Free Republic

Residents of the village of Otniel in the southern Hebron Hills were surprised to discover near the village, in Area C which is fully controlled by Israel, a new factory that manufactures bomb shelters and employs Palestinian Arabs. One of the residents told Arutz Sheva-Israel National News that the intensive construction in the area began at the beginning of the war with substantial earthworks using heavy machinery. Residents of the village contacted the military and the Civil Administration claiming the work was an additional attempt to take over Area C. Military officials claimed that the construction was okay and was...

In Moscow, authorities are inspecting the bomb shelters in the city’s schools. This is not a routine or academic exercise. The officials involved have been directed to get the shelters in working order. Right now. Notifications have gone out in Moscow to inform residents that bomb shelters are being prepared. The Education Department has issued instructions to all institutions under its control to outfit new shelters in addition to those in existence. Moscow hospitals are also involved in the efforts. Shelters are being set up in the hospitals as well and equipped with electricity, lighting, disposable plates, and water. Moscow’s...

Fears of Russian aggression are spreading beyond Ukraine to the United States, where there's a boom in demand for private bunkers. DW's Ines Pohl has visited one of the largest bunker factories in the US, which is churning out luxury shelters.

Many have been used as storage rooms, and are packed with old furniture and other cast-offs. Most lack water and working sanitation facilities. State regulations still demand, though, that bomb shelters (called tilfluktsrom in Norwegian) be ready for service within 72 hours, prompting lots of cleaning and quick refurbishment around the country right now. Norway’s state directorate for security and preparedness (DSB) confirms that all the shelters combined can only accommodate 2.5 million people, less than half Norway’s current population. Norwegian Broadcating (NRK) reported how state authorities, believing the Cold War was over, decided in 1998 to remove long-standing demands...

For the last five years, satellite photos have shown continuing constructing of an underground bunker complex north of Damascus, Syria, This is believed to be the control center for the national air defense system. Progress has been slow because Syria is broke and unable to pay for the new missile systems that that the people in this underground complex would control. Earlier this year, Russia suspended its program to upgrade Syria's MiG-31 fighters. In 2007, Russia and Syria signed an agreement by which Russia would provide the country with seven MiG-31 aircraft, as well as equipment and services to upgrade...

Helping Your Children Cope If Israel Is Attacked By Dr. Batya L. Ludman Israel News Agency Haifa----July 14...... Being in a sealed room or bomb shelter in Israel is not easy for an adult at the best of times, but should we have to go into our shelters today or tomorrow, how can we make this an easier experience for our children? Most children in Israel will cope very well with being in a shelter as they will be with their parents and will therefore feel secure. Assuming that parents remain calm and are in control, children will feel safe....

China activates bomb shelters Intelligence sources suspect reopening to public is part of strategic deception Posted: June 28, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com China's decision to open up massive bomb shelters to the public, ostensibly to provide a respite from summer heat, has U.S. intelligence analysts concerned about a possible strategic deception by Beijing, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin. The government made a high-profile public announcement, carried by the official Xinhua news agency, this week that bomb shelters in central Chongqing would be opened to the public to allow residents to cool off during a heat wave in...