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Politics : WAR on Terror. Will it engulf the Entire Middle East? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cage Rattler who wrote (1238)	12/12/2001 11:33:21 AM
From: Haim R. Branisteanu	Respond to of 32591

(17:15) Palestinian terrorists applaud use of chemicals in bombs By The Associated Press JERUSALEM – The military wing of Hamas today gleefully reported a blow to Israeli morale it says was caused by the planting of poisonous chemicals in bombs its activists have detonated of late. The Izzadin Kassam Web site, citing Israeli media reports of public consternation at the prospect of Palestinian chemical warfare, said its militants now had a new weapon which had created "a situation of fear in the Zionist security services." The group did not say what chemicals it might have in its possession. The Ministry of Health revealed this week that nails and bolts packed into explosives detonated by a Hamas sucide bomber December 1 in a Jerusalem pedestrian mall had been dipped into rat poison. The report unnerved many Israelis who already live with the fear of a biochemical attack from Iraq. Police spokesman Gil Kleiman said that since 1994 traces of various toxic chemicals had been found in at least five Palestinian bombing attacks, but is was unclear if they had been deliberately introduced to enhance the bombs' lethality or if the explosives used had been transported in containers which had previously contained other substances. The Health Ministry has said that so far, the blasts have destroyed the poisons' potency, and no victim of a bomb that contained the substances has been harmed from the chemicals. Kleiman said that police and others called upon to work at bomb scenes had been issued with protective overalls, for use when necessary, but the chemical threat was really a minor one, compared to the blast of a bomb, typically packed with nails or bolts to enhance their killing power. "It's the bombs that do the damage, not any poisons that may be in them," he said. An aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the development was cause for concern but not panic. "Its not that what was discovered was in any way alarming," said Sharon spokesman Rannan Gissin. "But if Hamas and Islamic Jihad are going to escalate their terror campaign it is obviously something of which we have to take note." Due to concerns over the use of chemicals, hazardous waste experts responded to the scene of a suicide bombing in the port city of Haifa on Sunday, which killed the bomber and wounded 29 people. No traces of chemicals were found at the site. The Health Ministry said that in the event that bomb casualties are contaminated with toxic substances, hospital staff have sufficient training and are well equipped with the necessary protective gear and medicines. Palestinian groups have not been able to concoct bombs with more toxic chemicals – like nerve or mustard gas – whose effect is not destroyed by the blast itself. Security officials still consider the actual explosion the greatest threat, and not the prospect that the device might contain substances. Iraq fired missiles at Israel during the 1991 Gulf War. They turned out not to be carrying a biochemical payload, but most Israelis still have gas masks and self-injection kits holding an antidote to nerve gas, ready for the next scare. Baghdad has hinted it would bombard Israel again if it is attacked by the United States as part of its global anti-terror campaign. Israeli experts say Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein might order use of chemical or biological weapons if he thought his regime was about to be toppled.