Basic HTML Version
Water-Middle East's
Most Volatile Liquid
W
hat happens inthe
Middle East may
depend as much on the
scarcity of water as on
the abundance of
petroleum. Critica! water
supplies are shared by
nations in the region
through tenuous
agreements,
compromises, sometimes
outright intimidation . For
one nation to divert or cut
off water from another
would certainly be to flirt
with war.
Egypt's lite blood is the
Nile, most of which
originates in Ethiopia, now
a Marxist state. After
leaving Ethiopia, the Nile
goes through the Sudan
before reaching Egypt.
There is not enough
water in the Nile for the
growing needs of these
three states.
Jordan has a growing
need for water. But
política! problems and the
fact that much of the
available water is saline
''We Didn't Think..."
T
he public is becoming
more and more
skeptical whenever
"experts" offer their
opinions.
Take the case of TCE
for example. TCE is the
abbreviation for
trichloroethylene, an
industrial chemical widely
used in the United States
for the last 60 years. lt is
now suspected of causing
cancer . Cheap and
plentiful , it has been the
most popular solvent. its
uses ranging from
degreasing metal parts
and engines to dry
cleaning clothing to
decaffeinating coffee.
Since it was so easily
available, it was merely
dumped after being used.
Apparently no one
wanted to believe TCE
could taint water supplies.
And so it is with a certain
September, 1981
degree of astonishment
that it has recently been
discovered in wells all
over the country. " With
an ease that has
surprised geologists, TCE
has defeated nature's
soil, sand and clay filters
to reach deep 3quifers,
the underground
geological formations that
supply hall the nation's
water " ( The Wa/1 Street
Journal, Aug . 12, 1980).
In one area where TCE
contaminated drinking
water was discovered, a
local newspaper
explained: "State health
experts admitted
Thursday they were
wrong in assuming
trichloroethylene never
would contaminate
groundwater wells....
'We [scientistsl thought
TCE would evaporate.
We were wrong. We
have stood in the way of
a solution. Saudi Arabia
and the Gulf states do
not have an adequate
and dependable source
of water for their
present and future
requirements. The
situation is serious.
lsrael's needs are
growing much faster than
the water supply. lndeed
it seems to have reached
the limit as lar as
exploitation of available
fresh-water sources. The
didn 't think it would get
into the groundwater,' " a
scientist confided
(emphasis ours) .
In fact, somebody has
been wrong about a lot of
things-not only about
TCE. For while examining
tap water throughout the
country, officials have
identified 22 known or
suspected cancer-causing
substances plus sorne
1,000 other organic
chemicals. Each year
more than 500 new
chemical pollutants are
developed of which too
many are dumped into
the water system.
The knowledge that
sorne experts admit being
wrong must be of small
consolation to any who
may be suffering
physically from foreign
substances they ingested
in their drinking water.
Jordan and Yarmouk
rivers must be shared
with Lebanon, Syria and
Jordan, countries in
which the rivers rise .
Aquifers are being
pumped to the point that
salt water is seeping in.
Water will clearly play an
important política! and
social part in the
forthcoming events of this
region .
(lf you would like to know
ahead of time the major
events that will take place
in this area, write to any
of our offices listed on
the inside fron t cover and
ask for your free copies
of "Middle East in
Prophecy" and The Book
of Revelation Unveiled al
Las!.)
25