The Iraqi missile threat and its accompanying high-level alert in Israel was declared "over," or nearly so, this afternoon. Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz made the announcement today after a meeting of security agency representatives. He implied that "developments" in western Iraq last night and this morning - the area from where 39 Scuds were fired at Israel 12 years ago - made the decision possible. The high alert had been in effect for 26 days.
Israel's population is no longer required to carry around gas masks or maintain sealed rooms, and reserve soldiers who were called up when the war started will be released. The active defense mechanisms, such as the Arrow anti-missile system, will remain in effect until a further assessment of the situation. Minister Mofaz thanked the IDF, the Home Front Command and the security establishment in general for their preparations and efforts before and during the American-led action in Iraq.
In Iraq, the U.S. Army took over 15 Iraqi Air Force combat planes and discovered a rocket and five mobile launchers. An Army spokesman added that local residents had informed the soldiers of the whereabouts of the planes. A host of carefully packed suicide explosives vests were also found in Baghdad; other vests were no longer there.
Weekend looting in Baghdad's Central Hospital has led to what the Red Cross called a "collapse of the city's medical system." The American government plans to work together with the local police force to restore order. A meeting of Iraqi opposition leaders was scheduled for today, with most of the participants having recently returned to Iraq from their places of exile.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell once again warned Syria that it could be next. Speaking with BBC, Powell said that now that the Iraqi regime has fallen, the U.S. hopes that Syria will understand that it must halt its support for terrorists. Headquarters of many terrorist organizations are located in Damascus. Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk A-Shara said that recent American accusations that Syria aided Saddam Hussein are "totally groundless." A man carrying Syrian identification papers was caught after he shot and killed a U.S. Marine yesterday.
Israel's population is no longer required to carry around gas masks or maintain sealed rooms, and reserve soldiers who were called up when the war started will be released. The active defense mechanisms, such as the Arrow anti-missile system, will remain in effect until a further assessment of the situation. Minister Mofaz thanked the IDF, the Home Front Command and the security establishment in general for their preparations and efforts before and during the American-led action in Iraq.
In Iraq, the U.S. Army took over 15 Iraqi Air Force combat planes and discovered a rocket and five mobile launchers. An Army spokesman added that local residents had informed the soldiers of the whereabouts of the planes. A host of carefully packed suicide explosives vests were also found in Baghdad; other vests were no longer there.
Weekend looting in Baghdad's Central Hospital has led to what the Red Cross called a "collapse of the city's medical system." The American government plans to work together with the local police force to restore order. A meeting of Iraqi opposition leaders was scheduled for today, with most of the participants having recently returned to Iraq from their places of exile.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell once again warned Syria that it could be next. Speaking with BBC, Powell said that now that the Iraqi regime has fallen, the U.S. hopes that Syria will understand that it must halt its support for terrorists. Headquarters of many terrorist organizations are located in Damascus. Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk A-Shara said that recent American accusations that Syria aided Saddam Hussein are "totally groundless." A man carrying Syrian identification papers was caught after he shot and killed a U.S. Marine yesterday.