Posted on 09/22/2002 8:06:03 PM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
Israel isn't waiting for the shooting to start, they're gearing up to meet everything from a chemical and biological attack by Iraq, to scud missiles raining down in their cities.
According to an Associated Press (AP) report, Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv has already begun inoculating emergency workers against an outbreak of smallpox and the company that builds air filtration devices has reported a 300 percent jump in sales, according to the Yediot Ahronot newspaper. Moreover, bottled water companies say sales are up by 25 percent. Even sales of tranquilizer are booming.
Israel's deputy defense minister, Weizman Shiri, said Israel is well prepared for an Iraqi attack with chemical or biological weapons.
"I say with my hand on my heart, not just to calm everyone, that the state of Israel is ready," Shiri told the AP "It would be easier for them to carry out a biological attack on even the United States than Israel."
The government decided last month to inoculate 15,000 emergency workers against smallpox. On Tuesday, Ichilov Hospital began the inoculations, at a rate of 30 people per day, hospital officials said. Other hospitals will also begin inoculations.
In the 1991 Gulf War, Iraq fired 39 Scud missiles at Israel, causing damage but few casualties. Israeli experts told the AP they do not know if Iraq possesses chemical or biological weapons, but the possibility cannot be ruled out.
Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer told the AP Wednesday he favors an American attack on Iraq, but Israel prefers to keep a low profile in the dispute.
"We greatly respect the decisions of the (U.S.) administration and identify with the intention to hit one of the key Mideast elements of the 'axis of evil,'" Ben-Eliezer said.
"But we are not directly part of the coming conflict, if it comes, and we have no intention of being part of it unless it is forced upon us by an Iraqi attack," Ben-Eliezer added.
Israeli officials have said Israel reserves the right to respond to an Iraqi attack, despite urging from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that they stay out.
The Israeli government has ordered increased gas mask production to prevent a shortage as the expiration date on 600,000 old masks draws closer, and Israelis continue to flood mask distribution centers.
Shiri revealed that the Home Front Command distributed 24,000 new gas masks on Tuesday alone, proof that there is no shortage at the moment.
In the event of a real threat of a biological attack, it will take authorities four days to vaccinate the entire population against smallpox, Shiri said. Israel has 2.5 times as many smallpox vaccine doses as there are citizens, he said.
In addition, Israelis have been purchasing more tranquilizers in recent days, said Aharon Reiss, chairman of the Pharmacists Union.
Anyone know the significance of this statement?
Does anyone have at hand the dates of the next three new moon nights this fall/winter?
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