Tuesday, April 7, 2009

تجربة ناجحة اخرى لصاورخ الحيتس (ارو) المضاد للصواريخ تشكل طفرة نوعية



اختبار ناجح لقدرة صاروخ الحيتس على اعتراض صواريخ شهاب 3 الايرانية
اجرت الصناعات الجوية الاسرائيلية صباح اليوم (الثلاثاء) تجربة ناجحة اخرى لاختبار منظومة صاروخ الحيتس (أرو اي سهم) المعدة لاعتراض الصواريخ البالستية. وتم ضمن هذه التجربة اختبار رأس توجيه ذكي الكتروني - بصري تم تركيبه على صاروخ الحيتس, وتم ايضا اختبار منظومة رادار حديثة ضمن هذه التجربة. وتم إطلاق صاروخ الحيتس باتجاه صاروخ هدف يحاكي الصاروخ البالستي الايراني شهاب -3 قامت طائرة مقاتلة من طراز ايف 15 تابعة لسلاح الجو باطلاقه في اجواء البحر الابيض المتوسط. وقد اصاب الحيتس صاروخ الهدف على بعد 100 كيلومتر عن شواطئ إسرائيل. وافادت مصادر امريكية ان منظومة الرادار الامريكية الحديثة المنصوبة في النقب قامت برصد ومتابعة صاروخ الحيتس اثناء التجربة وقامت بإمداد مركز المراقبة الارضية في قاعدة "بلماحيم" بوسط البلاد بالمعلومات والمعطايات اللازمة. وأكدت جهات امنية مختصة ان هذه التجربة الناجحة - وهي الحادية عشرة من نوعها - استهدفت توسيع قدرة الردّ لمنظومة الاعتراض وملاءمتها للتعامل مع التهديدات الصاروخية التي تزداد اتساعا ضد إسرائيل والمتمثلة بصواريخ ارض ارض بعيدة المدى تعمل بالوقود الجاف. وأعربت هذه الجهات عن ارتياحها من نتائج التجربة بقولها انها تعتبر قفزة نوعية تعزز المظلة الدفاعية التي تحمي إسرائيل من الصواريخ البالستية. وقال مدير مشروع الحيتس يؤاف ترجمان ان المنظومة الحديثة التي تم اختبارها اليوم لاول مرة تشمل العديد من المكوّنات الجديدة التي تم تطويرها لغرض التعامل مع التهديدات المتوقعة على الساحة مستقبلا. واضاف ان منظومة الحيتس التي دخلت حيز الاستخدام الفعلي في سلاح الجو اثبتت في الماضي قدرات دفاعية منقطعة النظير مقارنة مع منظومات مماثلة في العالم. واشار رئيس مدير مشروع الحيتس الى ان الجهات الامنية تدرس حاليا مشاريع ترمي الى التعامل مع القذائف الصاروخية القصيرة المدى. وأكد وزير الدفاع ايهود براك بان اسرائيل نفذت اليوم تجربة ناجحة لاختبار نموذج مطور للصاروخ حيتس الذي اصاب صاروخ الهدف واعترضه. واكد ان هذه التجربة تعد انجازا اخر في عملية تطوير منظومة متعددة الطبقات لحماية اسرائيل بوجه الصواريخ والقذائف الصاروخية. ورحب رئيس الوزراء بنيامين نتنياهو بالنجاح الذي حققته الاجهزة الامنية اليوم خلال التجربة لاطلاق صاروخ الحيتس. واكد اننا نتجه نحو السلام وندرك في الوقت نفسه كيف سندافع عن انفسنا. وأطلع وزير الدفاع ايهود براك رئيس الوزراء على نتائج هذه التجربة.

شمعون اران

العراق يخطط لإنشاء متحف خاص بمقتنيات صدام

بعد ما يقارب العامين من إعدامه، قال مسؤولون عراقيون وأميركيون إن هناك خطة لإنشاء متحف خاص بمقتنيات الرئيس السابق صدام حسين، مرجحين ان يكون مكانه أحد القصور الرئاسية في بغداد. وأوضح الناطق باسم وزارة السياحة والآثار عبد الزهرة الطالقاني «ان القوات الأميركية ستسلم الوزارة مقتنيات الرئيس السابق التي عثر عليها داخل القصور بعد سقوط النظام عام 2003».وتابع ان «بعض المقتنيات موجود في المتحف الوطني وبعضها الآخر في مخازن تحت إشراف القوات الأميركية في أبو غريب (غرب بغداد) والتاجي (شمال بغداد) فالمتحف يهتم بهذا الجانب». وأضاف طالقاني ان «المقتنيات ملك للعراق، وكل ما هو تراثي سيكون ضمن سلطات دائرة الآثار، ستكون هناك عملية بحث عن مبنى كبير لوضع المقتنيات، كما هي الحال بالنسبة لمقتنيات الملكين غازي وفيصل، والزعيم عبد الكريم قاسم». لكنه أشار إلى انه لم يتم تحديد مكان المتحف حتى الآن
بدوره، أعلن الجيش الأميركي انه قام بعملية جرد للمقتنيات التذكارية وأعادها إلى الحكومة في 27 مارس الماضي. وتابع «المقتنيات التي كانت في عهدة قوات التحالف منذ العام 2003، كانت في مستودع التاجي في الآونة الأخيرة قبل نقلها إلى مخازن مجمع أبو غريب وتم إحصاؤها وفهرستها، وتنظيفها لكي تكون جاهزة للنقل»، معتبرا ان الوقت بات مناسبا لنقل المقتنيات التي تضم أسلحة إلى شعب العراق

A MUST RED ARTICLE



Okay, I will admit that the following scholarly article is loooooong by no stretch of the imagination. But, I started reading it and just couldn’t stop!
It perfectly expresses and explains that gut-feeling of apprehension we as Americans have when it comes to the Obamessiah. In short, it confirms that we are not just being paranoid.
First, a little background about Ali Sina - the author of this article:
Ali Sina is an ex-Muslim from Iran and the author of “Understanding Muhammad: A Psychobiography of Allah’s Prophet.” Also, he is the founder of “Faith Freedom International,” a movement of ex-Muslims created to warn the world of the danger of Islam and to help other apostates from Islam.
That being said, please read this article when you have a good chunk of time to digest its content. You won’t be disappointed - unless you are an Obamite Leftard (which, in case you haven’t noticed, is now my newest favorite buzzword of the day).
When you are done reading it, please make copies and email it to ALL of your friends. Also, be sure to sign the petition at the end of the article.
Update: I have included a text file, sans the photos and links, for you to download by right CLICKING HERE and using the “Save as” option.


I must confess I did not like Senator Barack Hussein Obama from the first time I saw him. At first I was excited to see a black candidate. He looked youthful, spoke well, appeared to be confident – a good package. It is so instinctive for most people to want to see blacks succeed. It is as if all humanity is carrying a collective guilt for what the ancestors of blacks endured. However, I was put off soon, not just because of his shallowness but also because there was an air of haughtiness in his demeanor that was unsettling. His posture and his body language were louder than his empty words.
It is surreal to see the level of hysteria in his admirers. This phenomenon is unprecedented in American politics. Women scream and swoon during his speeches. They yell and shout to Obama, “I love you.” Never George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt. Martin Luther King Jr. or Ronald Reagan aroused so much raw emotions. Despite their achievements, none of them was raised to the rank of Messiah. The Illinois senator has no history of service to the country. He has done nothing outstanding except giving promises of change and hyping his audience with hope. It’s only his words, not his achievements that is causing this much uproar.
When cheering for someone turns into adulation, something is wrong. Excessive adulation is indicative of personality cult. The cult of personality is often created when the general population is discontent. A charismatic leader can seize the opportunity and project himself as an agent of change and a revolutionary leader. Often, people, tired of the status quo, do not have the patience to examine the nature of the proposed change. All they want is change. During 1979, when the Iranians were tired of the dictatorial regime of the late Shah, they embraced Khomeini, not because they wanted Islam, but because he promised them change. The word in the street was, “anything is better than the Shah.” They found their error when it was too late.
Khomeini promised there would be separation between religion and state. He lied and they did not care to look into his past to see whether he actually meant what he said. Had they done that they would have seen that he always believed in caliphate and the rule of Islam. People gobbled everything he told them uncritically. They wanted to believe and therefore closed their eyes so they don’t see what they did not want to see. Eyes welled when he spoke. Masses poured into the streets by the millions, screamed and shouted to greet him. People kissed his pictures. Some saw his portrait reflected on the Moon.
Listening to Obama … it harkens back to when I was younger and I used to watch Khomeini, how he would excite the crowd and they’d come to their feet and scream and yell.
I was amused to hear a listener calling Fox News Radio’s Tom Sullivan Show, (Feb 11) and saying: “Listening to Obama … it harkens back to when I was younger and I used to watch those deals with Hitler, how he would excite the crowd and they’d come to their feet and scream and yell.” ( Videos of Hitler’s speeches are available on Youtube. They are worth a look.)
Equating anyone to Hitler by highlighting the similarities between the two is a logical fallacy. This fallacy, known as reductio ad Hitlerum is a variety of both questionable cause and association fallacy. I believe it is wrong to trivialize the holocaust and the horrors of Nazism by comparing our opponents to Hitler.
However, Hitler, prior to coming to power had not killed anyone. He was insane, but few could see that. Far from it, he was seen as a gifted man and hailed as the savior of Germany. He was admired throughout the world. He appealed to the masses of people – the working class and particularly to women, and did not just inspire them, he “elevated” them. Thousands rallied to listen to his passionate speeches. He gave them promises of change and instilled in them hope. They shed tears when he spoke. Women fainted during his speeches. To Germans, he was not a politician, but a demigod, a messiah. They envisioned him as truly a magical figure of majestic wisdom and glory. They worshiped him. They surrendered their wills to him. He restored their national pride. He projected himself as their savior. He ran on the platform of change and hope. Change he delivered all right, but hopes he shattered.
I think it is fair to say that the Illinois senator puts the same passion in his speeches that Hitler used to put in his, and he evokes similar raw emotions in his audience. This much we can agree. Okay, we can also agree that both Hitler and Charlie Chaplin wore square moustaches. So what?
The Cult of Personality
There are other disturbing similarities. Like Hitler and Khomeini, Obama also likes to create a cult of personality around himself. Wherever a large number of a population is discontent, a charismatic leader can seize the opportunity and present himself as the agent of change. He can create a cult of Personality by associating himself with the idea of change. He convinces everyone that things are terrible and a drastic change is needed. He then casts himself as the only person who can deliver this revolutionary transformation that everyone is waiting for. He portrays himself as a benevolent guide, the only one who cares about people and their needs and can pull them out of their alleged misery.
These revolutionary leaders need foes. They exaggerate the problems. They make everything look gloomy. They lie, cheat and slander their opponents while casting themselves as the saviors of the nation. Hitler chose the Jews to blame for everything that was wrong in Germany. Khomeini made the Shah and his westernization plans his scapegoats. Obama has chosen President George W. Bush to smear. He can rally people around himself, as long as he can instill in them the dislike of Bush and equate his rival, McCain to him. Sigmund Freud wrote, “It is always possible to bind together a considerable number of people in love, so long as there are other people left over to receive the manifestations of their aggressiveness” (Civilization and Its Discontents)


“Today we saw and heard a preview of our brightest possible American future in Senator Barack Obama’s glorious speech. This, then, is what it means to be presidential. To be moral. To have a real center. To speak honestly, from the heart, for the benefit of all. If there was any doubt about what we have missed in the anti-intellectual, ruthlessly incurious Bush years, and even the slippery Clinton ones, those doubts were laid to rest by Barack Obama’s magisterial speech today. A speech in which he distanced himself from a flawed father figure, Reverend Wright, and did so with almost Shakespearian dignity and honor.”
For twenty years Obama was part of Jeremiah Wright’s racist church and listened to all the hate which that man spewed against the Jews and the “rich White America.” Obama did not object to any of those hateful comments and even donated $20,000 dollars to his Trinity United Church of Christ. Baitz is willing to overlook all that and, mesmerized by Obama’s speeches, she embraces a man who up until yesterday supported the racist views of his spiritual mentor. She calls Obama’s speech “glorious,” and concludes he is honest and moral. How did she come to that hasty conclusion? There is no evidence of that except her “gut feeling.” That observation is subjective. We have not seen any evidence of Obama’s honesty yet. On the contrary, he has been caught with a litany lies.
Clearly Sen. Obama has a charming effect on his audience, who after listening to him are so moved that they willingly give up their reason and follow their hearts. Let’s see how Baitz adulates Obama to the point of worship.
“Barack Obama’s speech, perhaps one of the most important in modern political history pushed us as a people to move beyond race and gender, beyond Democrat and Republican, beyond politics and into reviving the spirit of the nation itself. To talk, to talk at home, at work, at the dinner table. To really finally talk. What a great day, and where else in the world but in the United States? Today I am very proud to be an American.”
Remembering the reaction of Iranians to Khomeini’s speeches, this is all deja vu for me.
There is an old adage that says, “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell who you are.” Don’t the quality of Obama’s friends and associates tell us about the man? Shouldn’t we look in the his history of this man to acertain his truthfulness? One characteristic of cult of personality is that people become ready to close their eyes. They find excuses and rationalize the sins of their leader.
Another Obama worshipper is Ezra Klein. He is an associate editor at The American Prospect. Klein wrote:
“Obama’s finest speeches do not excite. They do not inform. They don’t even really inspire. They elevate. They enmesh you in a grander moment, as if history has stopped flowing passively by, and, just for an instant, contracted around you, made you aware of its presence and your role in it. He is not the Word made flesh, but the triumph of word over flesh, over color, over despair. The other great leaders I’ve heard guide us towards a better politics, but Obama is, at his best, able to call us back to our highest selves, to the place where America exists as a glittering ideal, and where we, its honored inhabitants, seem capable of achieving it, and thus of sharing in its meaning and transcendence.”
Obama is not seen by his admirers as a politician but as something holy. Klein says “He is not the Word made flesh, but the triumph of word over flesh.” The truth is that Obama is nothing but words! What is scary is that so many smart people are willing to fall for his empty words. Interestingly the same Ezra Klein had earlier said:
“Obama is a cipher, an easy repository for the hopes and dreams of liberals everywhere…But if Obama avoided being battle-tested in 2004 by the grace of God, it’s his own timidity that has kept his name clean since. Given his national profile and formidable political talents, he could have been a potent spokesman for Democratic causes in the Senate. Instead, he has refused to expend his political or personal capital on a single controversial issue, preferring to offer anodyne pieces of legislation and sign on to the popular efforts of others…Indeed, Obama is that oddest of all creatures: a leader who’s never led. There are no courageous, lonely crusades to his name, or supremely unlikely electoral battles beneath his belt. He won election running basically unopposed, and then refused to open himself to attack by making a controversial but correct issue his own.”
Quite a shift I would say. What did exactly Obama do, for Klein to change his views so drastically? Nothing! Obama has won this man’s heart only by the power of his mesmerizing words. he is making his conquests, through the sheer power of his oratory. That is how Hitler won the hearts of the Germans. As Obama’s life story show, his words don’t have any bearing on reality. Words are powerful, but when they are not backed by any substance they are empty rhetoric.
Todd Gitlin, is professor of journalism and sociology at Columbia University. He is another worshiper of Obama. This is what he says about his leader.
“This speech was a triumph on so many levels, does one dare hope it will turn the trick for hordes of parsing skeptics and listeners whose eyes did not water? First, Obama took the high road, which is also the long and demanding road. He refused to “move on” with a cursory acknowledgment that “mistakes were made.” He did not acknowledge. He preached and he reasoned.”
Let us pause here and examine what this professor of journalism and sociology says. Obama was a close friend of Rev. Jeremiah Wright and listened to his racist sermons for twenty years. Wright is a man who has intense hatred for the Jews, for Whites and for America. This clip shows some of his remarks made from the pulpit. Here is a gleaning from his sermons:
* We [The White controlled America] have supported state terrorism against Palestinians and Black South Africans … Because of the stuff we have done overseas is now brought back to our own home front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost.* No, no, no! Not God bless America. God damn America. That is in the Bible, for killing innocent people. God damn America.* Government lied about Pearl Harbor. They knew that Japanese are going to attack.* They [Government] purposely infected African-American men with syphilis!* What is going on in White America, U.S. of KKK?* Black men turning on Black men? That is fighting the wrong enemy. You both are primary targets in an oppressive society that sees both of you as a dangerous threat.* What we [America] is doing is the same thing Al Qaida is doing, under a different flag.* Oh I am so glad, that I got a God who knows what it is to be a poor Black man living in a country and a culture that is controlled by and run by rich White people.* Yes, 911 happened to us, and so did slavery happen to us. Yes the World Trade Center happened to us, and so did White supremacy happen to us.* “Barack knows what it means to be a Black man living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich White people.”
When all these came to light, at first the Illinois senator denied having heard them. That excuse was not believable. Wright was Obama’s spiritual mentor and the most influential man in his life. And yet he expects us to believe he listened to his sermons for 20 years but did not pay attention to what he was saying? So he changed his position and admitted to having heard them, but he categorically condemned them. Obama went one step further. He did not just condemn the racist remarks of his Pastor, but he preached and he sermonized how bad are those comments. Now, this requires some audacity that only a narcissist can muster. Instead of apologizing and recognizing his error, Obama turned the table and preached to others.
How can we understand this? The man himself is the sinner but instead of acknowledging his sins, he preaches to others about the vices of those sins. The answer can be found in the description of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Narcissists will never admit being wrong. They are always one step ahead of you.
Those who remember Rev. Jimmy Swaggart know that he was one of the most popular and successful televangelists of all times. During the 1980s, he had millions of fans all over the world. He mesmerized his audience. He was more than a rock star, he was a phenomenon. Swaggart was a preacher of “morality.” He was so against promiscuity and unlawful sex that he went after two other televangelist magnates, Marvin Gorman and Jimmy Baker, exposed their adultery and brought their empires down.
However, what narcissists preach and what they do are two different things. Soon after exposing Gorman’s adultery, Swaggart himself was pictured with a prostitute in a motel room. He was banned from giving sermons for three months. But he could not stay away from the church that provided him with adulation and the people who fed his narcissistic need. He said, “If I do not return to the pulpit this weekend, millions of people will go to hell.” So he returned to the pulpit and after shedding a few crocodile tears of repentance, he went right on preaching morality, chastising adultery and sermoning to others, how THEY should live a chaste life.
This requires audacity. How one who has been caught with a prostitute, literally with his pants down, could have the cheek to preach to others about the very thing he is guilty of? NPD provides the answer to both Swaggart and Obama’s responses, when caught red handed. The narcissist will not apologize for his own sins; he will go on preaching to you about the evilness of those sins. If Professor Gitlin had read a book or two on narcissism, he would have not been hoodwinked by Obama’s preaching about racial harmony after being caught with his proverbial pants down in his racist church. Giltin is not alone; millions of Americans have fallen for this narcissist’s mind games.
Prof. Gitlin continues:“The Reverend Jeremiah Wright,” he [Obama] said, “had spoken in an ‘incendiary’ manner,” but Obama offered himself as the man who rises from flames and invites you to rise from your own. He took a grievous embarrassment and moved his lesson to the plane of prophecy. Talk about hope; talk about audacity. Tears came to my eyes. I don’t think I’m especially hard-hearted, but I cannot think of another time when the speech of a presidential candidate watered me up.”
It is amazing to see to what extent people are willing to go to eulogize another human being. It is this excess that constitutes the cult of personality. The difference between admiration and cult of personality is in the degree of adulation. Is it not fair to say that Obama has the same effect on his fans that Hitler, Khomeini or other famous demagogues such as Joseph Stalin or Mao Ze Dong had? I am not equating Obama to those mass murderers. Obama has not killed anyone (at least not yet). I am only comparing their effects on their audience, particularly prior to their rise to power.
Obama’s speeches are unlike any political speech we heard in American history. Never a politician in this land had such a quasi “religious” impact on so many people. The fact that Obama is a total incognito with zero accomplishment, makes this inexplicable infatuation alarming.
Obama’s speeches are grandiose. They are other worldly. He may talk about the war in Iraq, taxes or social security. It does not matter how mundane is the subject, he makes them sound transcendental and his audience is moved to tears. His worshipers do not go to listen to his plans. He has yet to offer any that is workable and different. They go to bask in his glory, to get high. Obama presents himself as someone with a unique vision and grasp of the entire problems affecting, not just the nation but the world, a pretense that is incommensurate with his track record. When in a meeting with House Democrats waxing lyrical about his trip to Europe, he concluded, “this is the moment, as Nancy [Pelosi] noted, that the world is waiting for.” The world is waiting for Obama, according to Obama. In one of his rallies he reiterated this delusion of grandiosity and said, “We are the one we’ve been waiting for.” This sentence is logically absurd. What actually Obama wanted to say, which he masked with fake modesty is “I am the one the world has been waiting for.”
There is nothing more dangerous than the cult of personality. When you fall for someone to this extent that Obama’s followers have fallen for him, you surrender your reason and individuality to him willingly. When millions of people surrender their hearts and their minds to one person the result can be catastrophic. This is what happened in Germany with Hitler, in China with Mao, in the Soviet Union with Stalin, in Cuba with Castro, in Iran with Khomeini, and so and on so forth. Today, we think these men were monsters, but that was not what millions of their worshiper thought. Those people loved them. Dictators can’t dictate, unless peole are willing to be dictated.
Here is what Wikipedia says about Cult of Personality:“A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country’s leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships but can be found in some democracies.
“A cult of personality is similar to general hero worship except that it is created specifically for political leaders. However, the term may be applied by analogy to refer to adulation of non-political leaders.”
Who is Obama?
Obama is not an ordinary man. He is not a genius. In fact he is quite ignorant on most important subjects. Barack Obama is a narcissist. Dr. Sam Vaknin, the author of the Malignant Self Love, also believes, “Barack Obama appears to be a narcissist.”
Vakinin is a world authority on narcissism. He understands narcissism and describes the inner mind of a narcissist like no other person. When he talks about narcissism everyone listens. After recognizing that diagnosing someone without lengthy tests and personal interviews is not accurate, Vaknin says that Obama’s language, posture and demeanor, and the testimonies of his closest, dearest and nearest suggest that the Senator is either a narcissist or he may have narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).
Vaknin explains: “Narcissistic leaders are nefarious and their effects pernicious. They are subtle, refined, socially-adept, manipulative, possessed of thespian skills, and convincing. Both types [cerebral and somatic] equally lack empathy and are ruthless and relentless or driven.” These were the very traits that distinguished Hitler and Khomeini. Many of these traits can be seen in Obama. As for his ruthlessness, we have no idea. Narcissist need power to show their ruthlessness. However, considering the fact that he neglected his own half brother, George Obama, who lives on one dollar per month in Kenya, we can’t vouch for Obama’s empathy or say he is a caring person.
What is Narcissism?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) describes narcissism as a personality disorder that “revolve around a pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and sense of entitlement. Often individuals feel overly important and will exaggerate achievements and will accept, and often demand, praise and admiration despite worthy achievements.”
The third and fourth editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of 1980 and 1994 and the European ICD-10 describe NPD in similar language:
An all-pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration or adulation and lack of empathy, usually beginning by early adulthood and present in various contexts. Five (or more) of the following criteria must be met:
* Feels grandiose and self-important (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents to the point of lying, demands to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)* Is obsessed with fantasies of unlimited success, fame, power or omnipotence, unequalled brilliance (the cerebral narcissist), bodily beauty or sexual performance (the somatic narcissist), or ideal, everlasting, all-conquering love or passion* Is firmly convinced that he is unique and, being special, can only be understood by, should only be treated by, or associate with, other special, unique, or high-status people (or institutions)* Requires excessive admiration, adulation, attention and affirmation, or failing that, wishes to be feared and notorious (narcissistic supply)* Feels entitled. Expects unreasonable or special and favorable priority treatment. Demands automatic and full compliance with his expectations* Is “interpersonally exploitative” i.e., uses others to achieve his or her own ends* Is devoid of empathy. Is unable or unwilling to identify with or acknowledge the feelings and needs of others* Is constantly envious of others or believes that they feel the same about him or her* Is arrogant, has haughty behaviors or attitudes coupled with rage when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted.

KIM!


Kim asks hungry to swallow rocket story
April 8, 2009 - 7:49PM
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il says he regrets that money spent on a rocket launch could not have been used to help his hungry people, state media said today, while praising the "historic" launch.
"While preparing for this proud victory, the General (Kim) felt regret that more resources could not be used for the people's livelihood but said the people would understand him," the ruling communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said.
"Our hearts are rent by the General's remarks."
Pyongyang says Sunday's launch put an experimental communications satellite into orbit. Washington and its allies say the real purpose was to test a long-range missile in defiance of UN resolutions.
One South Korean analyst has estimated the cost of the satellite program at $US500 million ($700 million). Seoul, Japan and the US military say the North did not succeed in putting a satellite into orbit.
South Korean Unification Minister has said the North could have used the money it spent to cover its estimated food shortage of one million tons this year.
But Pyongyang's media said the people welcome the launch.
"Chants of jubilation are reverberating throughout the country on the news that our satellite is beaming back the Song of General Kim Il-Sung and the Song of General Kim Jong-Il," Rodong Sinmun said in reference to the founding president and his son.
It heaped praise on the leader for the launch and urged people to step up efforts to turn the impoverished country into a "prosperous and powerful state" by 2012, the 100th anniversary of Kim Il-Sung's birth.
"The successful satellite launch is a glorious fruit of the Dear General's Songun (military-first) revolutionary leadership," said Rodong Sinmun.
"The fruitful launch of the satellite Kwangmyongsong 2 is a historic event that heralded victory in our struggle to build a prosperous and powerful state."
AFP

VISIT ALLAFRICA.COM


In a new upsurge in piracy off the Somali coast, two more ships have been hijacked in the past two days.
The European Union's Maritime Security Centre reports that a 32,000 tonne Italian-operated bulk carrier was seized early Monday morning in the Gulf of Aden. "Few details are known at this stage, but the mixed nationality crew are believed to be safe," the centre said.
On Saturday the centre said a 20,000 tonne German container ship was hijacked 400 miles from Kismayo. "The attack was made by six men in a single skiff that was probably operating with other pirate vessels," the centre reported. "The 24-man crew is believed to be safe."
The new reports of piracy followed soon after the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre had warned of "a spike in pirate activity" off the east coast of Somalia. There had been 15 attacks in the region in March, the bureau said.

On the night of March 31, a chemical tanker successfully repelled a pirate attack. Two days earlier, pirates thought to have mistaken a German naval supply ship for a commercial vessel opened fire on the crew, setting off a chase in which forces from seven nations pursued and arrested seven suspected pirates.
Naval warships from the European Union and countries such as the United States, South Korea and China are patrolling shipping lanes off Somalia in an effort to combat the piracy.

TWO THIRD OF AMERICANS...


Two-thirds of Americans approve of President Obama’s job performance, a New York Times/CBS News poll finds. “By contrast, just 31 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of the Republican Party, the lowest in the 25 years” of the poll. Sixty-three percent thought President Obama was most likely to make the right decisions for the economy, versus 20 percent who said Congressional Republicans were more likely.
The poll also indicates that “almost three-quarters of Americans think it is a good idea to raise taxes on people making more than $250,000 per year.”
Yesterday evening, Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R) “vetoed legislation…to grant marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples.” Senate Democrats, who control both chambers of the legislature, plan to attempt an override of the governor today.
Today, the D.C. Council will consider “whether to recognize domestic partnerships granted in other states and countries — a decision that could serve as a prelude to the city’s own attempt to legalize same-sex marriage.”
An Afghanistan law that effectively legalizes marital rape “is on hold” after “provoking an outcry in the West over concerns about women’s rights.” “The Justice Ministry is working on the law, and on those articles which were problematic, and for the time being the law is not going to be published,” an Afghan spokesman said.
The U.S plans to “step up its use of drones to strike militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas and might extend them to a different sanctuary deeper inside the country.” The Pakistani government has “expressed concerns that the missile strikes from remotely piloted aircraft fuel more violence in the country.”
A long-secret International Committee of the Red Cross report found that medical officials were deeply involved in the torture of terrorist suspects held overseas, constituting a “gross breach of medical ethics.” The report found that the “medical professionals’ role was primarily to support the interrogators, not to protect the prisoners, and that the professionals had ‘condoned and participated in ill treatment.’”
“The traditional teaching career is collapsing at both ends,” a National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future report says. One in three new teachers is leaving the profession within five years and “over the next four years, more than a third of the nation’s 3.2 million teachers could retire.”
And finally: Shortly after throwing out the first pitch at the Yankees-Orioles Opening Day game yesterday, Vice President Biden “went up to the announcers booth and brought the house down, poking fun at the anonymity of his office, mocking his own baldness, and making a well-timed joke about former V.P. Dan Quayle’s failures as a speller.” When the announcers told the Vice President that he was handling his job well, Biden jokingly replied, “No one ever remembers your name. It’s okay

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running in Sharm El Sheikh






Sharm el Sheikh (Arabic: شرم الشيخ‎, Sharm al-Shaykh), is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in Janub Sina', Egypt, on the coastal strip between the Red Sea and Mount Sinai.
Sharm el-Sheikh is the administrative hub of Egypt's Southern Sinai province which includes the smaller coastal towns of Dahab and Nuweiba as well as the mountainous interior, Saint Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai. Sharm el-Sheikh is known as The City of Peace referring to the large number of international peace conferences that have been held there.
Contents[hide]
1 Geography and history
2 Climate
3 Economy and tourism
4 Transportation
5 Scuba diving and Water Sports
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
//

[edit] Geography and history
Sharm el-Sheikh (27°51′N 34°17′E)is on a promontory overlooking the Straits of Tiran at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. Its strategic importance led to its transformation from a fishing village into a major port and naval base for the Egyptian Navy. It was captured by Israel during the Sinai conflict of 1956 and restored to Egypt in 1957. A United Nations peacekeeping force was subsequently stationed there until the 1967 Six-Day War when it was recaptured by Israel. Sharm el-Sheikh remained under Israeli control until the Sinai peninsula was returned to Egypt in 1982 after the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979.
A hierarchical planning approach was adopted for the Gulf of Aqaba, whereby their components were evaluated and subdivided into zones, cities and centers. In accordance with this approach, the Gulf of Aqaba zone was subdivided into four cities: Taba, Nuweiba, Dahab and Sharm El-Sheikh. Sharm El-Sheikh city has been subdivided into five homogeneous centers namely: Nabq, Ras Nusrani, Naama Bay, Umm Sid and Sharm El Maya.

Sharm El-Sheikh city together with Naama Bay, Hay el Nour, Hadaba, Rowaysat, Montazah and Shark's Bay form a metropolitan area.
The land plan shows that the total area of Sharm El-Sheikh is expected to be about 42 km², in the year 2017. This area is designed to include:
Tourism resorts 8.4%
Tourism Facilities 40.9%
Green & Open areas 12.3%
Social Services 9.9%
Roads 12.2%
Urban Housing 13.7%
Bedouin Housing 1.6%
Hand crafts & small industries 1.0%
Before 1967, Sharm el-Sheikh was little more than an occasional base of operations for local fishermen; the nearest permanent settlement was in Nabk, north of Ras el-Nasrani ("The Tiran Straits"). Commercial development of the area began during the Israeli presence in the area. The Israelis built the town of Ofira overlooking Sharm el-Maya Bay, and the Nesima area, and opened the first tourist-oriented establishments in the area six kilometers north at Naama Bay. These included a marina hotel on the southern side of the bay, a nature field school on the northern side, diving clubs, a now well-known promenade, and the Naama Bay Hotel.

Sharm el-Sheikh is located on the Egyptian Red Sea coast, at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula.
After the Sinai was restored to Egypt in 1982, the Egyptian government embarked on an initiative to encourage continued development of the city. Foreign investors - some of whom had discovered the potential of the locality during the Israeli occupation - contributed to a spate of building projects. Environmental zoning laws currently limit the height of buildings in Sharm el-Sheikh so as to avoid obscuring the natural beauty of the surroundings.
The city has played host to a number of important Middle Eastern peace conferences, including the September 4, 1999 agreement to restore Palestinian self-rule over the Gaza Strip. A second summit was held at Sharm on October 17, 2000 following the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada, but it failed to end the violence. A summit was held on August 3, 2005 in this city on developments in the Arab world such as the situation in Iraq and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
On July 23, 2005, the city was struck by the 2005 Sharm el-Sheikh attacks. In total, 88 people were killed, including foreign tourists. The attacks are believed to have been carried out by a militant Wahabbi group. [1]

[edit] Climate

Average temperatures during the winter months (November to March) range from 15 to 35 degrees Celsius (59-95°F) and during the summer months (April to October) from 20 to 45 degrees Celsius (68-113°F). The temperature of the Red Sea in this region ranges from 21 to 28 degrees Celsius (70-84°F) over the course of the year.
Monthly Temperatures and Precipitation
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
°F
°C
°F
°C
°F
°C
°F
°C
°F
°C
°F
°C
°F
°C
°F
°C
°F
°C
°F
°C
°F
°C
°F
°C
Normal High Temperature
71
22
73
23
78
26
86
30
93
34
98
37
100
38
99
37
96
36
88
31
81
27
74
23
Normal Low Temperature
55
13
56
13
61
16
68
20
74
23
79
26
81
27
82
28
79
26
73
23
65
18
59
15
Precipitation
in
mm
in
mm
in
mm
in
mm
in
mm
in
mm
in
mm
in
mm
in
mm
in
mm
in
mm
in
mm
0.00
0
0.04
1.0
0.08
2.0
0.00
0
0.00
0
0.00
0
0.00
0
0.00
0
0.00
0
0.04
1.0
0.00
0
0.04
1.0
Source: Weather_Underground

[edit] Economy and tourism

President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt speaking at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East 2008 in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Sharm el-Sheikh was formerly a port, but commercial shipping has been greatly reduced as the result of strict environmental laws introduced in the 1990s. Until 1982, there was only a military port in Sharm el-Sheikh, on the northern part of Marsa Bareka. The civilian port development started in the mid 1980s when the Sharem-al-Maya bay became the city's main yacht and service port.
Sharm el-Sheikh's major industry is foreign and domestic tourism, owing to its dramatic landscape, year-round dry and temperate climate and long stretches of natural beaches. Its waters are clear and calm for most of the year and have become popular for various watersports, particularly recreational scuba diving and snorkelling which some consider to be among the best in the world. Coral reefs, under water and marine life, unmatched anywhere in the world, offer a spectacular and dazzling time for divers. There is wide room for scientific tourism with diversity in marine life species; 250 different coral reefs and 1000 species of fish.
These natural resources, together with its proximity to European tourism markets, have stimulated the rapid growth of tourism that the region is currently experiencing. Guest nights also increased in that period of time from 16 thousands to 5.1 million. The total number of resorts increased from 3 in 1982 to 91 in 2000. Highly reputable management companies have been attracted to invest in this city such as Hyatt Regency, Accor, Marriott, Le Méridien, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and others, with categories from three to five stars. Franchises like Starbucks, Hard Rock Cafe, McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken can be found in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Fruit market in Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm is also the home of a state of the art congress center, where many political meetings have been held of international tenure. Peace conferences, ministerial meetings, world bank meetings, Arab league conferences for mentioning a few. It is rightly located along peace road and have been lately re-branded to be a Maritim outlet. The Maritim Sharm el Sheikh International Congress Centre can host events and congresses for up to 4,700 participants.
The nightlife of Sharm El-Sheikh is modern and developed. In 2005, Little Buddha, a sushi bar, nightclub, and bar, took the title of having the longest continuous bar in the Middle East. Other popular bars include the Camel Bar, The Tavern, Pirate's Bar, Movenpick Beach, and The Mexican. Dance club franchise Pacha has one of its three African clubs in Sharm (the other two are in Morocco and Nigeria). These nightclubs and restaurants contribute greatly to the lifestyle led by Sharm el-Sheikh's visitors each year.
The colorful handicraft stands of the local Bedouin culture are a popular attraction. Ras Mohammed, at the southern-most tip of the peninsula, has been designated a national park, serving to protect the area's wildlife as well as its natural landscape, shoreline and coral reef. A number of international hotels and noted restaurants are clustered around the centre of Sharm, known as Naama Bay, with golf courses and other leisure facilities further up the coast.

[edit] Transportation

Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport
Sharm's marina has been redeveloped for private yachts and sailboats, with a passenger terminal for cruise ships and scheduled ferry service to Hurghada and Aqaba.
Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport in addition to scheduled flights to Cairo, Hurghada, Luxor, Alexandria and 5 weekly flights to London (Gatwick), Sharm's airport is served by frequent charter flights to Italy, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, among other destinations.
Sharm has frequent good quality coach services to Cairo leaving from the Delta Sharm bus station. There are three companies on the route charging between 70 and 100 LE in 2008 for the 6 hour journey.

[edit] Scuba diving and Water Sports

Coral reefs

Sharm el-Sheikh has also become a favourite spot for Scuba divers from around the world. Being situated near to the Red Sea, it provides some of the most stunning underwater scenery and warm water making this an ideal place to dive. Visitors to Sharm el-Sheikh can experience a variety of water and activities. Beach seekers find many activities such as diving, snorkeling, wind surfing, para-sailing, boating, and canoeing.
Ras Mohammed is the National Park of South Sinai and located on the very tip of the Sinai Peninsula; it probably represents some of the most famous dive sites in the Red Sea with 800-metre (2,600 ft) deep reef walls and pounding current and coral gardens.

Scuba diving
The Sharm el-Sheikh Hyperbaric Medical Center was founded in 1993 with a grant from USAID by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, represented by Dr Adel Taher to assist with diving related illnesses and complete the area's reputation as a full-service dive destination.

[edit] See also
Ofira
Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum (1999)
2005 Sharm el-Sheikh attacks
Sharm el-Sheikh Summit of 2005
Red Sea Riviera

EGYPTIAN ACHEIVEMENTS



The Egyptian Experience is Girls Education.
The Festival of reading for All.
Reading, Writing and Mathematics Skills Training (A pilot study)
The Egyptian Experience in Girls
Education in the Stage of Basic Education
One-Class Schools for Girls
Community Schools -Home Classes
In conformity with the resolutions adopted by the International Conference on " Education for All " concerning the provision of learning basic needs of children, youth and adults (Gometien, Thailand, March 1990), the Egyptian Ministry of Education has signed, (1992) an agreement with UNESCO for the establishment of local community schools, with the aim of narrowing the existing gap in education between males and females.The main target of establishing the One-Class Schools and Community Schools was formulated within the proposed structural efforts for ensuring the provision of learning basic needs adopted in Gometien.
They are:
Reducing illiteracy rates among adults, while emphasizing female literacy in order to achieve remarkable reduction in the existing gap of illiteracy between males and females (item 8-4)Expansion in basic education and training on the fundamental skills required by the youth and adults. Efficiency of the programmes is tested and estimated in the light of the occurring change in practices and their impact on health and production (item 8-5)
In response, Egypt started the implementation of an educational system, which is represented in establishing one-class schools (1993) and the establishment of community schools (1992).
First: One-Class Schools:
This type of schools was established for girls’ education under the sponsorship of Mrs. Susan Mubarak, in pursuance of the Ministerial decree no. (255) in 1993. It targets realizing the principle of equality in learning for girls, especially in areas of high population density as well as areas deprived of educational services. It also aims at narrowing the gap found in girls’ education than in boys’ education. The plan scheduled targeted the establishment of 3000 schools to be distributed all over the country with emphasis on villagers and dwellers of hamlets and remote areas.
The Following Table illustrates the development in the numbers of female students enrolled in the one-class schools since 1993 till 1999.
Table no. (27)
Development of the no. of female pupils in the one classroom schools from 1993 to 1999
School year
Number of female students
Number of schools
93 / 94
2926
313
98 / 99
44820
2260
This table indicates that the percentage of increase in the numbers of students in the one-class schools for girls has reached %1402.3 and the increase in the number of schools has reached %26.5.Reasons for establishing this type of schools included the enrollment of girls who have not joined any primary schools although they are in the compulsory age (8-14). It aims at facilitating the provision of the educational service in their dwelling places and in conformity with the various environmental and social conditions, while meeting the basic educational cultural and professional needs of these girls. This will obviously change them into productive manpower and help them lead a better life. It will increase their awareness of the importance of change, and social adaptation, as well as develop their interests of contribution in the productive projects of their environments. They can recognize existing problems and find solutions. Functional education which is totally related to their social role, is being emphasized, besides their awareness of some economic conceptions such as saving and rationalization of expenditures, cleanness of the environment and other important positive practices. Duration in these schools is 5 years, (like primary schools). The five grades can be reduced to only three grades according to the mentality level of the students. This means that textbooks of the first and second primary are studied in the first grade, textbooks of the third and fourth primary are studied in the second grade, textbooks of the fifth primary are studied in the third grade.The Ministerial decree no. (255) issued in 1993 permitted the enrollment of girls according to the primary grades they have terminated in previous years, and which they have not completed for certain conditions.In order to realize punctuality of presence in one-class schools, the school day end is being defined according to the conditions of the students in their hamlets, villages and remote areas. The decree has stipulated that week-ends are during Fridays, the feasts and the village markets.
At the end of their studies in the one-class schools, girls are awarded termination certificates which equal the primary stage.Education in these schools is typically like that of the primary stage. Vocational education for girls is provided according to the local environment, in addition to the productive projects which increase their income.This type of school is a terminating school stage for girls except for those who prove their excellence and wish to continue their education. They are allowed to continue in preparatory schools and secondary schools.
These schools have been fortunately provided with enriching programmes, textbooks, educational kits and modules which focus on subjects related to environmental, population and health awareness. Besides, there is the labs kit which contains equipment for a model lab to be used in scientific experiments.
Second: Community Schools:
The Ministry of Education, in participation with the UNICEF, is carrying out the experimental project of "Community Schools". It targets education for all through provision of the basic needs of education for the poor and the categories that are deprived of educational services in the rural areas, and particularly in the helmets and the small villages. Thus it ensures the enrollment of girls in education in the remote areas.Among the objectives of the project are : achieving education for all- providing a sound basis for an educational program for girls- preparing community schools equivalent to a complete primary educational programme matching with the local requirements- setting up a strong model for distinguished basic education- adopting a whole vision for developing the model of community schools on a wide scale – strengthening the student’s self esteem and appreciation of her country – intensifying her wishes for obtaining knowledge and acquiring practical skills – identifying basic factors that motivate girls’ participation in various life activities – bearing in mind and assuring that education is not isolated from other social, political or economic phenomena, for it is an integrating element that affects and is affected by them.
Basic Strategies:
The strategy of community schools is based on ensuring the enrollment of those who didn’t join schools, on the grounds that:
Extending the service to the community – teachers are female – the positive attitude of the girls to attend these schools – providing awareness programmes on the importance of educating girls and providing educational services for gratis – establishing daily and seasonal educational systems in conformity with the needs of the society – establishing productive developmental projects within these schools.The project of community schools has started by establishing 19 schools during the school year 1992/1993. The number of these schools amounted to 280 by the end of 1998.The Ministry of Education is responsible for providing textbooks, incentives for educational personnel. The UNICEF is entitled of providing furniture, training of teachers and participation in the management. The local communities provide the sites for the schools and administration.
Home Classes:
The General Organization of Literacy and Adult Education intends to increase the number of these classes in the country-side in order to educate the girls. These classes are suitable to fit the nature of the rural communities and the characteristics of the farmers. The Organization encourages female university graduates to provide classes in their houses for this purpose. When responsible officials approve these places for education, the Organization provides the necessary equipment as soon as the graduates gather the students who wish to be educated.This formula (home classes) is the best means for educating the illiterate women in the rural areas, since they do not feel embarrassed as is the case when attending schools or literacy classes.They only have to go to one of their neighbours for studying. With the provision of qualified university graduates, as teachers, these classes become the most attractive educational centers, which encourage women and girls to continue their studies.
The Egyptian Experience in the Field of
Reading For All
The Festival of Reading for All.
The Society of Integrated Care presided by Mrs. Susan Mubarak started this cultural project in the summer of 1990. The philosophy behind the project is based on a sound belief in the importance of the role of reading in raising up generations. It also focuses on the right of the child for reading, which is recently regarded as a human right as equal as his rights for education, health and food. Reading is very essential for confronting the challenges of the age in which possession of knowledge gives power over the possession of wealth. Hence, the Reading for All Festival is organized annually for three months: June, August and September. Amongst foreseeable Objectives of the project are: developing enthusiasm for reading and learning - encouraging children and their families to use libraries – utilizing recreational and educational devices – increasing the numbers of public libraries while providing them with all kinds of books – offering library services to all people of different ages – enabling individuals and families to establish special libraries through the production of cheap publications of periodic series and books – encouraging children and youth living in the public areas and villages to read through the provision of mobile libraries – the organization of competitions especially among children.
In order to achieve the objectives of the project, several committees have been organized as follows:
The High Committee for the Reading for All:
It is presided by Mrs. Susan Mubarak. Its members are the Ministers of Education, Information, Culture, Rural Development, the Head of the Executive Board of Youth, chairman of the General Egyptian Book Organization, Head of the Organization of Cultural Palaces and the Head of the State Information Service. The consultant of the Minister of Information is the secretary general of the Committee.Sub – Committees: include the Committee of the Family Library and the Financial Committee.The Appeal for the project: Visual, auditory and readable mass media appealed for participation in the project through an organized plan, in order to support this great national project and provide media coverage for its various activities.Training: Librarians who form the backbone of the work in the libraries are provided with intensive training. It is well known that the success or failure of any library depends on the qualifications of the librarian who should be well aquainted with the library sciences.The national competition is one of the important activities organized within the project. It aims at discovering the promising creative talented among millions of children and youth in either literary works or drawing.For the sake of having a library for each family within the reach of every one, prices have been reduced with % 10 of the dominating prices. The project of the Family library was added to the (Reading for All Festival 1994) with the aim of formulating the culture of the child, the youth and the family. Numbers of published books reached 169 titles in 1994. In 1996 they reached 272 titles to meet the great public demand for buying books, (18 million books in 1996).
The Project supporting bodies:
They are the Center of Research and Documentation of Children’s Literature, the Egyptian Division of the EBBY (the International Council of Children’s Books) and the Child’s Museum.The Egyptian experience is based on a defined philosophy, which is the importance of enhancing the reading habit for all children. This has been developed to include the Egyptian family with all its members and with their different professions. It is based on a strong belief that reading is the correct beginning for forming the humanistic personality. Reading was, and will continue to be the first and most important source of intensive knowledge. The written word will always become the key for human development, the first instrument for education and the optimum way for self-learning. The Reading for All Festival has paved the way for all children, all over Egypt, to be aquainted with readable information and recreational materials. Since its beginning in 1991, the Festival has become one of the cultural, educational and pedagogical events in Egypt. UNESCO has honoured Mrs. Susan Mubarak for her efforts in this project. She was awarded the golden medal (Avicinne) in appreciation of this outstanding great project, which the Organization has adopted for implementation within its major programme Education For All. This has been realized during the Meeting of the International Committee of the Reading for All, which was held on the 25th November 1997 in Aswan. The Secretary General of UNESCO declared in this meeting the linkage between this project and UNESCO’s programmes, since reading is the best means for practising independent will, free opinion as well as criticizing thinking and building the individual capacity for dialogues and decision making. He also called for the popularization of the Egyptian experience through developing countries.
The Contribution of the Ministry of Education:
School libraries are recognized as the main instruments for implementing the civilized project " Reading for All". This is because of:
The existence of school libraries all over cities and villages.Providing considerable space within schools for practising various activities.Providing trained and qualified librarians who are apt to deal with children and youth.Providing appropriate reading materials for schools.Providing direct supervision by library supervisors and educational leaders over libraries participating in the Festival.
The Ministry of Education is keen to have all cities and villages participate in this national occasion. More school libraries are annually encouraged to participate in the Festival to meet the increased demand for reading. The designed plan of the General Administration of Libraries in the Ministry of Education includes the organization of several competitions during the Festival. These aim at encouraging spirits of competitiveness and innovation among the personnel of the libraries, while intensifying and developing the reading habits for all students who attend school libraries during the Festival.
Several Competitions are organized by the Administration.
They include:
The cultural competition for students which targets the serious participation in the programmes and activities of the Festival, while making use of the summer vacations for carrying out useful activities. Such activities are scheduled to build innovative capacities and creativity as well as stimulating competitiveness among students. They also aim at raising their awareness of current events and the various aspects of arguing skills for finding information and utilizing them for different purposes.This competition involves three domains: Free reading, research, article writing and literary work.
The Competition of libraries which excell in providing the activities of the Reading for All Festival:
This competition aims at stressing the pioneer role played by the school libraries in their participation in the activities of the Festival. It aims at developing creative aptitudes and stimulating positive competitiveness among students through different activities.The following table shows the development in the numbers of participating schools in the Reading for All Festival since 1991 till 1999.
Table no. (28)
Statistics comparing the increase in numbers
of school libraries participating annually
in the Festival 1991/1999
Year
Number of libraries
Increase
percentage
1991
521
-
First year
1992
5450
4929
% 946
1993
6170
720
% 13.2
1994
6992
822
% 13.3
1995
8070
1078
% 15.4
1996
8187
117
% 1.4
1997
9236
1049
% 13.8
1998
9553
317
% 3.4
1999
9671
118
% 1.2
This table indicates that the percentage of increase in the participating libraries has reached 9150 with an increasing percentage amounting to % 1856 since 1991 up till 1999.Within the activities of the Reading for All Festival (summer 1999), Mrs. Susan Mubarak has adopted the project of establishing 5000 school libraries. Among which are 4000 libraries all over Egyptian villages. The project aims at providing services to the communities surrounding the libraries. It also targets the positive utilization of leisure time in order to build up the personal and social identity of the Egyptian individual. Besides, it encourages self-learning of the adults and youngsters in addition to providing better opportunities for broadening minds and better understanding of problems through direct contact with various information resources.

MR.PRESIDENT


DEAR MR PRESIDENT,

MR.MOHAMMED HOSNI MUBARAK

PRESIDENT OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT

FIRST OF ALL SIR I WANT TO ASK ABOUT YOUR HEALTH I HOPE YOU ARE OK AND ALWAYS WILL BE

SORRY SIR IF I DO NOT WRITE INARABIC BUT BECAUSE MY AUDIENCE IS NOT ARABIC ,MY AUDIENCE IS THE WHOLE WORLD

I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LEADER WHO HAD TOOK THE LEAD FROM ABOUT MORE THAN 25 YEARS..I WOULD NOT SAY THAT ALL OF THEM ARE YEARS OF PROSPERITY AND WELFARE BUT IN THE MEANTIME I WOULD NEVER NEGLECT THE TRUTH THAT YOU SIR HAD PASSED ALOT OF CRITICAL TIME WETHER ECONOMICALLY SOCIALLY OR POLITICALLY AND MANGED TO SURVIVIE IT WITH A TREMENDOUS AND RARE ABILITY

SIR THIS MESSAGE IS WITHOUT ANY OCCASION UNLESS THE EXPRESSING OF GRATITUDE IS CONSIDERED AN OCCASION

SIR WE WANT TO TELL YOU THAT WE ARE WITH YOU SUPPORTING YOU OBEYING YOU AND TRYING TOGETHER HAND IN HAND TO MAKE EGYPT A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL OF US

YOURS

AHMED GALAL

STUDENT @ THE FACULTY OF ALSUN AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY

+20116379999