Spain OR England for that matter.
It’s an assumption - but let’s assume Iraq has been developing missiles that far exceed the limits set by the UN, what kind of missile could he have developed that could reach mid-Europe.
Could Saddam have modified existing weapons to reach me here in London? Even an unguided SCUD would worry me if it had the range. Do I have cause for worry?
Doubt it. I think his missiles are more intermediate in range - I’m sure Israel is casting nervous glances towards Baghdad, though.
More weary than nervous, actually. It’s like, “Oh. You again.”
Apologies for the hijack, but has there been much in the way of military preparation in Israel for a war in Iraq? I’m thinking in terms of a more visible SAM/AAA presence or more public defence awareness.
No need to worry in far-off London. Even Saddam’s longest range al-Hussein missiles have a range of under 400 miles, which could not strike any further than central Turkey, Israel, central Saudi Arabia, or the Caucasus. SCUD range is even less, under 200 miles. Check out this map from the Washington Post to see the strike range.
Iraq has been attempting to develop a longer range missile since the end of the (first) Gulf War, but there’s no indication it ever came to fruition. And even that proposed missile (al Abbas, IIRC) would have had a range under 600 miles.
A few months ago there was a diagram in the UK Sun :rolleyes: headlined “Brit sunbathers in peril from Iraq” or some other such nonsense, that had a series of concentric circles showing the range of missiles that Iraq had or were believed to be developing. The outer circle, relating to a missile in development, just reached Cyprus on the map - hence the ridiculous headline.
No cause for worry. AFAIK, the longest-range weapon Saddam has is the Al Abbas SCUD, with a range of 800km, or around 500 miles.
While I suppose it’s conceivable that he has covertly obtained either working medium-to-long-range missiles or has developed some, the bottom line is that you need to test them. A missile test of this sort isn’t something you can really hide from a country (i.e., the U.S.) who is actively monitoring you.
Damn you, peepthis, for being quicker on the draw. And damn me for not using preview 
Definitely. Patriot missile batteries have been deployed (several of them foreign - U.S. and German), with at least two of them near where I live; all operational Arrows are on line; the IAF is on full alert, with pilots waiting on the runways; military chemical treatment units have updated their training and equiptment, although reservists have not yet been called up; medical and rescue forces - both military and civilian - have carried out some large-scale excersizes and seem to be prepared for any eventuality. As for the public, most people have refreshed their gas masks, as well as stocking up on bottled water and canned goods. Lots of people have bought nylon and duct tape, but not everyone ( I haven’t, yet).
All in all, people are getting prepared, but the situation isn’t nearly as frantic as it was in '91.
Thanks. It’s one aspect that doesn’t get covered so much in the UK press - how the countries more directly at risk are dealing with the apparently inevitable onset of war.