Schalke segrade i gårdagens träningsmatch mot Bahrain, som spelades i Österrike. Anledningen till försenad matchrapport stavas trasigt modem. Nåja, Rutten ställde upp med en hyfs ordinarie startelva där dock ex. Jones fick lira högerback. Som jag skrivit tidigare så är den ordinarie högerbacken Rafinha på landslagssamling, mer läsning om det här, skrivet av Hupps. Ryktas lite smått om att Schalke nu försöker värva en uruguayansk högerback, troligen Aguirregaray som det ryktades om tidigare. Kan visserligen vara någon annan, men eftersom det var ganska seriösa rykten om att Aguirregaray skulle komma till Schalke i januari så kan man anta att Schalke vill ha honom redan nu.

Heiko och Kuranyi började på bänken och var redo för att göra säsongsdebut då dem nyligen kom tillbaka efter EM-ledighet. Hur många gånger har jag skrivit om det?...

Schalke var överlägset det bahrainska (?) landslaget. Redan när det gått fyra minuter hade nyförvärven Farfan och Engelaar gjort sina första mål för föreningen genom två fasta situationer, och Schalke fortsatte att pressa. Halil gjorde ett mål knappa halvtimmen senare på en straff samtidigt fick en Bahrainspelare sitt andra gula kort och blev utvisad. Bahrain reducerade i början av andra halvlek, men i slutsekunderna kunde Kuranyi fina till Schalkes siffror till 4-1. Inte mycket mer att säga om matchen då jag som sagt missade den.

Schalke - Bahrain 4-1
Tore: 1-0 Engelaar (2', frispark), 2-0 Farfan (4', straff), 3-0 Halil (29', straff), 3-1 Abdul Rahman Mahmood (53'), 4-1 Kuranyi (88')
Zuschauer: 2500

Schalke aufstellung

Erste Halbzeit

Sanchez - Halil - Farfan
Engelaar - Ernst - Grossmüller
Pander - Bordon - Höwedes - Jones
Fährmann

Zweite Halbzeit

Farfan (Kuranyi, 62') - Halil (Zé II, 62') - Streit (Asa, 77')
Engelaar (Kobi, 73') - Rakitic - Varela
Pander (Heppke, 75') - Kris - Zambrano - Westermann
Fährmann

Confused?

Watch below the only commercials that can stop my S&T desk during the day... Congrats to the agency in charge (M&C Saatchi) and also to the Bahrain Economic Development Board for their boldness (remember that in 2008, Bahrain was named the world’s fastest growing financial centre by the City of London’s Global Financial Centres Index)!

Great fun... Really useful these days :)

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.635962&w=425&h=350&fv=]

P.S. Since there are more of these videos in Bahrain's campaign, I'll be posting them here soon.

necn ^ July 21, 2008

 McCain: Will end dependence on foreign oil (NECN: South Portland, Maine) - Senator John McCain attended a picnic at the Maine Military Museum in South Portland, Maine on Monday. "Everybody here knows what has happened to a gallon of gas, our lowest income Americans are hurting the most, some of them can't even get to work," said the Republican presidential candidate. "We are sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much and some of that money ends up in the hands of terrorist organizations. I will end this dependence on foreign oil," said McCain. http://www.necn.com/category/32/13787

Tags: war on terror, Islamic oil, Saudi Arabia,Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Iran, Gulf states, oil, Arab oil

لقد اعادو فتحها و ازالة الحجب عنها...

و جريدة اوال الالكترونية لازالت محجوبة عن المستخدمين في البحرين...

و اقول للمسؤولين و العاملين في وزارة الاعلام و غير الاعلام...

ان هذه المحاولات الغبية للاستخفاف بعقول الناس لا تجدي نفعاً، حيث انه قد مر 9 ايام منذ فتحه و لا كأنه قد صدر أمر بحجبه... و أن الاستمرار بحجب مواقع اخرى اغلقت في الوقت ذاته لهو أمر لا يدل إلا على التفريق الحاصل بين الناس و البشر على اساس (الولاية لولي الأمر) و المشكوك في ولائهم...

سيداتي آنساتي سادتي...

لا تستغربو اصدار الاحكام العرفية في البحرين عما قريب - بعد نزع فتيل الحرب بين أمريكا و إيران كما نأمل - كما كان مخطط له منذ امد بعيد...

و الله يستر...

Schalkedagen

Varje år anordnar Schalke en dag fylld med aktiviteter där fansen får vara med och träffa spelarna och umgås med varandra. Man kan köra gokart, testskjuta tillsammans med målvaktstränaren Reck, klättra på klätterväggar, få autografer från spelarna etc. Jag är inget större fan av sådana här dagar, men det var iallafall 80 000 glada människor där så det verkar vara en fin tradition.

Latza i U-19 EM

Schalke har ett bidrag i U-19 EM, den lovande mittfältaren Danny Latza. Han har fått starta två matcher och blev även inbytt senast mot Ungern, alltså har han varit delaktig i samtliga tre gruppspelsmatcher. Han slåss mot bröderna Bender om en plats på innermittfältet, därför är konkurrensen på Latzas position ganska stark. Latza har dock gjort ett bra mästerskap och hans Tyskland spelar semifinal mot värdnationen Tjeckien på onsdag klockan 20.15. Matchen sänds på Eurosport 1.

Årets spelare är...

... Manuel Neuer. Trots att han inte var lika bra den gångna säsongen som under sin debutsäsong var han ändå tillräckligt bra för att få utmärkelsen tack vare 3392 röster. Tvåa kom Bordon (2033) och trean var Westermann (541). Röstade gjorde Schalker Fan-Club Verband.

Rafinha zu Olympia

Trots att Schalke har gjort allt för att Rafinha inte ska åka till OS, så blir det så då det tyska fotbollsförbundet nu har sagt att man inte har för avsikt att inte låta spelare representera sin landslag. Samma sak sker för Werder Bremen och deras Diego. De flesta klubbar brukar annars sätta stopp för sina spelare under sådana här jippoföreställningar då dem förstör extremt mycket för klubbarna, men inte den här gången. Rafinha följde inte med laget till träningslägret i Österrike utan ska åka till Paris imorgon för att möta upp sina brasilianska lagkamrater. Om det vill sig illa kan Rafinha missa 5-6 tävlingsmatcher. Antagligen går Westermann eller Varela in som högerback under tiden. På tal om Westermann så är han och Kuranyi tillbaka och med laget i Österrike efter sin EM-ledighet.

Lövenkrands tillbaka till Skottland?

Dansken Peter Lövenkrands kom till Schalke för två år sedan på en free transfer, trots att han hade intresse från bland annat Roma och Osasuna. Han hade gjort succé under sina fem år i Skottland, men i Danmark var han mer känd för att vara spelaren som alltid misslyckades i landslaget (Danmarks Torbjörn Nilsson typ). Schalke gav Lövenkrands en hög lön och skulle ge honom en plats som ordinarie vänsteranfallare. Peter glimtade till under debutsäsongen, men han har aldrig varit nära att prestera flera matcher i rad och verkar inte trivas i Gelsenkirchen och Bundesliga.

Nu vill han tillbaka till Rangers. I en intervju säger han att han och sin skotska fru Terese inte ens skulle behöva fundera om Ranges ville ha tillbaka honom. Han säger att det finns kontakt mellan klubbarna, men att inget konkret finns för närvarandet. Själv tycker jag det är ganska oproffsigt av Lövenkrands att gå ut och prata om en annan klubb när han har kontrakt med Schalke, till exempel har ju Müller tidigare skyddat Lövenkrands i media och det ganska kraftigt. Nu antar jag att det återstår för Schalke att Rangers att komma överrens, vilket nog inte blir några större problem då Rutten vill banta truppen med några spelare och det finns bättre alternativ än Lövenkrands i truppen. Jag tippar på att prislappen blir runt €2 miljoner eftersom hans kontrakt går ut nästa år.

Imorgon spelas säsongens femte träningsmatch, den här gången under träningslägret i Österrike och mot Bahrains landslag. Jag gör ingen separat artikel om den matchen utan tippar på en 2-1 vinst för Schalke, mål av Halil och Engelaar. Om jag får välja hade jag startat med denna elvan...

Halil
Engelaar - Rakitic - Dirty Sanchez
Jones - Ernst
Pander - Bordon - Kris - Varela
Schober

Eine Übersicht des verfügbaren Shisha-Tabaks gibt es unter Tabaksorten.

The United Arab Emirates, already prosperous with its luxury tourism industry and the world's tallest building under constructuon, is expected to witness GDP growth of 32.3%, while Kuwait's economy will hulk out to 50.6%, the fastest growth rate in the region.

If the price of oil remains above $135 a barrel, Gulf countries are expected to gain an export surplus of $1bn, reports Gulf News.  But while the flow of income should aid liquidity in the short to medium term, it raises inflation fears and pushes up asset costs, possibly creating asset bubbles in the medium term. 

The biggest concern should be inflation, which crippled Japan's economy in the early 90's and is still haunting the island nation.  As well as the influx of money, many gulf currencies are pegged to the US dollar, whose weakness makes imports more expensive and further increases prices.  According to this Reuters article, inflation in the UAE hit a 20 year high of 11.1%.  That was with growth rates of just 7.6%, when growth almost quadruples, and the dollar is even weaker, inflation could destroy gains in national quality of life. 

Comparing inflation for other countires is difficult because, and this is the second major concern, government statistics are scarce and unreliable.  In a UAE report last October, the International Monetary Fund reported that "The national accounts compilation system suffers from a number of deficiencies, including lack of a comprehensive data collection program." 

The UAE is the only oil producer to release yearly inflation estimates and Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman have yet to release constant price GDP estimates for 2007.  Released figures are susceptible to change, in late June Qatar revised its current price GDP growth rate figure for 2007 to 25% from a 12% rate released in March.  Similarly, the UAE revised its 2007 GDP growth rate to 5.2% from an earlier 7.6% and then issued a statement denying the revision.  With such unreliable data, many economists instead rely on microeconomic factors like bond yields to gauge the health of gulf economies.

These issues are being addresed, if slowly.  To combat inflation, in May 2007 Kuwait severed the link between its dinars and the US dollar, tracking instead to a basket of currencies.  A new center for national statistics has opened in the UAE to compile and release economic data. 

With so much money flowing in, an infrastructure must be created to efficiently allocate it.  The alternative is corruption and destruction, as witnessed in oil rich yet undevelopd nations like Nigeria.  The World Bank estimates that between $100-200bn of Nigeria's oil revenues have been stolen by corrupt officials.  An interview at Alternet with Michael Watts, author of Curse of the Black Gold, compares the exploitation and corruption in the oil trade to trade in blood diamonds.  Watts puts it bluntly, "If oil is inserted into a corrupt federal system, then the combination of non-transparent Big Oil and authoritarian Big Government produces a perfect storm of violence, corruption, ecological destruction and poverty."

Al Jazeera Stables

BEIRUT, July 16, 2008 – There’s a saying in Lebanon: the only woman you’ll see in parliament is the one wearing black, mourning for the death of her husband or brother, whose political position she has inherited.

In a country famed for being the region’s most socially liberal and politically democratic, and in which young women outnumber men by seven to one, just one woman, Bahia Hariri, the sister of slain former premiere Rafik Hariri, became a member of Lebanon’s new unity cabinet, announced earlier this month.

“Many women’s groups are demanding a 35 percent quota in representation in the government, which would allow for issues such as the custody and nationality law to take precedence,” says Nationality Campaign Coordinator, Roula Masri.

According to research by the United Nations Development Programme, Lebanese women make up an average of just 2.8 percent of parliament, far less than authoritarian regimes like Syria (9.6 percent) and Jordan (5.4 percent).

Women make up about 53 percent of the population, around two million citizens, while the Collective for Research and Training on Development Action (CRTDA) studies found that between age’s 23-34 women outnumber men by seven to one, because most young men are employed abroad.

While making great strides into the labour force, with Lebanese women representing 28 percent ahead of Syria with 25 percent and Jordan with 21 percent, and while women are highly visible in sectors such as the media, advertising and design, poor political representation hampers women’s ability to over-turn discriminatory laws.

Groups like the CRTDA contend that has made it difficult for Lebanese women to participate independently in public life.

Even in simple, everyday tasks, women can find they have less rights than men.

Rania Choueiri, a jewelry designer who owns her shop on trendy Monot Street, recounts her story of trying to open a bank account for her son, Karim.

“They asked me where is his father,” says Rania. “I asked why they need his father when I am his mother and want an account for my son. They told me that only the father could open the account. I couldn’t believe it.”

“I can’t believe that Lebanese women carry their children for nine months and then the government and society tells us that we don’t have a right to it,” she adds.

Women were only present in parliamentary life twice between 1952-1962 until a pivotal transformation occurred when three female MPs won seats in the 1992 elections.

Activists say the tradition of women inheriting a place in parliament from their male heir has hindered the aim of challenging the political discrimination against them.

Former Industry Minister Leila Solh inherited her political platform from her father, Prime Minister Riad Solh and Nayla Moawad, minister of Social Affairs in the last government, is the widow of assassubated former president Rene Moawad.

Right to Nationalize

CRTDA recently re-launched its, “Nationality Campaign”, lobbying politicians and doing media advocacy on the right for Lebanese women to nationalize their children if marrying non-Lebanese.

The nationality law, which the CRTDA is attacking, was established in 1925 and a decree in 1994 granted nationalization of some children born to Lebanese mothers.

Frontiers Association, in a report released in 2008, indicates that the 1994 decree was based on Article 3 of the 1925 nationality law, which states that nationalization can be granted if children born to Lebanese mothers proves residency in Lebanon for 5 years without interruption, marries a Lebanese and proves residency in Lebanon for 1 year since marriage without interruption or if they have made great services to Lebanon.

Reforms to the nationality law have become mired in the political issue of the presence of hundreds of thousands of Syrian workers and 400,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

Some politicians have argued that to allow Lebanese women to nationalize the children they have with non-Lebanese, such as Syrians and Palestinians, would be to shake up the delicate sectarian demographic on which the country’s political system is founded.

But according to Roula Masri, coordinator of the “Nationality Campaign,” research conducted in 2003 by CRTDA indicates that only 1,000 Lebanese women are married to foreigners.

“We are going to be updating these numbers by doing field research to figure out the actual demographics,” says Masri.

“However, the issue is not about how many women are married to Palestinians, Syrians or other foreigners but that they have to amend this law to highlight that this is a human right.”

While amending nationality laws in the region is a struggle, it is by no means impossible. Morocco amended the nationality law in 2005, Egypt and Algeria in 2007.

“We implemented several strategies like creating seminars with women’s associations, advocacy work, lobbying,” says Algerian women’s advocate, Houria Chaouche.

“Most important was the will of the women who worked to demand that the laws be changed.”

According to Chaouche, women are visible on the social, economic and political level in Algeria.

Although, Algerian women held 6 percent of the parliamentary seats in 2004 they didn’t represent the entire female population in a country where women constitute more than half of the society.

“At the moment, the focus of civil society organizations in Algeria is to emphasize the importance of implementing policies that allow more women into the cabinet and parliament,” adds Chaouche.

One effective tool used in Lebanon’s nationalization campaign was the use of social networking via the Internet.

“We were able to take this issue beyond borders through the use of Facebook, which we set up a group to discuss the need of changing the nationality law,” adds Masri.

“Through this form of social networking we have been receiving numerous stories of Lebanese women who are living abroad. Many have children and would like to return to Lebanon with their families but are prohibited due to fact that they are unable to provide legal papers to their families.”

“I take a tired look at my daughter and my thoughts take me to when she is older and I have to explain why Lebanon treats her like a foreigner, why I, her omnipotent mother could do nothing to preserve what is rightfully hers,” says Rana Issa.

“I think what has Lebanon given me aslan, maybe it is better she doesn't have to live in my shame and carry my passport.”

Currently there are over 8,000 members of the Facebook group. Many are Lebanese women or children of Lebanese mothers who are denied basic rights to education, healthcare and residency.

“My mother is Lebanese and my father is a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon. I was registered as a refugee when I was born. Luckily, after living in a European country long enough, I hold a 'respectable' citizenship,” says Ali Khalil.

“I believe that the Lebanese nationality is a right that was taken away and should be returned to people like me.”

[Tę notkę miała spisać Natalia, ale jak zwykle się leni (blogi, serwisy społecznościowe etc to nie jest jej specjalność), więc zrobię to ja bo się nie doczekacie.]

Wrocław. Dworzec PKS. 9.07.2008 19.00h

Tu się ma zacząć nasza prawie roczna przygoda. Oczywiście zacznie się od spóźnienia. Mimo zapewnień starszej pani, "stałej klientki przewoźnika Pinior", że prawie nigdy się nie spóźniają, autobus przyjeżdża prawie 45 minut spóźniony. WYjazd miał być o 19.00, ruszamy 19.50. Zaczyna się liczenie czasu. Wg. rozkładu do Frakfurtu mamy dotrzeć o 5.30 rano, samolot mamy o 11.30. Odprawa trwa od 8.30 do 10.30. Lotnisko jest wielkie - więc rezerwuję 30min na znalezienie i dotarcie do właściwego terminalu, i (optymistycznie) również 30min na dotarcie na owo lotniskoa (S-Bahn z dworca). + 30 minut na opóźnienia i + 30 min na samą odprawę. Wychodzi, że do Franfurtu musimy dotrzeć przed 8.30 żeby mieć szanse zdąrzyć na samolot. Czyli dopuszczalne opóźnienie - 3h. Godzina na starcie nie wróży dobrze.

Autobus średnio komfortowy, filmy - tradycyjnie głupie i zagłośne. Polacy-pijacy, chleją wódę na tylnych siedzeniach i rzucają seksistowskie żarciki. Jak zwykle. Granicę mijamy gładko i lecimy dalej autostradą. Jdenak kilkaset metrów za nią - "zoll" und "passeport bitte!". Ekipa znudzonych celnikow postanowiła nas odstawić na pobocze. Zaczęło się sprawdzanie paszportów, wyciąganie losowych bagaży etc. Zegarek w ręku czas start. Na szczęście - nie było najgorzej - całość: 35min i jedziemy dalej. Razem: 1.35 opóźnienia. Jesteśmy w normie!

Kilkaset kilometrów dalej znowu kontrola. "Kto z Państwa ma więcej niż jeden wagon fajek, prosimy o dobrowolne zgłoszenie się dla dobra pozostałych pasażerów!". Są, trzy osoby. Poszli płacić karę i spisywać protokół. Na szczęście zieloni odpuszczają sobie sprawdzanie reszty bagaży, ale coś jest nie tak z papierami kierowcy. Nie opłacona licencja czy coś, w każdym razie - kilka tysięcy EUR kary dla przewoźnika. Walka z czasem - 2.30 spóźnienia. A jeszcze jest przesiadka po drodze zaplanowana... Kierowca twierdzi że zdążymy, ale ostatnie godziny upływają nerwowo.

Frankfurt Lufthagen, 10.07.2008.

Ostatecznie - trochę nadrobiliśmy na autosradach i do Franfurtu docieramy 7.30. 2h spóźnienia, ale w wyznaczonych normach. Podróż na lotnisko i szukanie terminalu (niemieckie oznaczenia!) poszło banalnie prosto. Odprawa toż samo (czemu nie wziąłem więcej bagażu! :P) Już tylko totalnie egzotyczna poczekalnia i lot...

Gulf Air Franfurt - Bahrain 10.07.2008. 11.30 -18.30

Nie wiem czy wspominałem, ale nasz lot był bookowany w dość niezwykłych okolicznościach. Oczekiwanie na wizę sprawiło, że najtańsze bilety Finnair już wykupiono, to samo Swissair i Aerofłot.  Zwycięzca przetargu - bahraiński Gulf Air zaoferował lot za 385EUR od osoby (one-way), z dwoma "ale". Po pierwsze - z Frankfurtu - czyli nieco dalej niż Warszawa czy Berlin. Po drugie - nie mają umów w Polsce i po bilet musieliśmy jechać do Goerlitz, gdyż polskie biuro nie mogło go nam sprzedać.  Do tego okazało się, że moje karty płatnicze nie sa akceptowane, więc w końcu zaplaciliśmy (po wielu próbach i przejściu na ty z telefoniczną konsultantką Gulf Air) kartą Jasia. Tydzień przed odlotem. Gulf Air to linie z Bahrainu, więc lecieliśmy w przygniatającej przewadze arabskich "terrorystów" (jeden z nich miał przeurocze biegające wszędzie dziecko), ale przynajmniej nie obawiałem się o zamach na nas. No i te stewardesy, egoztyczna (chińsko? indyjsko? arabska?) mieszanka pięknych kobiet w najładniejszych strojach jakie miałem okazję widzieć.

Airbus A330 - wygodny i raczej sprawny. Z monitorkami z cyfrową telewizją i możliwością śledzenia trasy. I z pysznym obiadem na pokładzie (zestaw arabskich dań z jagnięciną. mniam!). Gulf Air - polecamy.

Lądowanie w Bahrainie bez przeszkód. Uderza nas gorąco po wyjściu z samolotu i zadziwiająco wczesny zmierch (przed 19 było już ciemno!). Teraz 5h w strefie bezcłowej...

Gulf Air [ Bahrain - Delhi 11.07.2008 00:01 - 06:15]

Właściwie - to samo co powyżej. Jedyna ciekawostka, to dziwne wrażenie jakie się ma lecąc w trzy godziny przesuwając się o 6h w czasie. Dizzy. Lądowanie bez problemów, trochę skomplikowana odprawa na lotnisku (jakieś papierki trza powypełniać) i poszukiwanie kogoś z dwóch komitetów, kto nas odbierze. W sumie - nie jest źle - po jednym AISEC-erze z każdego komitetu (Natalia przybyła do Delhi University, ja do Delhi IIT) czeka grzecznie przed lotniskiem. W między czasie pozbywamy się natrętnego (choć pomocnego - w imię zdobycia klienta zaoferował nam telefon byśmy zadzwonili do naszych "odbiorców") taksówkarza. Indira Gandhi welcome to! ... Wkrótce rozdzielamy się na dwa samochody i każde z nas rusza w innym kierunku - do domu innego AISEC-era.

CDN...

Arcapita acquires $1.3 billion Singapore real estate portfolio

Portfolio is made up of industrial properties, including 39 blocks of flatted factories, 12 amenity centers and three multi-tenanted business park buildings.

portfolio is made up of industrial properties, including 39 blocks of flatted factories, 12 amenity centers, three multi-tenanted business park buildings.

Bahrain-based Arcapita Bank and Mapletree Investments, a Singapore-based real estate company, have announced the completion of agreements to become joint venture partners in Mapletree Industrial Trust (MIT), a private real estate fund which holds a $1.3 billion portfolio of high-rise, ready-built industrial properties in Singapore.

warplanes, most likely of israeli origin, swoop down and take out iran's "peaceful" nuclear reactors.

pilots go "shalom!" and break out the creamcheese bagels for their flight home.

and then?

the question on everyone's mind is not whether or not a strike will occur, but rather "when" and "what the fuck will the iranians do?"

according to one iranian commander: " .....our finger is always on the trigger and we have hundreds and even thousands of missiles ready to be fired against predetermined targets," Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of the Revolutionary Guard ground forces. [Link]

apparently their fingers are also busy with photoshop trying to hide missiles that dont go off [Link}

the photoshoped:

the original:

yes they suck at photoshop as much as they suck at being the biggest automobile producer in the middle east.

see,... you didnt know they made cars did you?

why bother photoshopping?

it doesnt make sense.

but then again not much coming out of tehran ever does make that much sense,... take the interview on fareed zakaria's gps show on cnn with the iranian foreign minister,... dude said:

"before we discuss the halting of uranium enrichment, we must discuss the agenda for the meeting on the discussion of the discussion of the halting of any uranium enrichment discussion."

wow....

just,... wow....

no wonder he's in charge of every government's bullshit factory,... he just does it so well.

but i digress,...

so what could iran do in the event of a strike?

not much actually, and here's why:

1- lob firecrackers at israel:

as if israel is not prepared,... chances are there are 10 times more patriot batteries than iranian missiles. add to that the fact that the us military in the gulf will the first to hear about any launch, i reckon the israelis will have time to switch on the patriots, put the kettle on, make a kosher bacon sandwhich, hit record on the vcr for what ever israeli soap that the iranians will be rudely interupting, and head down to the bunker.

the iranians know this,... and it would be very embarassing indeed if their loyal american flag burners through out the arab/muslim world tuned in to watch the great destruction of tel aviv only to be greeted with the scene of israelis sitting in lawn chairs enjoying a "patriot n' scud misslie" light show.

i doubt the iranians would risk this possible loss of face for a couple of measly reactors they could rebuild.

this is why we didnt hear much about the strike on the syrian facility last september?

.

2- block the strait of hormuz:

incase you dont know what it is, its that narrow bit of sea through which 30-40% of the world's oil passes.

the most likely result of this would be to send oil prices sky high.

"we will scare the west into submission by making a trip to the supermarket more expensive than a high class hooker on new years eve!" they reckon.

riiiiight,....

iran already has almost no one in their corner. doing this will piss off everyone,...

more importantly they will piss off the people that matter:

joe / gunther / pierre / sven blow suburbia, mr newly middle class chan and his good friend mr surresh of new yuppie bombay, as well as many others around the world.

it has already gotten to the point that the average working man now realises that "something must be done to secure more oil" atleast, until an alternative is found. if a nation's truck drivers and street cleaners are saying this because they are struggling to put food on their table guess how easy it will be for their governments to launch as many "necessary strikes" as possible.

pushing oil to crazy prices could actually be tehran's downfall.

and lets not forget the iranians,... they've seen whats going on in the gulf, so how long before they start asking when they will see the benefits of high oil prices instead of record inflation and having their gasoline rationed cos iran cant produce enough for its own use.

ultimately, war is about who has more money and who has more gas. iran has some money, but no gas. tanks dont run on iranian rials.

blocking hormuz will force everyone to rally against them, even diehard anti-israeli/american jihadis will start to wonder if this is all worth US$10 a liter orange juice, so again not likely.

.

3- a retaliation strike against us military installations in their neighbours:

hitting kuwait, bahrain, iraq, afghanistan, qatar or even dubai will simply confirm america's assertion that iran is nuts.

iran hates it when america is right, so just to piss america off it probably wont happen.

to do so would be to become the world's new north korea,... and from recent events, even north korea doesnt want to be the world's north korea any more.

.

.

.

so what could happen?

i dont know.

its not like they can do a syria and deny that there was a strike, nor can they say that it was only a military warehouse.

theres actually not much they could do.

unless they happen to have an army of big purple people eaters,.... then we're all screwed.

.

one thing is certain tho,...

i get the feeling that there is a rift of some sort between the generals and the supreme council.

why?

well the skirmishes that go unreported for one.

the british sailor hostages for another.

its as if the military is saying " come on if you think you're hard enough! (cos we want you to bomb tehran and kick those nutcases out)"

the generals arent stupid, and i think 30 years of ayatollah mismanagement is finally starting to piss them off.

.

as usual i could be wrong, so breakout your gasmasks just in case cos it could still go juuuuuust a little bit wonky.

Former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray is being threatened by lawyers representing the globetrotting mercenary Tim Spicer.

The full text of the letter to Murray's publishers Mainstream from Spicer's solicitors Schillings (as taken from the PDF of the letter as hosted on Craig Murray's blog) is as follows:

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL
Mainstream Publishing Company (Edinburgh) Limited
7 Albany Street
Edinburgh
Scotland
EHl 3UG

BY POST AND FAX: 0131 556 8720

Our Ref: SMS/JXR/ww/A131/3

ON THE RECORD
NOT FOR PUBLICATION

08 July 2008

Dear Sirs

The Road to Samarkand - Craig Murray

We represent Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Spicer OBE, C.E.O. of Aegis Defence Services Limited (“Aegis”).

We are instructed to write to you with regard to 'THE ROAD TO SAMARKAND- INTRIGUE, CORRUPTION AND DIRTY DIPLOMACY' (“the Book”) written by Craig Murray and due to be published in September 2009 by you
(http://www.rbooks.co.uk/search results.aspx) to be sold in England and Wales by Random House Sales Department.

We have reason to believe that the Book may contain serious, untrue and damaging defamatory allegations about our client.

Please confirm by return whether the Book is due to be published in England and Wales in September 2008 and if so, the exact date. please also confirm whether the Book is due to be published in any other jurisdiction, setting out each jurisdiction, together with the publication date and publisher concerned in each case.

lmportantly, we require you to confirm by return whether or not the Book contains any reference to our client, and if so, we require you to set out in full each and every reference to our client in its entirety to give our client the opportunity to take legal advice and to respond to any allegations in good time prior to publication.

Any widespread publication of the Book containing defamatory allegations concerning our client would be deeply damaging to our client's personal and professional reputations and would cause him profound distress and anxiety. We remind you that you would be responsible for that damage and any subsequent republication of the allegations. We also put you on notice that you will be liable for any special damage or loss suffered by our client as a result of the Book and we reserve all our client's rights in this regard.

We note from your website http://www.mainstreampublishing.com/news_current.html that Mr Murray is due to speak about the Book at a 'Mainstream author event at the Edinburgh lnternational Book Festival' entitled 'Lived Lives' on 12th August 2008 at 4.30pm in the RBS Main Theatre, Edinburgh. We hereby put both you and Mr Murray on notice that all our client's rights are reserved in relation to any defamatory comments or publications made by you or Mr Murray in relation to that event.

Please immediately take into your possession all drafts of the Book pre-publication, all notes, emails, correspondence, memos, images and oiher documents relevant to the publication of this Book, and preserve them safely pending the outcome of this dispute. They will need to be disclosed in due course if litigation has to be commenced. Also, you will need to disclose the financial arrangements for the sale and licence of the Book to other publications.

In the circumstances, we require that you confirm immediately that you agree to undertake on behalf of Mainstream Publishing Company (Edinburgh) Limited not to publish any libels regarding our client in any editions of the Book or at all.

We require the above undertaking by 4pm on Friday 11th July 2008, failing which we will have no option but to advise our client with regard to making applications to the High court for an injunction to restrain publication and/or for pre-action disclosure. You are on notice that we will seek to recover the costs of any necessary applications from you.

We await your response by return. In the meantime all our client's rights are reserved, including the right to issue proceedings against you without further notice.

Yours faithfully

SCHILLINGS

cc. Craig Murray Esq.

Not bad, eh? Psychic libel lawyers who can predict what might be in an as-yet unpublished book!

Murray's response to the threat is unequivocal:

Schillings are a firm of libel lawyers dedicated to prevent the truth from being known about some deeply unlovely people. They managed temporarily to close down this blog (and several others) to keep information quiet about the criminal record of Alisher Usmanov. Now they are attempting to block the publication of my new book in the interests of mercenary commander Tim Spicer, one of those who has made a fortune from the Iraq War. It is sad but perhaps predictable that private profits from the illegal Iraq war, in which hundreds of thousands of innocent people have died, are providing the funding to try to silence my book.

Libel law in the UK is a remarkable thing - Schillings can go for an injunction when I haven't published anything about Spicer yet and they haven't seen what I intend to publish. People might conclude that Spicer has something to hide. You will see that they also are attempting to censor not only the book, but what I say at the Edinburgh Book Festival on 12 August. I can assure you that they will find it impossible to affect what I say about Spicer at that event.

Nor will they prevent me from publishing the truth about Spicer, one way or another.

In a subsequent blog post, he adds:

Among the incidents I cover in my new book are the murder of Peter McBride, the Aegis Trophy Video, the Papua New Guinea coup, the Equatorial Guinea plot, Executive Outcomes' muder of civilians in Angola and the Arms to Africa affair. I do hope that other bloggers will generate another Streisand effect through blogging on these subjects.

Lest we forget, Spicer - currently running extensive private military operations in Iraq and elsewhere with his company Aegis - has a history of working as a gun-for-hire in places like Papua New Guinea and Sierra Leone, and via connections at mercenary outfits like Executive Outcomes and Sandline has long been a colleague of fellow former Scots Guard the recently convicted coup plotter Simon Mann.

Definitely one to keep your eye on, this'un...

• Bahrain offers itself as a conduit to spur the global growth by riding on its knowledge, expertise and success in the Islamic finance industry.
• It is willing to initiate cooperation with governments and other financial centers to bring about this plan.
• Bahrain seems to be on the right footing considering its numerous world's 'firsts'.

MANAMA: Bahrain's knowledge, expertise and success within the Islamic finance industry are there to be used as a channel to facilitate its growth globally.

That was the message from Economic Development Board (EDB) chief executive Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa in a keynote address at the Euro World Islamic Banking Conference (Euro WIBC) in London yesterday.

"This may mean working with governments or in the wider context of financial centres like the City of London as its institutions develop their Islamic finance expertise. We can, and do, help," he said.

He praised the development of the UK's Islamic finance sector and encouraged further co-operation between the UK and Bahrain's already mature Islamic finance industry.

"The success of the World Islamic Banking Conference, held in Bahrain for the last 15 years inspired the Euro World Islamic Banking Conference to be established, the first being this year, in London," he said.

He acknowledged the rapid and sustained growth of the UK's Islamic finance sector noting that there are currently over 20 banks providing Islamic financial services, more than the rest of Western Europe combined.

The City of London is home to Europe's only stand alone Islamic institutions, including investment banks, retail banks and a takaful provider, he said.

"Bahrain is recognised as the world's centre for Islamic finance with more Islamic finance institutions than anywhere else in the Middle East and Norther Africa region.

"Bahrain was the first to market, in 2001, with Prudential - PIRI regulations specific to the Islamic banking industry and, also in 2001, the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) was the first to develop and issue sukuk products.

"In 2005, Bahrain again led the field and created the first ever comprehensive regulatory framework specific to takaful and re-takaful companies.

"This year the CBB is implementing the new international regime on capital adequacy and risk management, Basel II, with specific changes for Islamic banks. This is a global first led by Bahrain," he said.

Source: Gulf Daily News

• Islamic financial institutions have been warned against product copycats to better survive any economic downturns.
  
• Institutions have long focussed on real estate and asset finance which may not provide them a steady source of bread and butter revenue should the project driven products are not sustainable in times of difficulty.
  
• Central Bank of Bahrain calls for a greater diversity of business models, more diverse and stable income sources, and more rigorous risk management and stress testing techniques to assess institutions preparedness to deal with any downturn in economic activity. This is to avoid exposure to the same economic and industrial sectors.

MANAMA: The Islamic finance industry needs to develop new models and make sure it is in a position to withstand an economic slowdown, the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) governor warned yesterday.

Newer entrants to the industry have merely tended to copy the strategies they see being successfully pursued by their more established rivals, Rasheed Al Maraj warned delegates at the Euro World Islamic Banking Conference (Euro WIBC) in London yesterday.

"If I may say so, there is a high degree of cloning of business models," he said.

"As a result, a very high percentage of Islamic banks have a strategy that is heavily weighted towards real estate and asset finance.

"They tend to be project-driven and do not have a steady source of bread and butter revenue to tide them over any downturns in economic activity."

He said that asset-based business models favoured by many Islamic banks have not been tested in a downturn.

"We need to remember that a business model which looks robust in conditions of rising asset values and abundant liquidity may not be so when the economic environment changes," he warned.

"The industry needs to respond to these challenges by developing a greater diversity of business models, more diverse and stable income sources, and more rigorous risk management and stress testing techniques to assess its preparedness to deal with any downturn in economic activity.

"As a central banker, I am inevitably preoccupied by risk, especially when it could potentially impact on a significant sector of the financial industry."

He said the asset base of Islamic finance contrasted with that of conventional banks with their extensive loan books, overdraft and credit card facilities which provide steady revenue to cover their overheads even in today's challenging markets.

"The cloning of business models in Islamic finance leads to financial institutions becoming exposed to the same economic and industrial sectors," he said.

"The Islamic banking sector as a whole is highly exposed to the property sector - real estate, commercial property and construction - and as events in the advanced markets have recently reminded us, this sector can and does experience significant cycles of activity."

He said that in spite of these challenges, the Islamic financial industry continued to offer enormous opportunities for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

"We at the CBB have a continuing commitment to facilitating the development of the Islamic financial services industry," he added.

"We will continue to ensure that all financial institutions in Bahrain adhere to the very highest international standards. Where necessary we will play our part in adapting those standards to the needs of the Islamic financial services industry," he said.

Source: Gulf Daily News

Yes, Yes she is rebellious

Sweet mother of Jesus!

Blessing from the sky rained

On Oromia's hills she got trained

Once again the green flood is not contained

For the first time in a desert, Zenebech reigned!

Like Americans call Fatuma Roba, "Our Lady of Boston"

In Bahrain, they call Zenebech, Maryam the Champion!

Not long ago, a political asylum seeker

Chose to be refugee than to bring Gold to her oppressor

Now, she kicked the door wide open

For her comrades to follow suit soon

We might as well wave another flag

If the flag they want us to wave is becoming a drag.

Better yet, we should all RUN 4 OROMIA!

Abandoning Racist Pseudo-State ´Ethiopia´ 

 says Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis.

Check out Maryam Jamal's website.

The story as reported by Bloomberg.com.

The song that triggered my time warp will not be revealed, because that is something that's special to me, but two minutes ago I was riding 90 mph with my Uncle Charlie down the highway in Manama, Bahrain in the middle of the Persian Gulf -- and that is just plain amazing.

Ever happen to you?

-Pap

July 7, 2008

The U.S. Navy said on Monday it was carrying out an exercise in the Gulf, days after vowing that Iran will not be allowed to block the waterway which carries crude from the world’s largest oil-exporting region.

"The aim of Exercise Stake Net is to practise the tactics and procedures of protecting maritime infrastructure such as gas and oil installations," Commodore Peter Hudson said in a U.S. Fifth Fleet statement.

The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in remarks published late last month that Tehran would impose controls on shipping in the Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz if it was attacked.

Speculation about a possible attack on Iran because of its nuclear programme has risen since a report last month said Israel had practised such a strike.

Vice-Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, the commander of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, said last week the United States would not allow Iran to block the Gulf.

Fear of an escalation in the standoff between the West and Iran, the world’s fourth largest oil producer, has helped propel oil prices over $140 a barrel.

Two U.S. vessels were taking part in the exercise alongside a British warship and one from Bahrain, a Gulf Arab ally which hosts the Fifth Fleet. "Stake Net seeks to help ensure a lawful maritime order as well as improve relationships between regional partners," the fleet’s statement said.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Hold War Games

Reuters
June 7, 2008

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards began military maneuvers on Monday, news agencies said, the same day the U.S. Navy said it was carrying out an exercise in the Gulf.

The war games were conducted by missile units of the Guards’ naval and air forces, the Fars and Mehr news agencies said. They said the exercises, which began a few hours ago, were aimed at improving combat readiness and capability.

The reports did not give details of where the exercise was taking place. The Guards often conduct maneuvers in the Gulf.

Speculation about a possible attack on Iran because of its disputed nuclear program has risen since the New York Times newspaper reported last month that Israel’s armed forces had practiced such a strike.

Read Full Article Here

Military action ‘would destabilise Iraq’

The Independent
July 6, 2008

Read Full Article Here

UAE is calling on all six Gulf Cooperation Council member states to "rethink" their monetary policy amid soaring inflation in the oil-rich region. The GCC members are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman. All of their currencies are pegged to the dollar except Kuwait, which depegged its currency, the dinar, from the dollar in May 2007 in favor of a basket of currencies.

• Below are some related commentary and opinions on GCC to depeg:
• Economist: Argues GCC should depeg or revalue vs USD but politics forms a high barrier to change. US applied political pressure against UAE de-peg earlier this year, but political winds may be shifting
• ABDPE: Although official statements from the UAE have ruled out a unilateral depeg or reval from the flagging dollar, a government study suggests GCC states should move to a trade-weighted basket of global currencies to fight inflation
• BNY: Despite the best efforts of Saudi Arabia (and the US) to support the USD peg, the pressures for change have not gone away and would certainly increase should the USD start to slide again
• Merrill Lynch: Latest US Treasury report gave tacit approval of revaluation of GCC currencies to alleviate region's inflationary pressures. UAE, Qatar will probably move to currency basket in next few months, with their currencies appreciating 5% by yearend
• HC: UAE wants to avoid losses on USD-denominated FX reserves
• Jadwa: Revaluation of the riyal would not tackle the underlying causes of inflation but a significant revaluation (15% or more) would have a clear and immediate impact on inflation and would provide some breathing space while supply bottlenecks gradually unwind
• MS: Small step revaluations remain a risk particularly for the smaller open economies within the GCC - UAE, Qatar
• JPMorgan: Saudi Arabia, UAE unlikely to de-peg in 2008. Most inflation not 'imported'. Revaluation may invite further speculation rather than quell it
• UBS: Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia unlikely to change currency regime as they face less structural or cyclical need to do so
• Khan: Large revaluation risks loss of non-oil competitiveness; modest revaluations (2-3%) and adoption of individual currency baskets more likely
• May 2007: Kuwait switched to basket peg (70% USD); revalued 4th time on Oct 16 to stem accelerating inflation
• NBER: Fixed exchange rate regime becomes unsustainable due to unexpected increase in government spending

July 5, 2008


Iranian army soldiers march during the Army Day military parade in Tehran - April 18, 2007

Iran’s military chiefs warned on Saturday that the Islamic republic would shut down the Strait of Hormuz vital for oil exports and use "blitzkrieg tactics" in the Gulf if it came under attack.

"All the countries should know that if Iran’s interests in the region are ignored, it is natural that we will not allow others to use it (the strait)," said army chief General Hassan Firouzabadi, quoted by the Fars news agency.

However, Iran’s armed forces joint chief of staff stressed his country’s priority was that the Strait of Hormuz remain open.

Speculation has been rife that Israel could be planning a military strike against Iranian nuclear sites, using force to halt Tehran’s controversial atomic activities.

The chief of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards militia, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, meanwhile, warned that his forces would use "blitzkrieg tactics" in the Gulf if his country came under attack.

"The Guards are equipped with the most advanced missiles that can strike the enemies’ vessels and naval equipment with fatal blows," Fars quoted the Guards chief as saying.

In case of attack, "blitzkrieg tactics and operations of the Guards’ boats will not leave a chance for the enemies to run away."

"These words do not mean that the prerequisites of war are being set but these are the strategies that our alert armed forces have prepared for any hypothesis," he added.

The new commander of the US Fifth Fleet, Vice Admiral William Gortney, said on Saturday that the American naval presence in the region was "a very clear message that we are here to maintain security and to provide stability."

"The chief of naval operations wanted me here, I think, because of my experience," Gortney, who was navy chief during the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, told reporters in Bahrain where the fleet is based.

His predecessor, Vice Admiral Kevin J. Cosgriff, has warned that Fifth Fleet would not allow Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait between Iran and Oman is a vital conduit for energy supplies, with as much as 40 percent of the world’s crude passing through the strategic waterway.

US President George W. Bush has not ruled out using force in the nuclear standoff between Iran and the West, but emphasised that he preferred a diplomatic solution.

Iran insists its atomic drive is peaceful, but Western powers fear Tehran is using the programme to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran Says Attack on Atomic Sites to Be `Start of War’

Bloomberg
July 4, 2008

Iran will view an attack on its nuclear facilities as an act of war and will respond, the head of the country’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said.

“Any act on Iran will be considered the start of war,” General Mohammad Ali Jaafari told reporters yesterday in response to questions about the threat of an Israeli strike on Iranian atomic sites, according to remarks carried today on the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. Jaafari also said he thought it is unlikely such an attack would be carried out.

The U.S. and many of its allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran insists the program is aimed at producing electricity. Iran today will present its response to incentives from world powers intended to persuade the country to suspend work to enrich uranium, Agence France-Presse reported. The material can fuel a power station or arm a nuclear weapon.

Reports that Israel may attack Iran have boosted oil prices. If attacked, Iran will “impose control” on the Strait of Hormuz, Jaafari said on June 28. About 20 percent of the world’s daily supply of oil passes through the strait. Crude for August delivery rose $5.08, or 3.6 percent, to $145.29 a barrel this week on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures reached $145.85 a barrel yesterday, the highest since trading began in 1983.

Iranian Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari, who was in Madrid for the World Petroleum Congress, yesterday reiterated his nation’s pledge to respond to any strike.

Impact on Markets

“Iran’s stance in this connection against enemies is clear, vivid and strong,” Nozari told the Iranian news agency before leaving Madrid. “Oil is an energy and industry for peace and its durability depends on peace and security. So, any tension in any region, especially in the Persian Gulf, which is the major supplier of the main part of the world’s energy, will have an impact on the energy market which is principally unpredictable.”

Read Full Article Here

Resolution calls for embargo against Iran

الصدمة و الرعب!

قاسم حسين

قبل أشهر فجّر وزير الدولة لشئون مجلس الوزراء الشيخ أحمد بن عطية الله آل خليفة قنبلةً من العيار الثقيل عندما أعلن أن تعداد البحرين تجاوز حاجز المليون نسمة بـ47 ألفاً.

كان الرقم مخيفاً جداً، فقد اكتشفنا فجأةً أن سكان هذا البلد الصغير زاد ربع مليون في وقتٍ قصيرٍ جداً. كما أن الرقم الذي كنّا نتداوله في الصحافة وتبني عليه الوزارات حساباتها لسنوات كان رقماً مزيّفاً. والكلّ يعلم ما يواجهه البلد من ضعفٍ في بنيته التحتية، ومظاهر ذلك في مشكلات انقطاع الكهرباء والماء، وازدحام الطرق ومشكلات التعليم والصحة والإسكان. فإذا أضفت هذه الأحجام السكانية الكبيرة دفعةً واحدةً فإنك حتماً ذاهبٌ بالسفينة إلى المجهول.

الرقم المخيف تمّ بلعه، فلكثرة ما ردّدته الصحافة أصبح رقماً مألوفاً على الأذن، مع أنه رفع معدل الكثافة السكانية من 1042 إلى 1475 شخصاً في الكيلومتر المربع؛ مما وضعنا في مصاف بنغلاديش وقطاع غزة، أكثر البلدان والمناطق كثافةً بالسكان في العالم.

على أن القنبلة الجديدة فجّرها أمس الأول السفير الهندي في المنامة بالكريشنا شيتي، حين أعلن لصحيفةٍ محليةٍ ناطقةٍ بالإنجليزية أن الجالية الهندية وصل تعدادها إلى 290 ألفاً، وأن معدل توافد الهنود إلى البحرين يصل إلى خمسة آلاف شهرياً.

الرقم مخيفٌ جداً... وإذا كان السفير دقيقاً في أرقامه - وأحسبه كذلك - فالعدد سيضرب سقف 300 ألف نسمة مع نهاية شهر أغسطس/ آب المقبل، أو مطلع رمضان المقبل. كما أن الرقم يعني أن الجالية الهندية ستصبح عمّا قريب أكبر الكتل البشرية في التركيبة السكانية في البحرين. والحالة البحرينية التي كنا نفاخر بها عبر الأجيال من بين دول الخليج الأخرى من حيث التجانس السكاني والترابط الاجتماعي ستصبح حديثاً من الماضي.

السفينة تغرق هكذا والبحرينيون مشغولون اليوم بمناكفاتهم السياسية الصغيرة، وخلافاتهم التي لا تنتهي. وبعد أن اقتربوا من إقرار قانون للصحافة، تراجعوا إلى إجراءات «أمنية» تهدّد بنسف ذلك الهامش الذي أنجزوه من حرية التعبير.

البحرين تغرق وتتخلخل بنيتها السكانية، لغير صالح المواطنين، وما يعنيه ذلك من ضياع هوية، وتفكّك مجتمع، على حين نحن منشغلون بحلّ مشكلاتنا عبر الحلول الترقيعية مثل استقطاع الواحد في المئة، وتقديم إعانة العاطلين المؤقتة بدل توفير البرامج التعليمية الجادة لتأهيل العمالة الوطنية وتدريبها لتأخذ مكانها في عملية الإنتاج.

السفير الهندي قبل شهورٍ خاض حرباً، أو خِيضت ضده حربٌ، عندما طالب بوضع حدٍ أدنى لأجر العامل الهندي، وخرج البعض من طورهم فطالبوا بطرده؛ لأن مطالبته تسببت بتحريض عمّال بلاده على الإضراب في عدد من الشركات والمؤسسات. وخرج الرجل ولملم القضية فيما يشبه التراجع والاعتذار.

اليوم، يعود السفير الهندي ليؤكد لنا سقوط المعادلة التي حكمت علاقات العمل بين الهند ودول الخليج خمسين عاماً. فلم يعد العامل الهندي المحتاج إلى العمل في بلادنا، بل أصبحنا نحن المحتاجين إليه. فقبل سنوات «كان لدينا نحو 140 ألفاً، ولكن الطلب على عمّالنا كان جوهرياً؛ انعكاساً للثقة والقدرة والانضباط لدى العامل الهندي»، كما قال السفير.

الكتلة الهندية ستكون أكبر مكونات تركيبتنا السكانية، وستأتي المطالبة دولياً بالحقوق المدنية والسياسية... على حين لانزال نتناقش في تعديل الدوائر الانتخابية الظالمة واللائحة الداخلية للبرلمان!