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Nov 17, 2017

Al Nahda Dam and Its Impact on Egypt


There is a saying by Herodotus known to Egyptians that the Nile is the gift to Egypt.
Without the Nile, Egypt cannot survive.
Dr. Noor el Din, an Egyptian water expert pointed out that Egypt need at least 93,000 cu.m  of water per year. The water available to Egypt presently is 62,000 cu.m. to use per year ( Sada el Watan, 11/14/2017).
During the past three years, the water ministers of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt met to discuss issues related to the constructions of the Al Nahd Dam in Ethiopia and its impact on Sudan and Egypt.
They discussed the technicality of such project and its impact on the countries involved. Actually, the French company that is conducting a research on the impact of the Dam on the different countries, asked for clarification about the 1959 International Agreement that guarantee Egypt 55,000 cu.m. of water per year, and if it should continue to conduct such research or stop it.
Both Ethiopia and the Sudan water ministers said it should not include the International Agreement in their research! While Egypt’s minister insisted such research should be maintained and the International Agreement should be included.
There was no consensus and the meeting ended with no decision taken.
The policy among the three countries involved has been influenced by an outside force and secret polical agreements.
For example, the Ethiopian government offered free electrical power generated by the Dam to the Sudanese government in return for their support for the construction of the Dam.
It is known that the Sudanese president is member of the Muslim Brotherhood and does not support the Egyptian government.
Qatari government has been playing a negative role towards Egypt, along with Sudan and Ethiopia.
Furthermore, prince Tamim’s mother Sheikha Moza visited Sudan to support its president granted him one billion dollars to promote tourism in Sudan. She publicly stated that there are more historical antiquities in Sudan than in Egypt!!!
The Ethiopian prime minister was in Qatar recently to request a financial loan to continue the construction of the Dam. The loan was granted.
The technical and political consequences of the Dam’s construction is getting to be quite complicated.
The Egyptian government is in a strong legal position based on international law.
The issue should be taken to the International Court of Justice. Meanwhile, Ethiopia continues the building of the Al Nahda Dam and may be Egypt will have to face reality and  accept what the Ethiopian government proposes.



Nov 1, 2017

Qatari Government’s Support of Terrorism


 
On May 21, 2017, an Arab Islamic American Summit was held in Saudi Arabia. Among the discussed topics was about the Qatari government role supporting, with money and arms, terrorist organizations such as ISIS, and Al Nusra
among others.
President Trump stated during that Summit meeting, that was the beginning of the end of a  Qatar’s role in supporting terrorists
On July 27, 2017, four Arab states, Egypt-Saudi Arabia-Bahrain, the Emirates, broke diplomatic relationship with the Qatari government and began a policy of boycotting Qatar.
President Trump ignored his public statement regarding Qatar.
Actually, Secretary of State Tillerson, went to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the Emirates in order to convince them to change their policy towards Qatar. But, he failed.
Recently, since that Summit meeting, more information regarding Qatar’s role in supporting terrorist groups.
In October 2017, two academic centers focused on the issue of the support of Qatar to terrorists: The Hudson Institute in Washington and the French International Relations and Strategic Center in Paris.
Among the speakers that have participating in Washington, were two ex-government high officials, Leon Panetta who served as a Defense Secretary during the Obama administration.
Panetta stated that the Qatari government provided arms and financial support to ISIS, Al Qaeda, and  Al Nusra, as well as the Muslim Brothers in Syria Libya and Egypt.
The second speaker in Washington was David Petraeus, who served as Director of the CIA. He also stated that Qatar is supporting terrorist groups financially and with arms.
In Paris, the Director of the Center of International Relations, Fredrick Ansel, stated that governments around the world should realize that the Muslim Brothers do support terrorism.
The former Qatari Prime Minister, Hamad-ben Jassim has also stated that the Gulf Gang of Four, without naming them, supported ISIS, and Al Nusra’s terrorist activities in Syria through Turkey. ( theduran.com).
Furthermore, and ex-Qatari foreign minister admitted that the US coalition, including Qatar and Turkey. Supported terrorists to destroy Syrian(veternstorytoday.com). Many of those who were recruited by ISIS went to Syria through Turkey.
The Turkish press revealed that those who were recruited to go to Syria, were trained in Turkish military basis. They were then armed and sent to Syria through the Turkish borders. There, they were met by ISIS representatives and taken to where ISIS was in control.
Turkey, also bought, for their use, crude oil from ISIS that was transported by tankers from the oil fields in Syria.
ISIS were paid more than two billion dollars per year from the sale of oil to Turkey.