Omar Suleiman - “the real alternative”

Lieutenant General ‘Umar Mahmud Sulayman, more commonly transliterated as Omar Suleiman, has emerged as a possible successor to Egyptian President Husni Mubarak in the elections scheduled for September 2011. Posters hailing Suleiman as “the real alternative” to the election of Gamal Mubarak, son of incumbent President Husni Mubarak. Interestingly, the posters suddenly disappeared when Mubarak’s National Democratic Party objected.

The potential election of the younger Mubarak is being criticized by many Egyptians as the creation of a political-hereditary dynasty in the country. The successor to 82-year old Husni Mubarak will replace not only the longest-serving president in the Egyptian republic’s short history, but also the longest-serving Egyptian head of state since Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha in the first half of the 19th century. Mubarak ascended to the presidency upon the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981; he was the vice president at the time. The elder Mubarak plans to see his legacy continue in the person of his son.

There are other well-known Egyptians considering a run for the office. Two names known in the West include ‘Amr Musa (Moussa), the respected former foreign minister and current secretary general of the Arab league, and Muhammad al-Barada’i (el-Baradei), the not-so-respected former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Of the two, Musa is certainly more qualified and probably more friendly to the United States.

That said, the best candidate for the presidency is General Suleiman. I worked with the general in the past on several issues in the region, beginning when he was selected to be the director of military intelligence (DMI) in 1991. He traveled to Washington, and I met with him in Cairo a few years later. I found him to be a gentleman who embodied the integrity that we often found missing in senior military officers in the region in general, and in military intelligence officers in particular. When General Suleiman gave you his word, you could count on it.

It was no surprise that Fariq ‘Umar Afandi (Lieutenant General Omar) served for only a short period of time as the DMI. The general quickly came to the attention of President Husni Mubarak, who named him as the chief of Egyptian General Intelligence (EGI), one of the most powerful and effective intelligence services in the Middle East. I will caveat my use of the “effective” adjective - the EGI can get things done, they can conduct clandestine and covert operations. They are an operational service, however. Their “pure” intelligence abilities, by which I mean the collection of intelligence information and the production of accurate intelligence assessments is limited.

Nevertheless, the 74-year old General Suleiman is an effective interlocutor on a variety of issues in the Middle East. When there are serious negotiations between governments, between various special interest groups and other groups or governments, or mediating delicate political issues between leader, the name Omar Suleiman often comes up as an honest broker. He is respected by virtually all sides and parties within and without the Middle East. When the Israelis talk with the Palestinians, or the Syrians, or the Palestinian factions such as Hamas and the Palestinian Authority talk to each other, the general is often the conduit. He has been an asset to Husni Mubarak - Suleiman has allowed Egypt (and thus Mubarak) to play a key role in almost anything significant in the region.

I do not think it likely that Suleiman will be elected - I do not know if he is actually seeking the office or if he is being hopefully courted by a supporters who wants him to run. That is unfortunate - the general would be a breath of fresh air in what has become one of the most corrupt governments in the region. Mubarak and his sons have been tainted by corruption, but thus far have been able to maintain themselves in power. Although Mubarak has generally been an ally of the United States, it would be beneficial to have a truly honest broker in Cairo, one whose word you could trust.

I can’t vote in Egypt’s upcoming elections, but if I could, I would cast my vote for the general.

Did hairdryer stymie launch of human cannonball?

The first rocket-launch attempted by the non-profit Copenhagen Suborbitals didn’t leave the pad, but its inventors haven’t given up yet

Today on New Scientist: 6 September 2010

All today’s stories on newscientist.com at a glance, including: the words behind thought, music on the cloud, and self-destructing spacecraft

Did hair dryer stymy launch of human cannonball?

The first rocket-launch attempted by the non-profit Copenhagen Suborbitals didn’t leave the pad, but its inventors haven’t given up yet

Astronomers are putting stars in their skies

Astronomers can now use laser beams to create “artificial stars” – allowing them to calibrate the Very Large Telescope in the process

New Zealand quake was ‘known unknown’

The New Zealand quake that struck over the weekend happened on a previously unknown fault, says Miriam Frankel

Fuel tanker runs aground in Canadian Arctic

A fuel tanker loaded with 9 million liters (2.4 million gallons) of diesel fuel has run aground in Canada’s Far North but none of the fuel has spilled and the crew unharmed, the Canadian Coast Guard confirmed on Thursday.

The 117 meter (384 foot) vessel, called the Nanny, got hung up on a sand bar in the area near Simpson Strait, Nunavut on Wednesday, said Larry Trigatti, superintendent of environmental response in the Canadian Coast Guard’s central and Arctic region. It was carrying supplies to Northern communities.

“There’s no pollution. We’ve had two overflights of the area,” Trigatti said. “The vessel has not reported any damage. There is no egress of water into the vessel and the crew is safe.”

Transport Canada said it is aware of the grounding and will follow up with the ship’s owner, Saint-John-based Coastal Shipping Limited, to make sure it is complying with the Canada Shipping Act and the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act.

“Transport Canada has not received any reports of damage to the tanker or leakage of fuel from the vessel,” spokeswoman Melanie Orlowski said in an e-mailed statement.

“The Department will also monitor salvage-related activities to ensure safety and any potential environmental issues are addressed,” she went on to say. Should the company fail to comply with any of the rules, Transport Canada said it will take action.

Authorities and the ship’s owner Woodward’s Oil would attempt to float it off the sandbar. The plan is to offload or move some of the cargo to get the vessel back afloat.

Trigatti said the Coast Guard has a ship (right) in the area and was working with Transport Canada and the company to free the grounded tanker. There are no plans to evacuate the crew.

This is the second time in the past month that a Woodward group transport has run aground in the same general area. The Woodward Group of Companies, which is under contract from the Nunavut government to deliver bulk fuel shipments to the territory’s remote communities.

The first tanker had finished unloading a shipment of gasoline to the community on Sunday, August 8, when the vessel drifted and became grounded, tipping at an angle in low tide. No oil or gas was spilled and the ship was re-floated successfully when the tide came back in.

With the acceleration of Arctic ice melt, interest in the region has soared. Shrinking ice has opened up sea navigation, and could give oil rigs improved access to the sea floor.

Environmentalists, Inuit groups in Canada and political factions in the concerned countries have repeatedly expressed concern over the risks of ecological disaster caused by the sinking a tanker and exploitation of the area for its natural resources.

Source:
Reuters,”Fuel tanker runs aground in Canadian Arctic“, accessed September 3, 2010
The Globe and Mail, “Fuel tanker runs aground in Northwest Passage“, accessed September 3, 2010
Space Daily, “Fuel tanker runs aground in Canadian Arctic: coast guard“, accessed September 3, 2010
CBC News, “Arctic fuel spill fears raised in Pangnirtung“, accessed September 3, 2010

From the Inbox: Monstrous Fish Invade our Treasured Lakes

Dear Friend, There are ravenous monsters at the gates of the Great Lakes. They’re called Asian carp — an invasive species that can grow up to four feet long, weigh up to 100 pounds and eat up to 40% of their body weight every single day. Their massive size, rapid reproduction rates and greedy appetites make it easy for them to deplete the food supply of native fish. This makes them a deadly threat to much of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Your help is urgently needed to protect the Great Lakes! Right now, Asian carp are making their way through the Chicago waterway system, looking for a way to infiltrate the lakes. Even the electrical barriers erected to keep them out can’t contain these beasts! Without immediate action, Asian carp will find a way into the Great Lakes. The ecological and economic impacts would be devastating. Native fish like lake trout, walleye, small mouth bass and other species won’t stand a chance competing for food. And the region’s $23 billion fishing and recreational boating industries will severely suffer if this happens. National Wildlife Federation has a four-pronged solution to keep the Asian carp at bay: Impede Asian carp movement through the Chicago waterway system, so that they cannot establish breeding populations in Lake Michigan. Pressure government agents to stop the flooding of rivers that seed the Chicago waterway system with invasive fish. Prevent flooding in the Wabash River, which contains Asian carp, from washing into tributaries that lead into Lake Erie. Create a permanent barrier to prevent invasive species from infiltrating the Great Lakes. These strategies make up the only real solution to the Asian carp crisis. But we must act now, before our treasured Great Lakes turn into nothing more than giant carp ponds. We’ve put together a vast team of experts whose number one priority is to stop the Asian carp invasion. But our success hinges on your support. We simply can’t do it without you. Please donate today to protect the Great Lakes and other wildlife and wild places across the nation. Sincerely, Andy Buchsbaum Regional Executive Director NWF Great Lakes Regional Center

Monstrous Asian carp threaten wildlife and people alike. Boaters have been injured when carp leap from the water and collide with boats. Some have even hit people directly! Please help stop the carp onslaught.