The likelihood of a chemical terror attack in Israel’s cities is such that Minister of Defense Ehud Barak ordered the Chemical Response Unit on full alert during these critical days of the peace process.

Lets picture the scenario.

VX gas is released along the shore-line of Tel aviv. What happens?

  1. The sirens are sounded. Citizens have no idea what is going on. Many assume it is a prank. Some turn on the radio and hear that they are requested to go to sealed rooms and put on gas-masks. Gas? But there is no crisis with Iraq; no missiles have fallen. Some turn to the foreign media. They hear that terrorists have released a lethal gas in central Tel Aviv and the authorities are presently checking the wind direction.
  2. Citizens in Tel Aviv, most without adequate shelter, most without access to gas-masks, begin to flee the city. The roads become blocked and they begin to run on foot.

Who can run faster than the wind?

Presently this is the best protection offered to us. Instructions published by HAGA relate only to a missile attack and give no instructions what so ever for response to Chemical, Biological or nuclear terror attack. This must reflect a lack of coordination of security policy regarding civilians and non-conventional weapons which is leaving Israel’s citizen’s tragically vulnerable and mis-informed.

The gas masks, if we have them, are ineffective four hours after breaking the seal. We have presently no civilian answer for a second strike on the civilian frontier.

With limited budgets and confused priorities it seems citizens have no choice but to demand security measures that have otherwise been sorely neglected.

For more information and press contacts: Yael Haran (04) 984-0310
The Sleeping Giant
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Congress/7663
harans@internet-zahav.net.il

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