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A senior Israeli official confirmed on Thursday that Israel can and will respond any strike launched by Iraq's Saddam Hussein regime, local press reported.
"Israel has both the capabilities and perhaps even the freedom of action to do what is necessary to defend its population, should Iraq decide to extend its war against the international community to Israel itself," Dore Gold, an aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, was quoted as saying.
Earlier in the day, Avi Ben-Nun, who served as commander of the Israel Air Force during the 1991 Gulf War, said if Iraq attacks, Israel must respond.
"If there is any kind of (Iraqi) attack, while they are entangled in some war with an international coalition...we need to respond," the retired general said.
"Here the question is do you respond to prevent additional missiles being fired at you - which is one type of response - or hit Iraqi strategic targets," Ben-Nun said, adding that Iraq's capability with non-conventional weapons as "very low."
The US intelligence believes that if Iraq strikes at Israel with non-conventional weapons, causing massive casualties among the civilian population, Israel could respond with a nuclear retaliation that would eradicate Iraq as a country, according to the Ha'aretz Daily published on Thursday.
(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2002)
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