KUWAIT: Whilst US forces in Kuwait have been gearing up for military action against Iraq, the Kuwaiti government has been telling its citizens what to do in the event of a retaliatory strike by Iraq using chemical or biological weapons. From Jack Fairweather, in Kuwait
In a document distributed to all government offices in Kuwait, which has been seen by The Irish Times, the following advice is given: "1. Keep quiet. 2. Turn off the air conditioning. 3. Go to a safe place. 4. Put a piece of damp material over your nose and mouth and change it every 15 minutes, being sure not to breathe whilst completing the change. 5. Wear heavy clothes, such as a rain coat, to protect the skin from contact with any chemicals. 6. Await further instruction."
The instructions have been issued in tandem with nationwide evacuation drills and defence exercises performed by Kuwaiti firefighters before the local media.
But grave concerns have been raised about the adequacy of Kuwait's civil defence preparations. One defence contractor working with the Kuwaiti government described the preparations as a "joke".
"You've got to ask serious question about the preparedness of Kuwait. If there was a chemical attack tomorrow and the evacuations sirens sounded, I don't think anyone would know what to do," said the contractor.
"There are no gas masks and, as far as I know, only a handful of public shelters in the country which could provide adequate protection in the event of an attack," he added.
A senior Western diplomat said: "The Kuwaitis have got to tighten up their security measures. If there is a war, they've got to be prepared for the worst-case scenario."
Such criticisms will come as a concern for the 4,000 British and Irish expats living in Kuwait.
An administrative staff at one of the schools that is attended by some of the expat school children in Kuwait said: "We are very worried about the situation. We don't listen to the Kuwaiti government's advice but that given out by the wardens at the American embassy. We've to set up our own safety procedures here which include full evacuation measures which are designed to get kids back to their families and out of the country as soon as possible."
But most schools have not taken any additional precautions.