HERZLIYA, Israel ø President George Bush is said to have ordered a U.S. attack on Iraq. The assertion was voiced by former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is regarded as close to the Bush administration, particularly Pentagon officials and congressional leaders.

 "They have decided [on Iraq]," Netanyahu told the annual Herzliya Conference on Israeli strategy. "It will not be in the long-term future."

 Netanyahu said Bush has decided that Iraq will be the next target in the U.S.-led war on terrorism. He said the United States has concluded that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction ø including nuclear weapons development ø cannot be tolerated.

The former Israeli prime minister called for a strategic dialogue between the United States and Israel that would focus on Iraq.

Netanyahu said Israel must ensure that Washington inform the Jewish state of any campaign against Saddam to prepare Israeli civilians for any Iraqi weapons of mass destruction attack.

"We need enough time for preparations, not just an alert of an attack, but time to defend Israeli civilians," Netanyahu said.

"We must make this a national security priority so that Israeli civilians will be innoculated and protected [against Iraqi attacks]."

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