Irish troops serving in UN missions in the Middle East are being issued with NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) protective suits in preparation for any escalating regional conflict if Iraq is attacked by US-led forces.
The troops serving in south Lebanon will begin training in the use of the suits today. Altogether around 700 suits, complete with respirators, have been sent.
Suits and respirators have also been forwarded for the wives and children of a number of officers serving in Israel and Syria with UN monitoring missions there.
They have also been supplied to the six officers serving inside Iraq, one in Baghdad and another in Kuwait, with the UN truce monitoring mission there.
There are four officers living in Israel, one in Jerusalem, one in Tiberius and two in the northern coastal town of Nahariya. There are a further six officers living in Damascus, some with family. All have been supplied with protection suits and kits.
The largest Irish peace-keeping contingent, the Irish UNIFIL Battalion, in south Lebanon, which has 570 soldiers in the area, will as part of their training carry out observation exercises where soldiers are told to be alert for the signs that chemical weapons are being deployed.
They are also trained to look for suspicious or unusual smoke, mist, smells or droplets and to be aware of early symptoms of contamination such as dimness of vision, irritation of eyes, headaches or tightness of the chest.
While there is little likelihood of a conflict affecting Irish UN troops, the supply of the NBC suits and respirators is seen as a minimum basic precaution given the potential for a spread of conflict. Suits were also sent out during the last Gulf War. The soldiers have already undergone NBC drill during their training but refresher courses are being carried out over the coming days.
The military have a five-stage alert system for nuclear, chemical or biological threats.
The present state of readiness is "Green" under which NBC protective clothing and respirators are issued and maximum numbers of vehicles and stores placed under cover.
If the threat of war escalates in the region, the troops will be put on the next stage of alert. This is known as "Amber One" under which NBC suits are worn with the hoods down. NBC sentries are also posted to look for signs of attack or fall-out. Biological agents and chemical weapons can be delivered in the form of invisible sprays so detection papers are worn outside the suits which indicate the presence of the toxic agents. The next stage is "Amber Two" where war has started. At "Amber Three" the protective boots are worn and at "Red" alert, respirators, hoods and gloves are put on.
The exercises beginning today will involve demonstrations on how to put on the NBC suits quickly without damaging them.
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