Preparation

Chief United Nations weapons inspector Richard Butler commented on the Iraqi lack of cooperation.

The United
States boosts
Israel's defenses
against Iraq.

JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent

D

espite simmering frustration
with the Netanyahu govern-
ment's peace policies, the
Clinton administration is
giving Israel just about everything mil-
itary planners there want to get ready
for a possible U.S.-Iraq military clash.
That includes significant improve-
ments in intelligence sharing, real-
time satellite information that can
warn Israel of incoming missiles, vac-
cines against some of the biological
agents suspected to be in Saddam
Hussein's arsenal, and sophisticated
equipment to detect and identify
,
chemical and germ agents.
Israel also has asked for at least
three days notice of any American
action against Iraq, but military
experts say that is unlikely — in large

part because American forces probably
will not have that much notice.
More dramatically, the administra-
tion has signaled that it might respond
with nuclear weapons to a biological
or chemical attack by Iraq on Israel or
any other country in the region.
Administration officials refused to
comment on reports that they have
changed American military doctrine to
allow the use of tactical nuclear
weapons in response to any non-con-
ventional attack by Iraq — reinforcing
the belief that they were sending a
stark signal to Saddam.
"The likelihood of an Iraqi attack
with non-conventional weapons seems
remote," said a military analyst here.
"But Israel can't take the chance, and
the administration seems to under-

2/6
1998

35

