Random Thoughts on Vulcanism, Terrorism, and Pliny the Elder

We have said we got three major al-Qa‘ida figures in Iraq — the two top leaders of Al-Qa‘ida in the Land of the Two Rivers, and another senior honcho — but all our efforts in Iraq, however costly in irreplaceable human lives, have not cost the West financially as much as a bunch of Icelandic magma has.

Radical groups can kill people, but volcanoes, however few fatalities they may cause, can do a hell of a lot more destruction.

Oh, and while I'm erupting a little here, did you know that volcanologists or whatever they're called have a term "Plinian" derived from the fact that Pliny the Elder died in that Pompeii unpleasantness a while back? Neither did I, but since I doubt that many non-Latin-students read The Natural History today, I thought I'd mention it.

Quick Egyptian Roundup

Several quick takes on Egypt, courtesy of Al-Masry al-Youm's English site:

• Just shoot the protestors. The Egyptian independent and opposition media are having fun (actually that's probably not the right word: how about "aneurysms"?) over suggestions by more than one (though one is quoted here) ruling party figures that democracy protestors should just be shot down in the streets.

• Farouk El-Baz, the Egyptian-born ex-NASA scientist who was critical to the US space program (so much so that in at least one Star Trek episode there's a shuttlecraft named the El-Baz: no kidding), and brother of Usama El-Baz, who was Egypt's foreign policy guru for decades and still commands attention (in short: smart family), has spoken to students at Cairo U and said that "over the past 7000 years Egypt has never been as backward as it is now." I suspect this is normal Arab exaggeration: nobody could read or write 7000 years ago, though indeed that marks the beginnings of Egyptian civilization.

• An account of what our old friend Eyjafjallajökull (why does the spellchecker keep questioning that?) has done to Egyptian air travel.

• Remember the Nag Hammadi killings back in January? Well, the trial has been postponed for the third time.

Eyjafjallajökull and the Middle East

The eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull (pronounced, I assume, as if having a convulsive sneezing attack) has not just disrupted transatlantic traffic. Obviously, Middle Eastern traffic to Western Europe is also disrupted, and that's a key bit of Gulf business, not to mention that Europeans are a key to tourism in many Middle Eastern countries. Some of the damage: some 48 flights from Cairo and the Red Sea Port of Ghardaqa cancelled as of yesterday; many tourists stuck in Egypt; 15 flights a day out of Hariri International in Beirut canceled; a whole list of UAE flights cancelled yesterday (though there's the good news that Dubai will not fine tourists for overstaying their visas); Emirates Airlines has already lost $50 million; while Arab News says that Arab airlines as a whole were losing 50 million euros a day. (That seems a lot given overall losses have been reported as $200 million a day for all air carriers, but I suspect everyone is still guessing.)

They'll be talking about this for years, but they'll be saying "that volcano in Iceland," because I just don't think "Eyjafjallajökull" is going to become a proverbial phrase, even for those of us who know an ‘ayn from a ghayn.

Correction. All morning I had it spelled Eyjafjallajokull. It should have been Eyjafjallajökull. Sorry.

And for those who really want to know how it's pronounced, see here and here.