Gas masks

We had a visit last night from the people who are trying to sort out the gas masks issues during the runup to Gulf War II. Young people, part of a private initiative (Manpower Inc) paid by Home Defence going around and taking back the old gas masks issued while Blair and Bush decideced to go off on a tanget on the "War on Terror".

You can imagine the scene. Well equipped students with badges and PDAs logging details and trying to make sense of a chaotic past.

"No, this is my Mother's gas mask. She's dead."

"Son number 1 took his down to the Kibbutz where he volunteered to help out. No, I don't know where it is now."

"We took that one back as it's useless for someone with asthma. We never got the replacement. No , I don't know why it doesn't show on the computer."

I lost interest early on and left it to Mrs E. to sort out. I would like to point out that they are collecting the old gas masks and new ones will be issued at the end of 2009. I don't know whether this is an expression of hope or, perhaps they know something we don't.

Now why wasn't anyone bothered with gas masks during the second Israel-Lebanon war?