AL QUDS, Dec 22: Israel has stepped up measures against a possible strike by Iraq in case of a US-led war on Baghdad, scheduling joint exercises with US forces and gas mask lessons for children, Israeli officials said on Sunday.

Some 1,000 US troops are expected in Israel this week for an exercise involving US-made Patriot missiles, which were largely ineffective in intercepting the 39 Scud missiles that Iraq fired at Israel in the 1991 Gulf War. The Patriot has since been upgraded and Israel has developed and deployed the Arrow anti-missile system, designed to intercept Scuds at a higher altitude.

The preparations came amid growing talk of war since the United States last week condemned Iraq’s UN-ordered declaration of its weapons programmes as a “material breach” of Security Council Resolution 1441 on Iraqi disarmament.

Israeli media reported Israel would go on high alert from January 15 in anticipation that hostilities would erupt in the month following January 27, date of a report to the Security Council by UN arms inspection chiefs. Israel’s defence ministry would not confirm the date.

Israel is concerned that Saddam will respond to any US strike by launching missiles armed with chemical or biological warheads against the Jewish state.

GAS MASKS: Ronit Tirosh, director general of the Education Ministry, told Israel Radio that teachers had been instructed by soldiers on how to handle a possible missile attack during school hours and undergone training to help anxious children.

“The next stage, which will start in about a week, will be to train the youth and children on how to use gas masks and to instruct them what should be done at each stage,” she said.