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Apprehensive Israel strengthens defences

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA Dec. 30. Apprehending possible Iraqi retaliation in case of a war, Israel with the help of the United States has begun to strengthen its theatre missile defences. The U.S. has ordered deployment of around 1000 troops in Israel, who will work with the Israelis to install, improved Patriot missile batteries.

The Patriot missiles are meant to down incoming ballistic missiles that may carry nuclear or chemical warheads. The earlier version of the Patriot missiles that were deployed in the first Persian Gulf War in Israel had not proved sufficiently effective, calling for their improvement in recent years. Israel in the meantime has developed its own Arrow missile system as the core of its ballistic missile defences. The U.S. deployment is part of Operation Shining Presence, a joint exercise which it holds with the Israelis since the nineties.

But unlike in the past, the U.S. this time, on account of the Iraqi threat, may not withdraw its forces from Israel soon. Israeli security planners, analysts say, are preparing for countering a possible two-phased chemical weapons retaliation from Iraq. According to one scenario, the Iraqis in the early phase of war might use aircraft to attack Israeli targets along the Red Sea, while reserving the use of long-range missiles towards the end of the conflict.

Not surprisingly, the new Patriot batteries are likely to be positioned to protect the Israel's Red Sea port of Eliat. Iraq could also launch a chemical weapons attack on U.S. warships in the area that may be firing cruse missiles on Iraqi targets. Besides, Jordan's Red Sea port of Aqaba could also be a possible Iraqi target. The Gulf of Aqaba is of vital strategic importance as it is at the eastern end of the Suez Canal and is also the northern exit to the Red Sea.

A chemical or biological weapons attack in this zone, it is felt, could impair supplies for U.S. troops that might be deployed in western Iraq, not far from the mainland in Jordan. There have been reports that Patriot missile batteries have been installed in Aqaba and the U.S. and Jordanian forces staged joint exercises in Southern Jordan as preparation to counter an attack by unconventional weapons.

Food stocks

Meanwhile, Iraq, sensing that a war may not be too far away, has begun to beef up its food stocks and is arranging for their distribution.

Besides, it has issued a blunt warning that it would fight invading U.S. troops "from street to street'' across the country. The Iraqi Trade Minister, Mohammed Mehdi Saleh, said on Saturday that "We will fight from village to village, from city to city and from street to street in every city.'' Iraq has also taken exception to the support provided by Kurdish parties to the U.S. and has warned them that they would end up with the losing side. In case of a war, the Kurds and the Turkomans, another Iraqi minority group, are expected to play a key role in opening a northern front against the regime of the Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein.

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