# Egyptian Blooper



## aykalam (Apr 12, 2010)

Egyptian politicians caught live on state TV threatening to attack Ethiopia over dam

English subtitles

Egyptian Blooper: Politicians, Unaware They Are on Air, Threaten Ethiopia over Dam Construction - YouTube


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## aykalam (Apr 12, 2010)

"We must all take an oath not to leak anything to the media"... while someone passes him a note warning him he's live on state TV.

You just couldn't make it up


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

well it's official they love a battle with the US and Israel


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2013)

*facepalm*

I haven't read anything anywhere that the US and Israel are involved in the building of the Ethiopian dam. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

I've heard the conspiracy theories running rampant about this from the Egyptian's here, and now seeing it for the first time in this video. One of the major complaints I also hear about is how the new MB government discuss and believe all the conspiracy theories. How can you run an efficient government like that?

The way they tell the story goes like this. It was Israeli engineers that developed the designs for the dam and got involved in Ethiopia. They told me this story how the largest Jewish tribe in Africa is in Ethiopia known as the falasha. 

That in the 1990's the Israeli's ask for an extension of the Nile river that was dug to Suez to be continued across the Sinai desert to reach Israel. They said they could dig under the sea and divert the water that way in pipelines and then bring it back up to cross the Sinai. The Egyptian government at the time said no because the Egyptian people said, "Are you crazy? We're not going to help you. You're in occupied land."

Having been denied this request the Israeli's figured they could squeeze the Egyptians another way to get what they want. They went to Ethiopia where they had Jewish allies and where most of the Nile river starts and proposed the idea to help build a dam. It wasn't just one dam but three dams that would increase their hydroelectric power 30% more than Egypt's high dam, but they'd have to divert the Nile for some time to complete the project.

The Ethiopians held a meeting with Mubarak to discuss the dam they wanted to build. Mubarak called in his National Security Adviser Omar Suleiman and asked him what does he think. Suleiman said, "Oh pasha they can build their dam and we will just knock it down the next day." Mubarak looked back at the Ethiopians with a look they understood and the dam idea was shelved until another time. 

Egypt is already experiencing "water poverty" where not enough water is reaching the population because of the over population and the rate of their growth. This Nile dam project is a matter of life or death either way. If they divert the Nile a lot of poor people are going to die. If the go to war over the Nile water a lot of people are going to die that way too.

Being curious I checked some of their facts. There is a Jewish tribe in Ethiopia called Falasha. I didn't see anything about them being the largest Jewish tribe in Africa. The engineering for the Ethiopian dam came from Spain and Italy and the funding for the dam from China.

I pointed this out to them and asked where the information involving the US and Israel come from?

They didn't have answer and also didn't like that I checked their story out.


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## canuck2010 (Jan 13, 2010)

I think China is building the dam.


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## aykalam (Apr 12, 2010)

The real issue here is not who is behind the design, construction or funding of the project, but the impact it will have on the water security of Egypt. The government here are acting like Ethiopia just came up with the idea of building this dam out of the blue, but they were fully aware of what was going on, for years. It is very telling that Egyptian government initially dismissed the news of water being diverted, saying that this would have no impact, and now are talking as if the matter is their top priority. 

Going to war over it? not a chance, Egypt can't afford a war right now


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

aykalam said:


> The real issue here is not who is behind the design, construction or funding of the project, but the impact it will have on the water security of Egypt. The government here are acting like Ethiopia just came up with the idea of building this dam out of the blue, but they were fully aware of what was going on, for years. It is very telling that Egyptian government initially dismissed the news of water being diverted, saying that this would have no impact, and now are talking as if the matter is their top priority.
> 
> Going to war over it? not a chance, Egypt can't afford a war right now




and there are not very good at them


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## canuck2010 (Jan 13, 2010)

Well, they did win the Suez war. 

When it comes down to it, preserving the Nile is probably one of the only issues that could unite the county. Not to mention Egypt has a capable air force, thanks to the US.


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