Home Front officer: $500 million spent on upgrading gas masks (in Israel)

AP / Ha'aretz ^ | 24 February 2003 | The Associated Press

[anotherview]

Home Front officer: $500 million spent on upgrading gas masks By The Associated Press

Israel has spent about $500 million to upgrade gas masks for its citizens in preparation for a possible Iraqi attack, if a U.S.-led coalition hits Iraq, an IDF officer from the Home Front Command said Monday.

Though Israeli officials say the likelihood of an Iraqi attack with chemical or biological weapons is small, preparations are underway on several levels - military, government and individual

Colonel Gil Shenhar also confirmed that there are plans to evacuate sections of the Tel Aviv area in case of an attack. "We are able to evacuate, but we are not dealing with it now," he said. "We don't think it is the right decision to tell the public to evacuate."

The mayor of a Ramat Gan raised a furor recently by saying that an open area in the southern Negev desert was being prepared as an evacuation site for his city's residents in case of an Iraqi attack.

Shenhar said that Israelis have replaced 3.2 million gas masks in the run-up to a possible war in Iraq at a cost to the military of about $500 million, a significant amount for a cash-strapped economy buffeted by more than two years of violence.

At this point, Shenhar said, the military has not instructed Israelis to prepare rooms sealed with plastic sheeting in their houses.

Israel first distributed gas masks to its citizens before the 1991 Gulf War, when Saddam Hussein's forces pelted Israel with 39 Scud missiles. Israelis wearing gas masks waited in sealed rooms, but all the missiles carried conventional explosive warheads which caused damage but few casualties.

The Home Front Command was set up in the wake of the 1991 conflict to deal with civilian issues in wartime.

[robertpaulsen]

"Israel has spent about $500 million to upgrade gas masks for its citizens ..."

In a related story, Israel increased their requested US assistance from $12 billion to $12.5 billion.

[anotherview]

...of which much is loan guarantees. Unlike most nations to which the U.S. gives aid, Israel always pays its debt.

You can't criticize a government for protecting its citizens.

[Atlas Sneezed]

So THAT'S what REAL homeland security would look like!

[FreeReporting]

Colonel Gil Shenhar also confirmed that there are plans to evacuate sections of the Tel Aviv area in case of an attack. "We are able to evacuate, but we are not dealing with it now," he said. "We don't think it is the right decision to tell the public to evacuate."

In this weather I would prefer to stay home than be evacuated to the Negev where the flash floods would probably be more of a danger.