I was surprised by a press statement from the chief of Civil Defense. He said that his department did not want to disturb the public by making preparations for a possible war in Iraq. We all know of course that the repercussions from such a war would surely be felt here in the Kingdom.
What really amazed me was the overconfidence shown by the director. He sees no need for the country to prepare for such an eventuality on the grounds that doing so would disturb people and also waste the time of both the public and the department! What, I wonder, is the purpose of his department if not to prepare for emergencies?
What is very disturbing indeed is the statement implying that the Civil Defense Department is not taking the possibility of war seriously and thus not making necessary preparations because it does not want to annoy the public.
The director left us with two choices to explain what his statement really means: that we shouldn’t worry because he has reliable information that there will be no war or that the department is not prepared for the eventuality. Why make preparations for a war that is not going to happen and disturb the public by taking unnecessary measures?
Unfortunately, the second explanation seems far more likely — that the department simply lacks the ways and means to face the situation.
The job of the Civil Defense Department is to be fully prepared all times to deal with disasters and calamities, whether natural or man-made. Its function is to ensure the protection and safety of people and property.
A war against Iraq is a disaster in the making and its effects will be felt in the Kingdom. There is no one who was here during the 1991 war who doubts what I am saying.
Preparing for a war should be at the very top of the department’s list of priorities. It should be a constant source of concern for them until everyone in the department was convinced that all necessary precautions had been taken. We should not wait until the war begins to take action. US President George Bush did not hesitate to be vaccinated against smallpox and he asked his people to do the same as part of general preparations for possible germ warfare that might result from attacking Iraq.
It is the duty of the Civil Defense Department to educate the public and advise them what to do and how to act in the event of an emergency. What is really disturbing now is the memory and images of Iraq’s Scud missiles thundering into Riyadh.
Arab News From the Local Press 13 January 2003
