European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday january.18. 1991 the stars and stripes a a a a Page 13 War in the Gulf Erie silence then came the storm Baghdad Iraq a the first air attack on Baghdad came eerily without the sound of warplanes and from a predawn sky lighted like the fourth of july. Explosions and colourful bands of antiaircraft artillery signalled the beginning of the attack. One reporter in the iraqi capital said it Felt like being in a the Center of  a second wave attack later in the morning scored direct hits on the defense ministry and Post office Headquarters according to Bob Simpson of the British broadcasting corp. A telecommunications Center also was. Damaged said Gary Shepard of Abc to. About two hours after the first iraqi anti aircraft fire radio Baghdad reported a wave after wave of warplanes moving Over the City of about 4 million people in the pre Dawn darkness. But apparently because of their High Altitude they came silently and it was not until the bombs hit and ordnance lighted the night that Iraq knew it was under attack. Many of the foreign journalists watched the attack from the Plush Al Rashid hotel downtown. A at one Point during the night we saw a huge fireball in fact several fireball explosions Only a mile or two from the hotel a Shepard said a Check with residents and a Survey of an area within a mile from the hotel indicated no civilian targets were bombed and there were no immediate reports of civilian casualties. Traffic was moving normally in the area by mid morning. A Many of the targets were Way in the suburban areas of Baghdad and we have been unable to get to those areas and inspect for damage a said Shepard. A but the City itself looks almost completely intact.�?�. The command of the iraqi armed forces said the warplanes struck densely populated residential areas of the capital. There was also Fol sign of any hits on president sad Dan Hussein a ornate Palace near the hotel. A Baghdad woman tapes windows wednesday in anticipation of an Allied forces bombing attack. That Quot attack came Early thursday. Saddam was not in the Palace at the time and was in Good health Iran Solfi rial islamic Republic news Agency re it ported. The Agency a report monitored in Nicosia Cyprus quoted iraqis charge do affaires in Islamabad Pakistan. Foreigners arid reporters Iri Al Rashid initially were hustled to the basement air raid shelter by hotel staff. Some Arab guests shouted a death to Bush a As they huddled together. Most of  apparently was on the City a outskirts according to american to network reporters in Baghdad. Cable news network reporter Peter Arnett said there appeared to be direct hits on some buildings. He said he saw three surface to air missiles launched but did not see them hit a target. One building that was hit according to residents was a downtown popular army militia building. The number of casualties was not known. Air raid sirens wailed. The streets were nearly deserted. The air attacks were separated by periods of Calm. During the first hours of the attack some correspondents reported fires in the distance. In no a John Holliman said an Oil refinery apparently was hit and a wave of heat swept Over the hotel. / lie reported huge blasts near the telecommunications Center which reportedly sustained some damage. The initial anti aircraft barrage filled the sky with tracers looking like Quot fireworks on the fourth of july multiplied by 100,�?� abcs Shepard said. Quot of of now there a huge fire a said Holliman shortly after the attack began. Quot it is due West of our position.,. Whoa holy cow that was a Large airburst that we saw that was filling the  a this feels like we re in the Center of hell a said in no a Bernard  s dilemma where should Public hide by Doug struck the Baltimore Sun Tel Aviv Israel a it is the question of the moment for Many Here if an attack from Iraq comes do they run out of their Homes to a bomb shelter or into their Homes for Protection from Gas the army finally has opted for safety from Gas. If an air raid Siren sounds residents Are urged to go to a room in their House sealed with plastic against Gas. A right now we Are guessing what Iraq would do a an army official said. A we had to choose. Otherwise some of the people will be going up to their houses and some of them will be going Down to bomb shelters. They would meet in the  the fear of chemical War has Israel in its grip. Even though this country is not on the front line of conflict and iraqis missiles Are few and Distant Saddam Hussein a constant threats against it have Many Here convinced that he will Pelt Israel with nerve agents. A the wants us in the War a said a Magazine Vendor in Tel Aviv. Israelis waited tensely through the Day wednesday for what they expected would be a preemptive attack by Iraq. Schools closed until at least sunday. Hospitals emptied their Beds to be ready to accept Caval Ries. Medics treat a a a victims during a chemical warfare exercise monday in Tel Aviv. Traffic in Tel Aviv a City of 1 million was Light. Many people did not go to work and some shops were closed. Quot people want to be near their families a one israeli said. In directing people to go to a special sealed room if iraqi missiles Are detected the army is bowing to the fears of Gas even though the population will be much More vulnerable in their Homes to conventional missile explosions. The army also is ignoring its own experts who predict that what few missiles might reach Israel with chemical warheads would be unlikely to do much harm. A maybe we Are right and maybe we Are wrong a said Brig. Gen. Nachman Shai chief spokesman for the military. A Gas is a weapon we have never been exposed to. We think it is a dangerous  the government has distributed Gas masks to most of its 4.8 million residents including those in Rural areas that almost certainly would not be a target of attack. No other country has Ever equipped All of its citizens against a chemical War the government claims. But now it says Ittris nearly out of masks and Money. Equipping the 1.5 million arabs in the occupied lands a ordered monday by the supreme court a will be a Quot slow process a a spokesman said. Authorities May be worried that the masks will serve As Shields against tear Gas frequently used to disperse palestinian demonstrators in the West Bank and Gaza strip. The military has been cracking Down on those areas to keep them quiet during the persian Gulf War. For the second Day the army imposed a curfew on Many towns in the occupied areas and they were reported quiet