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Posted on 10/10/2001 11:53:27 PM PDT by FresnoDA

Technion: Country prepared for non-conventional war

HAIFA (October 11) - Israel and its population are prepared for a biological or chemical attack, according to the findings of a survey carried out by the Technion for the IDF's Home Front Command.

Prof. Alan (Avi) Kirschenbaum, of the Behavioral Science Department of the Technion's Industrial Engineering and Management Faculty, said the preparation of the general public to cope with non-conventional warfare is exceptionally high.

"If terrorists were to try and spread anthrax around, for instance, the relevant agencies would be ready to deal with it, as would the population in general," he said.

The survey, carried out last summer, was commissioned by Home Front Command and was a follow-up to similar research conducted independently by Kirschenbaum just prior to the outbreak of the Gulf War.

Then, Technion representatives issued people going to collect gas mask kits from distribution centers with entrance and exit questionnaires designed to assess the efficiency of the system and instruction courses and the level of anxiety among recipients.

The follow-up study traced 800 people who were in the same categories of those interviewed initially, but 10 years older. They were questioned about the use of gas masks, atropine injections (the antidote for most nerve and blister gases), and preparing sealed rooms.

The questions were also designed to assess fears about the prospects of a non-conventional attack, ability to predict when this was likely to happen, and general state of readiness and steadfastness.

The survey, with a margin of error of three percent, found that more than 95% of the population has gas mask kits and that the skill level in their use is 90%.

A similar skill level was recorded in preparation of sealed rooms, although slightly less in the use of the antidote in the event of contact with chemical agents.

The study, a representative sample of Jews and Arabs around the country, also found that the 10-year lapse since the Gulf War had not affected the high skill level in the use of gas masks, preparing sealed rooms, and other emergency measures.

Those with kits who did not endure Iraqi Scud attacks had slightly lower skill levels in all respects, the survey found.

Parents with children were found to be the more cognizant and better able to assess the risk factor than single people.

The survey also found that the vast majority of people behave rationally and without panic in times of crisis and that the level of hysteria is minimal.

This also apparently indicates their trust in the equipment and the recommended safety measures, as well as in the ability of the authorities to tackle a biological or chemical attack.

Kirschenbaum noted that 20% of all homes were built with sealed security rooms, and that the rest of the population has the means to provide similar environments in the event of an attack.

"Given the alternatives, the gas mask kits and sealed rooms are probably the best means to save as many lives as possible and keep people healthy were there to be a non-conventional attack on Israel by another country or by terrorists," said Kirschenbaum.

"These measures not only provide for physical safety, they also give people a feeling of security from the psychological aspect. If people really believed that gas masks were useless, they wouldn't bother to collect them. The fact is that most of the population, including the Arab community, has them and that listening and adhering to the instructions of the authorities reduces the risks."

It is believed that 26 countries have biological and chemical weapons and the means of delivering them, while 12 others are in the process of acquiring or producing them. At least 10 others are believed to be currently involved in research relating to biological or chemical warheads.

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