian targets. Experts say the burning is consistent with the use of Napalm.

The incident comes two years after sarin gas killed over a thousand people in a Damascus suburb, which came close to triggering a US attack.

As we discussed yesterday, Australia is considering sending troops and aircraft into direct action in Syria. Could this be the start of another prolonged and incredibly dirty war?

Tell us, if it were confirmed that the Syrian government was using Napalm on civilian targets, would that justify going to war?