GAZA, April 29 (Reuters) - Egypt has invited Palestinian leaders to Cairo next week for the signing of a unity agreement that would end a rivalry among ruling factions, Palestinian officials said on Friday.
The Egyptian-brokered deal, announced unexpectedly on Wednesday, calls for forming a new government acceptable to both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, which is dominant in the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip Hamas's rulers.
Israel denounced the agreement, saying Abbas could not be a peace partner if he mends ties with Hamas, an Islamist group with a charter calling for Israel's destruction.
Western powers received cooly news of the unity deal, saying it was an important step, but made clear they expect any new administration to accept international demands, which include the recognition of Israel and a renunciation of violence.[1]
hm! As we can see after revolution Egypt changed its politics in the Middle East region. That's a second step which couldn't be seen during Mubarak was in power. First one as i remember was the renewal of diplomatic negotiations with Iran. So, can it really be true that Egypt started to renew ties with 'bad guys'?! Oh, yes! It seems to be true...
"According to the Pew Research Center, 89% of Egyptians say a post-Mubarak government "should follow the values and principles of Islam." And 62% want laws to enforce Shariah — the barbaric legal code practiced in much of the Mideast.
This may come as quite a jolt to the romantics in the Western press who expected liberalism to flower from Tahrir Square. But we're not the least surprised.
Pew's poll — based on 1,000 face-to-face interviews with Egyptian adults in April — merely confirms a similar one last spring. As we noted during the riots, Pew found that 84% favor the death penalty for people who leave the Muslim faith; 82% support stoning adulterers; and 77% think thieves should have their hands cut off."[2]
no comments...
And, as for me, the main question is who will came to power in Egypt and, of course, what role Egypt will have in the Muslim world.
Friday, 29 April 2011
Thursday, 28 April 2011
A Few Words on the ‘Great Man-made River’
A Few Words on the ‘Great Man-made River’
The Libyan war, which started two months ago, is still riveting world’s attention; till now Internet space is excited about nuances and process of this war. Speaking candidly, about month ago I also couldn’t hold myself from making an attempt to figure out possible consequences of this war event; today, I think, it’s time to write something about the Kaddafi regime which is already Libyan past.
Lyrical digression or thoughts about Libya: Unfortunately, we all became dependant on Mass Media and Libya’s war is not exclusion: the long confrontation between this country and western world made specific image of this country in the world. However, we should give the due to Gaddafi regime: “It is one of the few countries where the natural resources were used directly for increasing people's living standard without encumbering the country with debts or loans - in spite of the indisputable political
negatives Libya has the highest Human Development Index (HDI=0.755 as of 2010, 53rd place in the world, evaluated by the United Nations based on life expectancy, education and gross domestic product per capita) among all African countries, even higher than some countries within EU and NATO (Bulgaria: 0.743, Turkey: 0.679 as of 2010). That's something undoubtedly worth paying an attention, regardless of all the objections which the western society may have to the specific form of socialism ruling in this Mediterranean country.[1]” But, unfortunately, all this numbers are ignored during the description of Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. I think, it’s time to see some really interesting and important steps that Libya made before the revolution of 2011, and in this post I will tell a few words about The Great Man-made River– the eighth world’s wonder as "another miracle in the desert."[2]. Also it “has been described as the "eighth wonder of the world". It carries more than five million cubic metres of water per day across the desert to coastal areas, vastly increasing the amount of arable land. The total cost of the huge project is expected to exceed $25 billion (US).”[3]. The main idea of this post is to point out some economical aspects of the Great Man-made River project; but before this I think it would be better to write some information on history of this project.
History of Saharan water reservoirs
So, speaking in short, Sahara Desert wasn’t area which has only sand with out drop of water. “Remnants of an ancient lake existing there between 750 thousand and 420 thousand years ago were found in south-western part of Libya (Fezzan). Scientists named it Megafezzan - with a surface area of 130 thousand km2 (50,193 sq mi) it is definitely worth of bearing its name (compare with the largest of the Great Lakes - Lake Superior, with the surface of 82,000 km2 [31,700 sq mi]). Local sediments are an extraordinary source of information about the climate changes in Sahara during the last 750 thousand years”[4]. “It is also noteworthy that this water originated mostly from the last ice age (therefore, the term "fossil"), and has accumulated in the reservoirs approximately 1 million - 10 000 years ago, when the climate was generally wet, rich in rainfall, and sufficient for maintaining a complex river system.”[5]
“Geological activity caused the up thrust of mountainous formations (Jabal Nefussa and Jabal Al Akhdar) and the associated downward movement formed natural underground basins. Between 38,000 and 10,000 years ago the climate of North Africa was temperate, during which time there was considerable rainfall in Libya. The excess rainfall infiltrated into porous sandstone and was trapped between layers, forming reservoirs of underground fresh-water.
In Libya there are four major underground basins, these being the Kufra basin, the Sirt basin, the Morzuk basin and the Hamada basin, the first three of which contain combined reserves of 35,000 cubic kilometers of water. These vast reserves offer almost unlimited amounts of water for the Libyan people.”[6]
During the oil-searches in 1960s the water was discovered[7] and about 30 years later The Great Man-Made River Project (GMMR) would be started.
History of the project
Speaking about history of the GMMR Project development can be point out 5 main phases:
§ First phase of the work began in 1984 in the most rough and arid south-eastern region of Libya, water having been transported from the well fields containing 234 drills through 1,600 km (994 mi) long pipeline into two coastal areas. Two reservoirs have storage capacity of 20 million m3 (706 million cu ft) of water. Transport capacity reaches 2 million m3 (70.6 million cu ft) per day. Power consumption: 65 MW. First water reached its destination in 1990. § Second phase brought the water finally to the Tripoli capital - 1,227 km (762 mi) long pipeline in the western part of the country is capable of transporting 2.5 million m3 (88 million cu ft) of water per day and provides inhabitants with water containing more than twenty times less salt than the previous sources.
§ Third phase extended the first phase pipeline by another 383 kilometers (238 mi) deeper into the desert, where a new well field containing another 300 drills was constructed. Seven new pumping stations transport additional 1.68 million m3 (59.3 million cu ft) of water per day, whilst the whole journey to the final reservoirs takes approximately 9 days.
§ Fourth phase is of a relatively smaller scale, and will transport quarter of million m3 (8.8 million cu ft) of water per day, using 621 kilometers (386 mi) of pipelines (plus 181 km [112 mi] of pipes within the well field itself), four pumping stations and three reservoirs.
§ Fifth phase will be the final one connecting the western and eastern transporting systems. With the pipeline being 190 kilometers (118 mi) long, transporting capacity of 0.98 million m3 (34.6 million cu ft) per day, two pumping stations, power consumption 43.6 MW, and one reservoir, it will be a smaller although important sibling of the preceding phases[8].
Amazing work, wouldn’t you say?!
Problems & Critics of the project
Among welfare fossil water brings some troubles, such as:
Radioactive Worries: the example, The Disi's (Jordan's water reserve) fossil water was recently found to contain 20 times the radiation levels considered safe for drinking. The water is contaminated naturally by sandstone, which has slowly leached radioactive contaminants over the eons[9]. Same worries is about Libyan underground water, however, there is possibility to clean this water through a simple water-softening process, though it does cost money and creates radioactive waste that must be disposed of properly, he noted.
Ecologists have objections to draining the nonrenewable water resources (counterargument of the Libyan government is both the volume of the reserves - with the current rate the aquifers in Libya itself will sustain for more than one thousand years - as well as uselessness of leaving the water in aquifers, having negligible value if left untouched).
Ecologists have objections to draining the nonrenewable water resources (counterargument of the Libyan government is both the volume of the reserves - with the current rate the aquifers in Libya itself will sustain for more than one thousand years - as well as uselessness of leaving the water in aquifers, having negligible value if left untouched).
Politicians point out the possible future conflicts among the neighbouring countries due to the reciprocal draining of the aquifers which naturally do not obey the political borders (counterargument of Libya is its panafrican approach and suggested cooperation with the neighbouring countries, which do not use the aquifers yet).
International economists in turn criticize growing crops with water obtained in this way would be more expensive than import of foods from abroad - counterargument is the fact that 30% of water is being used for direct household usage, as well as state-of-the-art methods of economical and effective irrigation and, last but not least, the unique advantage of the food self-sufficiency and stable price of the crops obtained by irrigation employing the man-made river.[10]
So we can see that this project is criticized, but the main point, I think, is that is works and helps people survive in Sahara desert.
Economic and global aspects
Main point of this post is to show what this project was developed for. Here are some words about main goals of the GMMR:
“The Great Man-Made River Project is bringing water to the people and providing water for municipal, industrial and agricultural use. The strategy of the responsible Libyan authority is aimed at increasing both crop and livestock production to a level that achieves the highest possible rate of self-sufficiency and reduces dependence on imports from foreign markets to the lowest possible level. It also aims at increasing the productive capabilities of the labor force and of the capital investments in the sector, and at producing raw materials for food processing industries”[11]. So, the main goal was independency from water and agricultural import.
From my very subjective point of view, economic and global aspects of GMMR project can be divided into two parts:
The aspect number one: As was told already the project cost is $25 billion, and all money was taken only from Libyan funds – rare case in modern globalized world. The world investment practice became very popular and it works in liberal countries, but this practice doesn’t work if we are speaking about authoritarian-socialist state as was Libya during Gaddafi regime. As investment implies partnership in a possession, but Libyan government couldn’t make such step towards west.
Kaddafi regime in Libya is very interesting case: small country with a big independent income from oil industry, socialist policy and etc. And concerning Libya this project could be considered as an uncommon anti-globalization step. Globalization is a modern phenomenon of economic, cultural and other integrations, but Libya’s example is rather ‘worth exclusion’: it can show to others that countries with close economy can develop something without international help.
And we can see the reaction of this in western countries. The GMMR is world well-known project, but, unfortunately, we can’t find much objective information about it in western mass media, as the project shows possibilities of anti-globalization movements. In one Libyan article we can find such words: “The West refuses to recognize that a small country, with a population no more than four million, can construct anything so large without borrowing a single cent from the international banks.”[12]
The aspect number two: economical possibilities that can provide the GMMR are a big blow to a water business. “The cost of one cubic meter of water [received from the GMMR] equals 35 cents. The cubic meter of desalinized water is $3.75. Scientists estimate the amount of water to be equivalent to the flow of 200 years of water in the Nile River.”[13]
And next:
“Amount of water in cubic meters which could be provided for one Libyan dinar, based on scientific research. Studies proved the man-made river being the most economic approach, which provides more than ten times of water for one dinar compared to various alternative technologies (e.g., undersea pipeline from Southern Europe, transport by water tankers, sea water desalination etc).[14]”As you can see on a picture with ‘drops’ for one Libyan dinar people can buy 9m3 of water. The independency from import of the water could provide state independency form other word.
I'm interesting what prices will be if somebody privatize this project....
Afterword
From my point of view this project is one of the best things Gadaffi made form Libya, and we should give him recognition for this contribution in Libyan economic and social life’s change…
“Initially, authorities intended to drill the wells directly in the aquifer areas and thought of creating whole new cities and irrigated agricultural areas there. However, due to the necessity of transferring high numbers of inhabitants and building infrastructure in a poorly accessible terrain this possibility was soon abandoned as being economically unfeasible. Therefore, in concordance with a bit reformulated old Arab saying "If Muhammad will not come to the mountain, then the mountain must go to Muhammad", the project of the man-made river of hitherto unprecedented dimensions was decided to be realized in 1983 in order to bring the fresh water from inside the deep desert to the people at the coast. Nevertheless, it was inevitable to overcome several obstacles - considerable distance between the aquifers and the coast, rough desert conditions, elevation differences in the terrain, corrosion of the reinforced concrete, and many more”[15].
And in the end I want to propose you some image I made few days ago via Google Earth:
1) the year of 1972 and 2004:
fields
[1] http://www.boinc.sk/clanky/libyas-great-man-made-river
[2] http://www.galenfrysinger.com/man_made_river_libya.htm
[3] http://www.ethiopianreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27590&p=150954
[4] http://www.boinc.sk/clanky/libyas-great-man-made-river
[5] http://www.boinc.sk/clanky/libyas-great-man-made-river
[6]http://tpartyus2010.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=3180617%3ABlogPost%3A71032&commentId=3180617%3AComment%3A70937&xg_source=activity
[7] http://www.americanscientist.org/science/content1/9585
[8] http://www.boinc.sk/clanky/libyas-great-man-made-river
[9] http://www.onepakistan.com/news/local/karachi/43609-Fossil-water-becoming-valuable-fossil-fuel.html
[10] http://www.boinc.sk/clanky/libyas-great-man-made-river
[11] http://www.goumbook.com/4729/libyas-great-man-made-river-project/
[12] http://abundanthope.net/pages/Political_Information_43/Virtually-unknown-in-the-West-Libya-s-water-resources_printer.shtml
[13] http://www.galenfrysinger.com/man_made_river_libya.htm
[14] http://www.boinc.sk/clanky/libyas-great-man-made-river
[15] http://www.boinc.sk/clanky/libyas-great-man-made-river
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
UN Security Council members failed to agree the statement on Syria
The UN secretary general has condemned Syria for using tanks and live ammunition against protesters.
Calling for an independent investigation into recent killings, Ban Ki-moon said Syrian authorities had an obligation to respect human rights.UN Security Council members have so far failed to agree a joint statement. [1]
but why?! and here is the answer: as we all remember, Russia and China were neutral about Libya's 'problem'; however, in Russian society this step was considered as a big mistake in foreign policy. So, and this respect, Russia and China won't make one mistake twice. UN Security Council won't agree a joint statement and, maybe, there is possibility to use NATO forces, as it was in Iraq. Moreover, it becoming obvious that the Syrian so-called 'humanitarian intervention' might be infringement of Russian and Chinese business and military interests.
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Some news from Muslim World
Danish cartoonist who drew The Prophet is being tried in a Jordan court
A Jordanian court has begun blasphemy proceedings against Danish artist Kurt Westergaard for a controversial cartoon he drew of the Prophet Mohammed.
Spying for Iran in Bahrain
Bahrain declared a diplomat posted in the Iranian embassy in Manama persona non grata, and ordered him to leave within 72 hours due to his alleged links with a Kuwait spy ring, Bahrain’s official news agency reported on Tuesday.
According to Al Arabiya’s correspondent at UN headquarters in New York, the report says: “Evidence confirms that Bahraini elements are being trained in Hezbollah camps specifically established to train assets from the Gulf.”
Al-Qaeda 'Afghan number two' Abdul Ghani killed - Nato
International forces in Afghanistan say they have killed their number-two insurgent target in the country - senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Ghani.
US evacuating Syria embassy
The United States has ordered embassy family members and some non-emergency personnel to leave Syria, citing the “uncertainty and volatility” of a crackdown on protesters there.
The State Department’s directive early Tuesday, along with a travel warning telling US citizens to leave the country, followed another day of violent attacks on protesters by Syrian security forces. At least 26 people in Deraa were reported killed on Monday in assaults by Syrian tanks and troops.
The State Department’s directive early Tuesday, along with a travel warning telling US citizens to leave the country, followed another day of violent attacks on protesters by Syrian security forces. At least 26 people in Deraa were reported killed on Monday in assaults by Syrian tanks and troops.
Egypt reaffirms support for GCC
In the wake of an unexpected postponement of his visit to the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf States, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf of Egypt said that there was no tension in relations between his country and the UAE. He also said the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council states was a “red line” for Egypt.
In a statement following his talks in Riyadh with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Sharaf said: “There is no problem between Egypt and the UAE, and my visit will be rescheduled later.”
Speaking of rapprochement with Iran with whom Egypt has renewed diplomatic links after a gap of 30 years, Mr. Sharaf said: “We want to turn a new page in our relations with Iran, but do not accept interference in GCC’s domestic affairs.”
In a statement following his talks in Riyadh with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Sharaf said: “There is no problem between Egypt and the UAE, and my visit will be rescheduled later.”
Speaking of rapprochement with Iran with whom Egypt has renewed diplomatic links after a gap of 30 years, Mr. Sharaf said: “We want to turn a new page in our relations with Iran, but do not accept interference in GCC’s domestic affairs.”
Voting for Saudi women?
Women in Saudi Arabia showed a great deal of tenacity recently at municipal voting centers where they showed up to register for their right to vote. But they were largely disappointed because female names are not yet listed in the electoral system. Nevertheless, they seem to be stepping up efforts to gain adult franchise for women in all walks of Saudi society.
The desert kingdom held its first nationwide polls in 2005 since the state’s formation in 1932; but only eligible men were allowed to vote in the municipal elections. The second elections are scheduled for September, and Saudi women seem eager to get a head start on the registration process.
The desert kingdom held its first nationwide polls in 2005 since the state’s formation in 1932; but only eligible men were allowed to vote in the municipal elections. The second elections are scheduled for September, and Saudi women seem eager to get a head start on the registration process.
Saturday, 23 April 2011
Libya: from the political conflict to ethnic one
Libya crisis: Misrata tribes 'may fight rebels'
Tribes loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have said that if the army cannot drive rebels from the besieged port city of Misrata, they will, a senior official says.
Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said the army had tried to keep civilian casualties low but the tribes would not show the same restraint.
Colonel Gaddafi's forces have been pounding Misrata for weeks.
Meanwhile, Nato forces carried out more air strikes on the capital, Tripoli.
The Libyan government says three people were killed by the strikes.
Journalists were shown a concrete bunker near Col Gaddafi's Bab al-Azizia compound that received two hits early on Saturday.[1]
Thursday, 21 April 2011
"Hopes of Al Qaeda’s demise are proving premature" by Al Arabiya news
Of course it was very "premature" to forget about Al Qaeda!
"Al Qaeda and its various militant affiliates have been relegated in recent months to statements of support as protesters across the Middle East and North Africa demand greater freedom and an end to authoritarian rule. If anything, empathy for Al Qaeda’s violent, militant version of Islam appeared to have dissipated as youthful protesters challenged authoritarian leaders and forced the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt to resign".[1]
There is other thing that I'm very interesting in: Why do journalists always speak about Al Qaeda if there are so many other terrorist organization on Middle East and North Africa, of course they are well connected; but, it is hardly doubtful that Al Qaeda became a brand of Sunni terror movement in the world, but the problem is not this organization but ideology... And by using this brand, journalists and politicians simply do concept shift, something like stereotype.
"Al Qaeda and its various militant affiliates have been relegated in recent months to statements of support as protesters across the Middle East and North Africa demand greater freedom and an end to authoritarian rule. If anything, empathy for Al Qaeda’s violent, militant version of Islam appeared to have dissipated as youthful protesters challenged authoritarian leaders and forced the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt to resign".[1]
There is other thing that I'm very interesting in: Why do journalists always speak about Al Qaeda if there are so many other terrorist organization on Middle East and North Africa, of course they are well connected; but, it is hardly doubtful that Al Qaeda became a brand of Sunni terror movement in the world, but the problem is not this organization but ideology... And by using this brand, journalists and politicians simply do concept shift, something like stereotype.
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