Water and wildlife in the nation's public forests are slowly being poisoned by insecticides and other chemicals used in illegal marijuana operations, say forest police and researchers. They warn that the potential environmental damage could last generations.
Many of the grows are the work of highly organized drug cartels that take advantage of the forests' thick canopy to help hide their operations. Some sites can go undetected for years.
"The true crime here is the fact that they're killing off basically America's public lands, killing off the wildlife, killing off our water," says Kevin Mayer, a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement assistant special agent in charge. "This is stuff that, you know, it's not gonna repair itself."
Let's move over to Egypt. Yasemin Saplakoglu (LIVE SCIENCE) reports:
For thousands of years, the Nile River has fertilized valleys along its winding path through northeastern Africa, anchoring ancient civilizations and still serving as an important route of transport and irrigation today.
But the age of its venerable waters, which stretch over 4,225 miles (6,800 kilometers), has been debated, with one group of experts claiming the river was born around 6 million years ago when a drainage system changed course, while another claims the river is five times older than that.
A new study finds evidence that supports the latter theory: The Nile River may have emerged around 30 million years ago, driven by the motion of Earth’s mantle — the thick layer of rock between the Earth's core and crust, a group of researchers reported today (Nov. 11) in the journal Nature Geoscience.
The Nile River is thought to have formed at the same time as the Ethiopian highlands, said lead author Claudio Faccenna, a professor at the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas. The Ethiopian highlands is where one of the Nile River's major tributaries or branches, called the Blue Nile, begins.
The Blue Nile brings in the majority of the Nile River's water — and most of the sediments in it— joining with the river's other tributary (the White Nile) in Sudan, before emptying out into the Mediterranean Sea.
The Nile River is famous for many things including for Cleopatra sailing down it. DISCOVER explains:
Thousands of years ago, ancient Egyptians built their agricultural systems around the dependable movement of the Nile. Those rhythms date back much further than any human relative has been alive, scientists now find.
New research shows that the Nile has kept about the same course for its entire 30-million-year existence. This is likely thanks to a reliable flow of rocky material just below the Earth’s surface, which continually pushes up the Ethiopian Highlands, where the river starts, says an international team of researchers.
The finding is a peek into how deeper layers of the Earth change our planet’s surface. It also suggests that rivers with similar origins might be due to other, geologic, currents moving beneath our feet, says study coauthor Claudio Faccenna, a geologist with the University of Texas at Austin and Roma Tre University in Italy.
The Nile is historic but that's true of all rivers. Few, though, have the huge history the Nile does. It is the longest river in north-eastern Africa and flows through the following countries Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. Nick Carne (COSMOS) notes:
Long-lived rivers often move over time, making their drainage systems something of a puzzle.
Until now, the researchers say, there have been two competing theories for the evolution of the Nile. In one, river flow from Ethiopia to the Mediterranean has been active for the past 30 million years. In the other, drainage pathways at that early time led from Ethiopia west towards the Congo Basin or northwest towards the Sirte basin, and a connection to the Mediterranean was only established five to eight million years ago.
I found that story very interesting.
"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):
Tuesday, November 12, 2019. Protests continue in Iraq as the government continues to attack the protesters.
Protests continue in Iraq. The attacks on the protesters -- attacks by the government and those close to the government -- continue as well. Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) notes that, as of Sunday, the death toll had reached 319 (since the start of October) with another 15,000 injured. Tawfeeq explains, "Following the deadly response from Iraqi security forces, demonstrators are calling for early elections and demanding that the government step down."
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) issued the following on Sunday:
An accumulation of frustrations about the lack of progress in the last 16 years is clearly perceptible, and with rising numbers of deaths and injured (both protesters and members of the Iraqi Security Forces) a climate of anger and fear has set in. The Iraqi people cannot afford to be held back by the past nor by partisan interests. Rising hope asks for a leap forward, including the understanding that - in today’s digital age - daily life has moved online. Meanwhile, the risk of ‘spoilers’ hijacking peaceful demonstrations is increasing and potentially derailing any attempt at genuine change. Time is therefore of the essence, as are tangible results.
To start with, and following consultations with a wide range of Iraqi parties, actors and authorities (including the three Presidencies, the Supreme Judicial Council, protesters and union representatives), the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) proposes the following principles and measures:
PRINCIPLES
The following principles apply to all parties at all times:
1. Protect the right to life above all.
2. Guarantee the right to peaceful assembly, demonstration and freedom of expression,
as granted in the constitution.
3. Practice maximum restraint in the handling of the protests, including no use of live ammunition, ban the improper use of non-lethal devices (such as tear gas canisters).
4. Deliver full accountability for perpetrators and redress for victims.
5. Act in keeping with the law, including in regard to public and private properties.
MEASURES
Immediate measures (less than a week) include:
1. Release all peaceful demonstrators detained since 1 October, in accordance with the law.
2. No peaceful demonstrators shall be targeted.
3. Initiate full investigation of cases of abduction (including by making available CCTV footage), and reveal the identity of those responsible.
4. Accelerate the identification and prosecution of those responsible for targeting demonstrators.
5. Prosecute and punish those responsible for the excessive use of force and/or other violent acts, in accordance with the law.
6. Publicly call on all regional and international parties not to interfere in Iraq’s internal affairs, respecting its sovereignty.
Short term measures (within one week to two weeks) include:
1. Electoral reform: With the technical support of the UN, a single legal framework shall be finalized. Soon after, the framework shall be submitted to the Council of Representatives (CoR). The parliamentary procedure shall be completed as soon as possible.
2. Security Sector Reform: Executive Order 237 shall be fully implemented without delay. Any weapons outside state control shall be prohibited. Any outlaw armed entity or rogue element shall be considered illegal and it is the state’s responsibility to take them on.
3. Corruption: The political elite shall lead by example, for instance by publicly declaring their assets – at home and abroad, held under their own name or another. Additionally, political parties/blocs and movements shall abolish their economic committees.
Medium term measures (within one to three months) include:
1. Constitution: With the technical support of the UN, the Constitutional Review Committee shall continue its work. Any amendment to the constitution shall be put to referendum by the people of Iraq.
2. Corruption: The Commission of Integrity shall submit corruption cases to the High Judicial Council or the Central Anti-Corruption Court. The Central Anti-Corruption Court shall handle corruption cases at all levels of the state. All corrupt officials will be held accountable and prosecuted.
3. Enactment of laws: The Government shall send the following draft laws to the CoR, and the CoR shall complete its due process as soon as possible:
a. A law addressing the principle: ‘Where did you get this from?’
b. The Federal Court Law
c. The Social Security Law
d. Law on resolving the Housing Crisis
e. The Oil and Gas (Hydrocarbon) Law
f. Amending the Law on Encouraging Investments and Public-Private Sector Partnership
g. The Council of Ministers and Ministries Law
h. The Reconstruction Council Law
The day after issuing the above, UNAMI's Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, met with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Protests continue in Iraq. The attacks on the protesters -- attacks by the government and those close to the government -- continue as well. Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) notes that, as of Sunday, the death toll had reached 319 (since the start of October) with another 15,000 injured. Tawfeeq explains, "Following the deadly response from Iraqi security forces, demonstrators are calling for early elections and demanding that the government step down."
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) issued the following on Sunday:
Over the past weeks, demonstrations
erupted in Baghdad and other governorates in Iraq. Protester demands
cover a wide spectrum of issues, including economic growth and
employment, reliable public services, prudent and impartial governance,
an end to corruption, credible elections as well as broader reform of
the political system - including amendments to the constitution.
An accumulation of frustrations about the lack of progress in the last 16 years is clearly perceptible, and with rising numbers of deaths and injured (both protesters and members of the Iraqi Security Forces) a climate of anger and fear has set in. The Iraqi people cannot afford to be held back by the past nor by partisan interests. Rising hope asks for a leap forward, including the understanding that - in today’s digital age - daily life has moved online. Meanwhile, the risk of ‘spoilers’ hijacking peaceful demonstrations is increasing and potentially derailing any attempt at genuine change. Time is therefore of the essence, as are tangible results.
To start with, and following consultations with a wide range of Iraqi parties, actors and authorities (including the three Presidencies, the Supreme Judicial Council, protesters and union representatives), the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) proposes the following principles and measures:
PRINCIPLES
The following principles apply to all parties at all times:
1. Protect the right to life above all.
2. Guarantee the right to peaceful assembly, demonstration and freedom of expression,
as granted in the constitution.
3. Practice maximum restraint in the handling of the protests, including no use of live ammunition, ban the improper use of non-lethal devices (such as tear gas canisters).
4. Deliver full accountability for perpetrators and redress for victims.
5. Act in keeping with the law, including in regard to public and private properties.
MEASURES
Immediate measures (less than a week) include:
1. Release all peaceful demonstrators detained since 1 October, in accordance with the law.
2. No peaceful demonstrators shall be targeted.
3. Initiate full investigation of cases of abduction (including by making available CCTV footage), and reveal the identity of those responsible.
4. Accelerate the identification and prosecution of those responsible for targeting demonstrators.
5. Prosecute and punish those responsible for the excessive use of force and/or other violent acts, in accordance with the law.
6. Publicly call on all regional and international parties not to interfere in Iraq’s internal affairs, respecting its sovereignty.
Short term measures (within one week to two weeks) include:
1. Electoral reform: With the technical support of the UN, a single legal framework shall be finalized. Soon after, the framework shall be submitted to the Council of Representatives (CoR). The parliamentary procedure shall be completed as soon as possible.
2. Security Sector Reform: Executive Order 237 shall be fully implemented without delay. Any weapons outside state control shall be prohibited. Any outlaw armed entity or rogue element shall be considered illegal and it is the state’s responsibility to take them on.
3. Corruption: The political elite shall lead by example, for instance by publicly declaring their assets – at home and abroad, held under their own name or another. Additionally, political parties/blocs and movements shall abolish their economic committees.
Medium term measures (within one to three months) include:
1. Constitution: With the technical support of the UN, the Constitutional Review Committee shall continue its work. Any amendment to the constitution shall be put to referendum by the people of Iraq.
2. Corruption: The Commission of Integrity shall submit corruption cases to the High Judicial Council or the Central Anti-Corruption Court. The Central Anti-Corruption Court shall handle corruption cases at all levels of the state. All corrupt officials will be held accountable and prosecuted.
3. Enactment of laws: The Government shall send the following draft laws to the CoR, and the CoR shall complete its due process as soon as possible:
a. A law addressing the principle: ‘Where did you get this from?’
b. The Federal Court Law
c. The Social Security Law
d. Law on resolving the Housing Crisis
e. The Oil and Gas (Hydrocarbon) Law
f. Amending the Law on Encouraging Investments and Public-Private Sector Partnership
g. The Council of Ministers and Ministries Law
h. The Reconstruction Council Law
The day after issuing the above, UNAMI's Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, met with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
النجف – 11 تشرين الثاني/نوفمبر 2019 – استقبل سماحة السيد علي الحسيني السيستاني اليوم الممثلة الخاصة للأمين العام للأمم المتحدة في العراق، جينين هينيس-بلاسخارت.
مصدر الصورة: مكتب سماحة السيد السيستاني
Najaf, 11 November 2019 - Today, His Eminence Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Husseini Al-Sistani received the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
Photo courtesy of the Office of His Eminence.
The US government followed up with this statement from the White House:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2019
Statement from the White House Press Secretary
The United States is seriously
concerned by continued attacks against protestors, civic activists, and
the media, as well as restrictions on Internet access, in Iraq. Iraqis
won’t stand by as the Iranian regime drains their resources and uses
armed groups and political allies to stop them from peacefully
expressing their views. Despite being targeted with lethal violence and
denied access to the Internet, the Iraqi people have made their voices
heard, calling for elections and election reforms. The United States
joins the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq in calling on the Iraqi
government to halt the violence against protesters and fulfill President
Salih’s promise to pass electoral reform and hold early elections. We
also call on the rest of the international community to join us in
supporting a better future for the Iraqi people.
- Mustafa Habib यांनी पुन्हा ट्विट केले
This is indeed a more representative formula allowing voters to have more say than political parties in selecting members of parliament. Also, deprive parliament (pol parties) of the authority to appoint the electoral commission. Expect strong opposition unless pressure continues
Mustafa Habib यांनी पुन्हा ट्विट केले
The draft elections law the presidency had been working on has been published: nasnews.com/assets/uploads…مشروع-قانون-الانتخابات3.pdf
This will go through several changes before parliament approves it but will likely still face criticism
A senior security official told Reuters new tactics were being rolled out to try to confine the demonstrations to Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, a roadway junction at the foot of a bridge across the Tigris, where demonstrators have camped out for weeks.
“Security forces received new orders on Saturday that protesters must be kept in Tahrir Square,” the security official said. “They’re working quietly now to seal off the square from all directions, and an arrest campaign is expected to follow in a bid to reduce momentum of the protests.”
Horrific videos coming from #Iraq today. This unarmed protestor in Baghdad, gets shot in his leg, collapses with flag, not even an ambulance to pick him up.
AFP reports on Gov decision to end protests “by any means.” > 300 killed so far, > 1000 wounded:
21st Century Weapons: #Iraq blocks internet access amid ongoing protests
The new generation in #Iraq is conscious and brave ,This is what should have been done in the first place, when the mullah's started to rule in #Iran , #iraqProtest must keep on going until it gains its aim
@UNIraq @UNHumanRights #IranUPR
The protests in Iraq suppress live bullets and poison gas
The protests in Iraq suppress live bullets and poison gas
Iraq's prime minister has been a big part of the problem. He's proven to be ineffectual at governance. This should have been obvious at the end of October 2018 when he was unable to put together a cabinet despite the Constitution stipulating that he had to do so in 30 days or could not move from prime minister-designate to prime minister.
Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi remains a major issue. Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) notes, "Abdul Mahdi agreed to resign on October 31 after weeks of anti-government protests." Faraj Najjar (ALJAZEERA) notes, "Abdul Mahdi has refused to step down, but according to President Salih, he said he is willing to resign if parties agree on a replacement." Both are correct.
Per Iraq's President Barham Salih, Mahdi has said he'll resign. But he's made no move to do so. The closest Iraq's been to this point in recent history was in February 2011 when months of protests demanding an end to corruption resulted in a nervous Nouri al-Maliki announcing that, if the protesters would go home, he would end corruption in 100 days. They went home. 100 days later, Nouri did nothing. It was a lie to get them off the streets.
The government has a history of making promises that they never intend to keep.
With Mahdi refusing to make the statement that he will resign publicly -- instead hiding behind Iraq's president -- the protesters have even less reason to believe him.
Meanwhile, Mariya Petkova (ALJAZEERA) wonders why the Kurds are not more active in the protests and offers:
Since last month, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets in the capital Baghdad and across southern towns and cities to protest against the government's failure to deliver basic services and economic opportunities. In recent weeks, the demonstrators' demands have broadened to include the resignation of the government and an overhaul of the political system introduced after the US-led invasion of 2003. More than 300 people have been killed since the uprising began.
In the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, however, the streets have remained calm. Salio believes that authorities there did not grant permission for a demonstration because they were afraid of what such a protest could turn into.
In Erbil, there appears to be some solidarity with the Iraqis protesting in the south. Of about a dozen locals of different ages and economic backgrounds Al Jazeera spoke to, all of them said that they believed Iraqis have good reason to be on the streets.
Some said that in the Kurdish region, they face similar problems to those that have driven the protests in the south, including corruption and a lack of job prospects for young people. Youth unemployment is officially over 20 percent in the region and 25 percent nationwide.
However, people did not seem to be in the mood for protesting; some appeared jaded, while others said they were apprehensive of the possibility of political changes that could undermine Kurdish autonomy.
It's not that simple. We'll try to discuss it in tomorrow's snapshot.
The following sites updated:
