On the Scene

Riyadh

THERE is hardly a parakeet or canary to be found in the pet shops of Riyadh these days. Unlike dogs, which are uncommon because of Islamic concerns about cleanliness, the birds are absent because they were all purchased early in the crisis with Iraq. The reason: in the early days, when use of chemical weapons was widely expected, a pamphlet was circulated advising residents that if they saw birds falling off the trees, it was a sure sign of gas attack.