Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=3/20/2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE= KUWAIT MISSILE ALERT Q&A

NUMBER=2-300977

BYLINE= PESSIN/RYU

DATELINE=LONDON/NORTHERN KUWAIT

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Kuwait has been through several missile alerts in the hours after the first attack on Baghdad. V-O-A's Alisha Ryu is with U-S forces in Northern Kuwait. She spoke to editor Al Pessin in London while wearing her gas mask and protective suit.

TEXT:

PESSIN: Alisha, I know you are involved in yet another air raid in Kuwait. Can you tell us exactly what is happening?

RYU: Well, what has happened here is, unlike in Kuwait City, where there are sirens to alert the people that there is something going on. Basically, at the 12th Aviation Brigade Barracks where I am in Northern Kuwait someone yells out, 'Gas! Gas! Gas!' and when someone yells that out everyone starts getting into their gas masks and also, if it seems serious enough, which it has been the past two times, in the last 30-minutes, we have to put on our chemical/biological gear. And right now we are still under a threat, and we have not been told to take it off yet, so, if I do sound strange, it is because I'm talking to you through a gas mask. I am not exactly sure what the threat is at the moment. We are a bit isolated here, we are not getting all the reports, but we just know that when we hear, 'Gas! Gas! Gas!' we take cover.

PESSIN: Have you seen or heard any explosions or seen any of the missiles or the reports of Patriots being fired up to try to intercept the missiles?

RYU: I did hear a low, rumbling boom the first time that we did have a SCUD gas alert, that came about 45-minutes ago. I was out in the compound area, and I did hear a boom. I did not know what it was, and about a minute later, I heard someone screaming, 'Gas! Gas! Gas!' I then went inside, I looked at the television set, which is tuned into Fox News, and the news said that there were some SCUD missiles that had been inbound. I have not heard about the Patriots, except that there is some talk of it in the corridors. I have not been able to confirm that.

PESSIN: Alisha, how would you describe the reaction of the troops in your area when these gas alerts come about? I know they have done a lot of training to be ready to respond. How have they responded?

RYU: They are extremely professional; I have not seen anyone panic. When they were told to put on the chemical suits and dress up, I did not see any sign that anyone was panicking. There was some running around initially, of course, because, you know, there are various people doing various activities around the compound, but everyone has to carry their gas masks with them at all times and their chemical suits, and they were ready and suited up within the allotted time, which is about eight-minutes, and eight-seconds to put on your gas mask. Everyone was in place and dressed up and, actually, the mood was very, very calm.

PESSIN: Just clarify that for me: You said eight-minutes, eight-seconds. How long do they have to put on the masks and the outfits?

RYU: The guidance is that you have eight seconds to put on the gas mask and about eight minutes to put on the entire suit. There are trousers and the jacket, plus gloves, plus galoshes that fit over the combat boots. And you have to button up, of course, and you have to make sure that there are no leaks and you are well sealed. And all of that should take about eight minutes, and you should be suited up. And eight minutes is, of course, a rough estimate. You never know with these things, obviously, no one (in U-S forces) has ever come under a direct chemical attack, but eight minutes is the guidance that we've been given.

PESSIN: And aside from putting on this protective gear, have the troops done other things in response to these alerts? Are they taking up defensive positions? Are they working on any anti-missile or anti-aircraft weapons? Or going into trenches or protected areas? What sorts of defensive, and potentially reactive or offensive action are the troops taking?

RYU: Well, I am sure there are places, especially on the perimeter areas of the U-S base camps around Kuwait, that are doing that. But we have been told that to downgrade from the full alert. We can take off the gas masks. I'm going to take it off right now, hold on. . . . Okay, hello, I'm back.

PESSIN: You do sound a bit better with the mask off.

RYU: Yeah, we just got the word.

PESSIN: Let me just ask you one more question. There was a lot of concern about the weather and how hot the troops would be in the gas mask and the protective suit. Now you have been in it twice now, I guess for about half an hour each time, how hot is it?

RYU: It is extremely hot. The sweat starts pouring about five minutes into wearing the suit, and obviously people try to minimize as much clothing underneath the suit as possible, but that's not always possible because when you get a 'Gas! Gas! Gas!' alarm, people are just scrambling to put these things on as fast as possible. So if you are in your desert camouflage and you have to put these things on over it, it can get very, very hot very quickly. So now I have a feeling of what these soldiers might have to undergo if there is a real long-term chemical alert, where they'll have to keep these on for a long period of time.

PESSIN: But so far, as far as we know, as far as you know, there has not been any chemical or biological weapons involved in these missile attacks. Is that right?

RYU: That is correct. There is no indication that there have been anything other than conventional artillery, but of course any time something is lobbed in this direction, people are taking absolutely, you know, every precaution in case he might be doing (chemical or biological weapons) in the next round of attacks, so there is a concern, but, like I said, there is absolutely no panic among the troops here at all.

PESSIN: All right, Alisha, thank you very much. That is V-O-A's Alisha Ryu with U-S forces in Northern Kuwait, and I am Al Pessin, V-O-A News in London.

NEB/AR/AWP/RAE