[AP] Steve Weizman - Israel began the biggest civil defense drill in its history on Sunday, putting soldiers, emergency crews and civilians through rehearsals for the possibility of war at a time of rising tensions with Iran. The five-day drill, code-named Turning Point III, will include simulated rocket and missile attacks on Israeli cities, including preparations for a nonconventional strike. Air-raid sirens sounded across the country on Tuesday and for the first time, all Israeli civilians practiced taking cover in shelters when the sirens went off. During the 2006 war in Lebanon, Hizbullah fired 4,000 rockets into Israel. "Our enemies long ago showed they believe that the home front is our Achilles heel," said Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai. "We are drilling there to prove that it is not."
2009-06-02 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive