All the indications point to an imminent war. The American administration is bent on attacking Iraq and has massed its soldiers and weapons in the region, ready to attack. Television stations keep telling us about a coming war. Does all this point to a mock battle?
Kuwait, Iraq and Israel as well as other countries in the region have all taken the matter seriously, adopting the precautions required in such circumstances. They did this because they expect the worst and want to reduce their losses.
Again, are these countries exaggerating the matter and are they driven by unjustified reasons?
I don’t think so. Unfortunately, that seems to be the position of the civil defense authorities here. To overreact is not to take the required precautionary measures but to ignore the war clouds that are already blackening the sky. It is unbelievable that the authorities have failed to do anything, thinking that even if danger strikes it will be far away and we will not be affected.
I ask the civil defense authorities a simple question: Have they prepared any safe shelters to protect civilians in the event of danger? I assume the civil defense is the authorized body responsible for such measures. I don’t know if shelters exist, but we all know of their importance in such situations. Why, then, are signs of preparations for what lies ahead so conspicuously absent? We pray to the Almighty Allah to spare the region the dangers of war and pray to Him that if war does break out it will not turn into a global armed conflict spreading death and destruction everywhere.
The question still remains: What if Iraq was attacked and the war spilled over to reach neighboring countries? Some people have decided to turn their houses into safe havens, hoping that their homes will protect them after they have fitted them out with basic necessities. But what about others who have no means to do so? Who will be responsible for their safety?
If it is already too late to construct shelters from scratch, there is still time to make use of existing buildings with some modifications to make them suitable as shelters. Ventilation, emergency exits and other facilities could with some effort be installed in just one day.
We also want to see television programs educating the public on how to respond to an emergency and take the necessary precautions. If there is no real danger, they should tell us we don’t need such measures. What matters is for the officials to speak out. Let them do what is required of them, and let us know if they indeed share with us the same planet and that they do realize the dangers looming overhead.
Arab News From the Local Press 13 March 2003
