IDF reports rise in demand for gas masks By Anat Cygielman, Ha'aretz Correspondent Concerned citizens coming to change their gas masks kit in North Tel Aviv yesterday. In response to the terror attacks in the United States last week, a large number of Israeli citizens have either exchanged or received new gas masks. Some 5,000 gas masks were handed out at the country's 23 distribution stations yesterday as worried citizens made preparations for the worst. Around 3,500 gas masks are handed out on a normal day.

The Israel Defense Force spokesman said that the Home Front Command did not yet consider this "pressure," but rather an "upswing" in demand. The Home Front has decided not to open additional stations for the time being, despite the army's high alert and continued hints by the United States that Iraq could be a possible target of retaliatory action for last Tuesday's terror attacks.

Stations were supposed to remain closed this morning, but it was decided yesterday to open them up because of the increase in demand.

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=75251&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 16, 2001