DATE=12/18/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-243247 TITLE=ISRAEL / IRAQ (L) BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST DATELINE=JERUSALEM CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER YITZHAK MORDECHAI SAYS HIS COUNTRY WOULD TAKE ALL NECESSARY MEASURES IF IRAQ STRUCK OUT AGAINST ISRAEL AS IT DID IN THE GULF WAR IN 1991. V-O-A'S DAVID GOLLUST IN JERUSALEM REPORTS ISRAELIS CONSIDER A REPEAT ATTACK BY IRAQ UNLIKELY BUT ARE TAKING PRECAUTIONS. TEXT: MR. MORDECHAI SAYS ISRAEL WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE U-S AND BRITISH OPERATION AGAINST IRAQ ACHIEVE ITS GOALS. BUT HE SAYS ISRAEL HAS NO INTEREST -- DIRECT OR INDIRECT -- IN BECOMING INVOLVED IN THE CONFLICT. AT THE SAME TIME, IN AN ISRAEL RADIO INTERVIEW, MR. MORDECHAI SAID ISRAEL WOULD TAKE ALL NECESSARY MEASURES IF ANYONE, AS HE PUT IT, WOULD DARE TO HIT US. IRAQ FIRED 39 SCUD MISSILES AT ISRAEL IN THE 1991 GULF CONFLICT. BUT UNDER U-S PRESSURE TO SHOW RESTRAINT, ISRAEL DID NOT RETALIATE. ISRAELI EXPERTS BELIEVE THE CHANCES OF ATTACK THIS TIME ARE SLIM. BUT THEY SAY BUT THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN MIGHT TRY TO FIRE MISSILES WITH CHEMICAL OR GERM WARHEADS IF HE WAS DESPERATE OR FACING DEATH. ADVANCED U-S PATRIOT AIR DEFENSE MISSILES THAT WERE IN ISRAEL FOR A JOINT TRAINING EXERCISE HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED AS A PRECAUTION NEAR TEL AVIV AND HAIFA. AN EARLIER VERSION OF THE MISSILE PERFORMED POORLY DURING THE GULF WAR. AND RESERVE GENERAL GENERAL AVIAHU BIN-NUNN, WHO WAS ISRAEL'S AIR FORCE COMMANDER AT THE TIME, SAYS THE SYSTEM IS STILL NOT COMPLETELY EFFECTIVE: /// BIN-NUNN ACTUALITY /// PATRIOTS ARE NOT THE COMPLETE ANSWER. THEY CANNOT FILL THE SKIES WITH A 100 PERCENT SOLUTION. AND BRINGING THEM AND DEPLOYING THEM IS MORE A PSYCHOLOGICAL ACT THAN A REAL DEFENSE AGAINST ENEMY MISSILES, ESPECIALLY WHEN I BELIEVE THERE WON'T BE ANY MISSILES COMING TOWARD ISRAEL. /// END ACT /// ISRAEL HAS ALSO FLOWN IN CHEMICAL AGENT DETECTING EQUIPMENT FROM THE UNITED STATES AND HAS OPENED GAS-MASK DISTRIBUTION CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. IN THE PALESTINIAN CONTROLLED WEST BANK AND GAZA, THERE WAS A SECOND DAY OF DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE U-S LED ATTACKS ON IRAQ. BUT YASSER ARAFAT'S PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY -- TRYING TO PRESERVE ITS IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH WASHINGTON -- SOUGHT TO CONTAIN THE PROTESTS AND PREVENT CLASHES BETWEEN MARCHERS AND ISRAELI SECURITY FORCES. THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY SHUT DOWN TWO LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS AND A RADIO STATIONS IN RAMALLAH WHICH HAD GIVEN HEAVY COVERAGE TO ANTI-U-S PROTESTS BY PALESTINIANS THURSDAY. (SIGNED) NEB/DAG/JWH 18-Dec-98 11:53 AM EST (1653 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
