JERUSALEM, October 16 (Xinhuanet) -- An office building in
Jerusalem was evacuated Tuesday morning after staff discovered a
suspicious mail, the website of Israeli leading daily newspaper
Ha'aretz reported. Hazardous materials experts rushed to the building to examine
the contents of the mail and check the whole building for potential
danger. Israel has recently been on high alert for possible anthrax
attacks after a scare brought by the deadly bacterium has been
spreading worldwide. Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Dalia Rabin-Pelosoff reportedly
said on Tuesday that there was no information Israel was facing an
immediate biological attack, but that it was wise to be ready for
any scenario. All Israeli Knesset (parliament) members have received a warning
letter sent by the Knesset security chief to instruct them what to
do when they receive suspicious letters, according to the report. The measure was apparently taken amid the fear the Knesset
members will be targets of attacks conducted by someone with
ulterior motives. The Israeli Health Ministry Monday was authorized to spend 500
million shekels (about 116 million U.S. dollars) on medication and
equipment for health-related emergencies. A senior Health Ministry official has said that Israel is "
better prepared" than any other country regarding the possibility
of a biological attack, and that Israel has sufficient medication
to counter the anthrax. The ministry announced on Sunday that it would issue directives
to its district doctors regarding what to do in the event of an
anthrax attack. Meanwhile, concerned medical institutions have
produced large quantities of anti-anthrax medication and have
practiced speedy distribution of the vaccinations. Fears that Osama bin Laden and his network of militants were
using germ warfare to strike back at the heart of the U.S.
political establishment grew Monday as U.S.-led forces continued
airstrikes against Afghanistan. So far, 12 people have been testing positive for anthrax
exposure in the United States and a scare spreading worldwide. The
disease has already killed a person in Florida in southeastern U.S.
earlier this month. Enditem
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