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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 May 2000 Issue No. 481 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 May 2000 Issue No. 481
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Books Features Interview Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Briefs
Acid waves
EFFORTS to contain a chemical spill off the coast of Alexandria are being stepped up by the coast guard, reports Sherine Nasr. At least 321 tons of concentrated nitric acid were released into Mediterranean waters, 10 miles off the shores of the area of Abu Qir, east of Alexandria, after a Syrian cargo ship sank there last Sunday.The crew of the Syrian Dalia II, 10 Syrians and a Palestinian, were rescued by another cargo ship sailing nearby.
"Fortunately, only one container leaked; the others remained intact," Nadia Makram Ebeid, state minister for environmental affairs, told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Efforts are now being made to pull out the other containers," she added.
Water analysis, carried out by both the naval forces and members of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), has shown only minor damage to marine life. "The leakage was small. We have everything under control," confirmed Ebeid.
However, marine experts have expressed concern that the situation may become more serious. In addition to the spill, which is two cubic metres in size, more acid is expected to leak from the sunken ship as a result of underwater pressure.
Nitric acid has a corrosive impact on marine life. "Like other acids, nitric leakage changes the ecology of the afflicted area and causes great damage to underwater life," explained the EEAA's Magdi Allam.
Initial investigations show that negligence was behind the shipwreck. "The cargo ship was hardly equipped to carry high-risk chemical substances," said Abdel-Aziz El-Guindi, a former prosecutor-general and legal adviser to the State Ministry of Environmental Affairs.
In accordance with Environment Law No 4 for 1994, the Syrian captain was remanded in custody and will face trial in Egypt, while the company which owns the cargo ship will be fined a sum ranging between LE150,000 and LE500,000.
EEAA experts are assessing damage to marine life in the area to determine the amount that will be paid by the company in compensation. The company will also bear the cost of cleaning the area, a task that is being carried out by the naval forces.
Military talks in Europe
DEFENCE Minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi headed a military delegation on visits to Britain and Germany to boost military cooperation with the two European countries.Tantawi arrived in London on Sunday and was received by Britain's Secretary of State for Defence Geoff Hoon and top military officials. Tantawi also visited the Joint Commanding Centre, where he met with Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Charles Guthrie and a number of commanding officers. Minister of State for Defence Procurement Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean threw a dinner banquet in honour of Tantawi and the Egyptian delegation at Admiral House.
On Wednesday, Tantawi left for Berlin, where he held military talks with his German counterpart, Rudolph Scharping, and top German military officials. Tantawi's programme included visits to an armour academy, the Bundestag and a submarine base.
Tantawi is due to return home tomorrow, Friday.
Demolition bewilderment
CONFUSION reigned last week with regard to Prime Ministerial Decree No 925/2000, dated 20 April, which deals with regulations to restrict the demolition of precious and historic buildings. The final word is that there is no change to the previous cabinet's policy, particularly Military Decree No 7/1998 that bans the demolition of old and precious buildings.The new regulations, however, address the current slump in the real estate market by adjusting contradictory regulations issued between 1996 and 1999, in addition to transferring the jurisdiction of implementation back to the Ministry of Housing.
Bin Laden's men
TWO Egyptians accused of heading a cell in Britain of a militant Islamist group linked to Osama bin Laden were indicted on Monday for their roles in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Ibrahim Eidarous and Adel Abdel-Bari were added to the indictment filed at the Manhattan federal court that had accused Saudi dissident bin Laden and others of conspiracy to kill US nationals abroad.Both men are being held in Britain, where they were arrested last July. A British court ruled last week that they are to be extradited to the United States.
Of the 17 people charged in this case, six defendants are now held in the United States and three in England. Eight, including bin Laden, remain fugitives. The US government is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to bin Laden's arrest and conviction.
A trial date has been set for 5 September.
Safe campaign
THE MINISTRY of Health announced this week the start of a two-week national campaign to combat bilharzia. Affirming the campaign's importance, Health Minister Ismail Sallam recalled that previous campaigns had reduced the number of people afflicted by the disease by 40 to 50 per cent.Mass campaigns against bilharzia have been a trade mark of the medical system since the 1960s. Between 1961 and 1986, approximately 4.6 million people received a total of 36 million vaccinations. The campaigns were no doubt successful in bringing bilharzia under control, but a British medical journal, The Lancet, recently published alarming evidence that the injections resulted in transmitting hepatitis C, a potentially fatal blood-borne virus that damages the liver and is said to plague some 15 million Egyptians.
In 1986, the vaccinations were phased out in favour of orally administered drugs and those who will be treated in the coming weeks hopefully will not suffer a cure worse than the disease.
Variety on air
TO KEEP up with the times, Egyptian Radio has announced the imminent launch of four specialised radio channels, the first of their kind in the Middle East.For those who tune in, something is promised for everyone: a news station; an education station offering assistance to students at all educational levels; a station specialising in health, social and religious programmes for senior citizens; and a music channel featuring old Arabic heritage but not shunning the new.
The new stations will be on air as of 31 May, Media Day.
Four chickens and a rooster
TO LIGHTEN the load of widows who support families, the Ministry of Agriculture donated to the governorate of Qena a supply of chickens and roosters to be distributed to the needy. Every widow was given four chickens and a rooster.Two hundred families received the generous grant.
Compiled by Fatemah Farag
