ISRAEL, U.S. TO CONSULT ON HOMELAND SECURITY
TEL AVIV Ñ Israel and the United States plan high-level talks to
coordinate efforts to protect their population against a weapons of mass
destruction attack.
The talks are expected to take place later this week and will be led by
Israeli National Security Adviser Maj. Gen. Uzi Dayan. Dayan will attend a
closed security conference hosted by Homeland Security chief Thomas Ridge.
Officials said Dayan will also meet his U.S. counterpart, Condoleezza
Rice as well as State Department counterterrorism coordinator Francis
Taylor. For Dayan, this will be his last U.S. trip as national security
adviser. He is scheduled to leave the post on Sept. 6.
Dayan will be accompanied by a delegation comprised of police and
emergency service officials. He will discuss with his U.S. counterparts
cooperation on homeland security, including the protection of civilians from
a weapons of mass destruction attack.
Officials said Dayan is also expected to focus on U.S. help for Israeli
preparations to brace for any Washington-led war against Iraq. They said
Dayan is expected to request military assets, including PAC-2 missile
defense batteries, as well as sufficient alert in advance of a U.S. war.
Dayan is also expected to review a range of scenarios relating to any
offensive against the regime of President Saddam Hussein. This will include
the prospect that Iraq fires ballistic missiles tipped with biological or
chemical warheads toward the Jewish state.
Officials said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has relayed to the Bush
administration that Israel will respond to any Iraqi missile attack. They
said the administration wants to explore under what circumstances would
Israel attack Baghdad. They said Washington has assured Arab states,
including allies, that Israel would not be part of any U.S.-led offensive
against Saddam.