Kuwait's parliament is set to hold a special session Wednesday concerning the emirate's readiness for possible Iraqi retaliatory attacks in the event of a U.S.-led military strike against Baghdad. As part of preparations, tens of thousands of Kuwaiti school children were evacuated from their classrooms Sunday for a drill.
With sirens wailing throughout the tiny Gulf emirate, students in 751 Kuwaiti schools were led out of their classrooms by teachers and other school personnel to areas deemed safe, such as libraries, gymnasiums and football fields.
It was part of a nationwide drill, organized mostly by the civil defense, as schools, hospitals and government institutions in Kuwait are being briefed on emergency plans in the event of Iraqi retaliatory attacks should there be a U.S. led military strike against Iraq.
The Kuwaiti government has begun outlining its emergency contingency plans, and Wednesday, the Kuwaiti parliament will begin assessing the country's readiness to implement them.
Kuwaitis have said their primary concern is the threat of possible chemical or biological attacks. However, while gas masks have been on sale for months in Kuwait, few people have been purchasing them.
Kuwait's Defense Ministry has said it plans to purchase thousands of gas masks for the families of military personnel