Israel Begins Largest-Ever Home-Front Emergency Drill

[Purveyor]

Tel Aviv - With fears of Iran's nuclear programme very much in mind, Israel embarked on its largest-ever home-front emergency drill Sunday, meant to simulate responses to war and other emergency situations, such as a large-scale terrorist attack.

The operative part of the five-day drill, dubbed 'Turning Point 2,' will begin Monday and will include, among other scenarios, simulated missile attacks on towns in populated areas.

Rescue services will simulate mass evacuation from hit zones - including those hit with chemical and biological weapons - and hospitals will practise treating thousands of casualties.

Israel regards Iran as is biggest existential threat, given Tehran's nuclear ambitions, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statements that the Jewish state should be wiped off the map.

During the exercise, the security, or inner, cabinet will also conduct meetings throughout the exercise, aimed at examining the effectiveness of the decision-making process during enemy attacks.

--
On Saturday night Defence Minister Ehud Barak had described Israel;s northern front, which borders southern Lebanon and Syria, as 'especially sensitive.'

Israel Radio quoted him as saying that 'in our day and age, the preparedness of the home front is a critical component of military victory.'

---EOE---

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/news/article_1398606.php/Israel_begins_largest-ever_home-front_emergency_drill__Roundup_

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. And the saudis are also preparing for nuclear fall out

these things in isolation I'd go... ok whatever, but the two of them together... who else is preparing? and chiefly WHY?

[wuushew]

3. Also the strange case of previously unavailble funds for gas mask replacement

November 3, 2007

The IDF lacks more than NIS 1 billion ($250 million) to buy new gas masks and refurbish the millions of civil defense kits that have been recently collected from the public, the Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday, quoting defense officials. They said if the missing money was not appropriated in the coming months, the whole refurbishing project would be postponed and redistribution of masks to the public -- including those who voluntarily returned their masks -- would be postponed for years

http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Security/12310.htm

[PerfectSage]

2. Your post about the Isreali Emergency drill is related to my post...

...about an alert for a possible attack on Iran this week.

US Military Strike on Iran Set for the Week of April 6, 2008?