text:
Home Remedies – Facts or Quacks?
That’s what I recently asked myself. Myths and legends often have their basis in a grain of truth. So I wondered if home remedies, alternative treatments, and folklore cures might also be based on truth. A little research provided these astonishing results!
Edward Jenner is widely credited as the father of the smallpox vaccination. However, twenty years earlier in 1774, a quick-thinking English farmer named Benjamin Jesty saved his family from smallpox using some pretty unorthodox methods.
In 1774 the highly infectious and deadly smallpox disease was epidemic. Farmer Jesty, immune to the disease because he had survived it in childhood, feared for the lives of his pregnant wife and children. Many country folk knew that people who had previously caught the milder disease of cowpox from an infected cow did not catch the normally-fatal smallpox disease.
Frantic to find a solution before his family caught the disease, Jesty took his family to a nearby farm where cows were infected with cowpox. He injected his family with diseased cowpox cells from the cows. Because vacca is Latin for cow, this procedure later became known as vaccination.
The mild cowpox disease came and went in the children. His pregnant wife had complications and required the aid of the local doctor. His family did not catch the deadly smallpox disease, but word leaked out. Poor Jesty was ridiculed by his neighbors, who expected his family to turn into cows, or at least grow horns!
Edward Jenner was a tireless crusader in promoting the benefits of smallpox vaccination. However, it was a desperate farmer who used his quick wit and country folklore to save his family 20 years earlier.
Regardless of whom history credits, this home remedy definitely rates as a fact rather than a quack!
If you liked this home remedy information, you can find more through the resources shown below. Home remedies can be effective, and may save you time and money.
This entry was posted in Medicare on July 29, 2017 by blue.
This entry was posted in Medicare on July 26, 2017 by blue.
I have to thank my son’s bump on the head for some of my conviction about the benefit of Bach flower remedies. Jon was about a year old and had hit his head quite badly. The bump was swelling before my eyes, and I decided to try out the Bach rescue cream that I’d recently purchased. The bump was partly in his hair and partly on his forehead. I carefully put the cream on – it was difficult to get the cream close to the skin where his hair was. The next day the bruise on his forehead had gone completely, but the bruise in his hair was still there, although it was not as bad as I had expected it to be. This amazed me and made me determined to learn about these amazing remedies.
I bought and studied the little booklet that explained all about them – as a very busy mum I was happy to have something that wasn’t too big to read! I was also happy that the remedies weren’t drugs and could be used safely with even tiny babies. There are 38 different flower remedies for various psychological states, and I instantly could see how I could use them for myself, my family and my friends: larch is for someone who lacks self confidence, aspen is for generalised fears, impatiens for impatience, heather for those who want to be the centre of attention all the time, and scleranthus for the undecided.
The remedies were developed by Dr Edward Bach -pronounced ‘Batch’ – who lived in England from 1886-1936. He was trained as a doctor and worked as a pathologist and bacteriologist, but he felt that medicine was not getting to the root of the problem. He learnt about homeopathy, and developed various important homeopathic remedies, but he was still not satisfied, and this led him to develop the Bach flower remedies.
The remedies are based on flowering plants and trees, and are designed to correct inappropriate psychological states. This doesn’t mean that they’re not suitable for physical problems, because Bach believed that there was “a factor above the physical plane which in the ordinary course of life protects or renders susceptible any particular individual with regard to disease, of whatever nature it may be.” (From ‘Heal Thyself’ by Edward Bach). In other words, if you are dissatisfied or distressed, you are more likely to catch a cold or become chronically ill.
There is one combination that Dr Bach found he used a lot, and he called this ‘rescue remedy’. This is a mixture of 5 of the 38 flower remedies (cherry plum, clematis, impatiens, rock rose and star of Bethlehem). It can be used for any emergency or stressful event. This is really helpful after a fall, or an argument, before visiting the dentist or taking an examination. The normal way of taking it is to put 4 drops in a glass of water and then to take small, frequent sips. You can also take it straight from the bottle in a real emergency. Many nurses I meet swear by it, and secretly and unofficially recommend it to their patients.
The remedies are made using brandy, and this may be a problem for some people. An alternative way to take them is by dabbing them on the wrist, behind the ears and at the temples – this way the benefit of the remedies may be felt without imbibing alcohol.
This entry was posted in Medicare on July 22, 2017 by blue.
Dry skin, or xerosis, is a skin type usually marked by firm texture and parched skin. This type is especially noticeable during winter, when one turns to indoor heaters due to the cold weather and dry air or low humidity. Signs of dry skin usually appear as pink spots on the face, arms and legs. These small spots can grow into painful patches that later flake and become itchy if left untreated. The shin and the abdomen, particularly the sides, are also frequent dry spots. Eczema and other types of dermatitis could also emerge without the appropriate treatment. The condition may also be genetically inherited. The normal skin changes accompanying aging also tend to make elderly people have dry skin problems.
The irritation and dryness can be relieved by using a moisturizing cleanser and the frequent application of oil-based lotions or creams, particularly before the affected individual sleeps. Experts also suggest less and shorter baths and showers of about 5-10 minutes to maintain skin hydration. Lukewarm water is also considered more beneficial than hot water baths and showers. Mild soaps are also preferred for the face, along with moisturizing lotions for the whole body following a bath and prior to bedtime. Rehydration will also benefit from high levels of water and fruit consumption.
Scaling or flaking skin can be syptomatic of dermatitis. One type is seborrheic dermatits, which is characterized by red, itchy rashes on diferent body parts, particularly areas with many oil glands. This scaly rash can be found on the nose, the scalp and eyebrows. Another type is allergic contact dermatitis, which is the result of an immune reaction in contact between the skin and poison ivy or similar substances. Some individuals also experience eczema, or atopic dermatitis, if it is common in the family; or athlete’s foot, a fungal infection affecting soles of the feet.
A key factor in basic skin care is knowing one’s skin type, as this will determine the approach and the products one will use. Individuals will have either dry, normal/combination, sensitive or oily skin. A basic skin care routine will always include cleansing. Since skin types vary across individuals, people should look for a cleanser that their skin responds to. Most experts discourage the use of soap to cleanse the face, with some specifying soap only for cleansing from the neck to the feet. Cleansers are made up of water, oil and surfactants that combine to dissolve facial oil and dirt, remove makeup and wash all these excesses away from the face. Care should be taken to use only the appropriate mix to avoid clogging skin pores or drying the skin.
Many experts advise the routine at night, with only lukewarm water used to wash the face in the morning. However, use of a moisturizer before bedtime will make cleansing also necessary in the morning. Individuals are advised to use warm water to start washing, as this would unclog pores and loosen dirt. After a cleanser is used, rinsing off using cool water will tighten or close the pores. Exfoliating is another step many specialists advise to treat or prevent dry skin. Stanford University clinical assistant professor Katie Rodan advises that individuals exfoliate on a daily basis. This will augment natural replenishment of the skin – the removal of dead skin cells to give way to new cells – and improve moisture retention, giving one fresher and younger-looking skin. Individuals with dry or sensitive skin should exfoliate up to two times a week, and increase the frequency during the summer and hot months, when sweat makes dead skin cells stick together and delays their removal. For those with sun-damaged skin, hydroxies may have to be used as deep exfoliants. Toners are not requirement, as the removal of dirt, makeup and oil can already be done using a cleanser.
This entry was posted in Medicare on July 19, 2017 by blue.
Like our face our body too has to be properly nourished and for that we need to engage ourselves in some of the beneficial activities like massaging which would be very useful for our body. Many are not aware about the importance and beneficial properties these body oils provide. Once you start using the oils there won’t be any turning back. Hop along with thousand others who have benefited from these oils. In the meanwhile, you can gain some therapeutic uses of these oils.
There are different ranges and fragrances in the market which you can apply on yourself and gain the valuable benefits. Most of the oils we come across are very different due to its special quality. These qualities are the ones which help in making your body smoother and refined which is what it was lacking for a very long time.
Many external factors works in favor of the body oil massage. Due to changing weather your skin keeps facing some or the other problems. It faces the wrath of all the climatic changes including your different skin type problems. By the use of body oil, your skin remains supple as well as the oil which is used would benefit the skin with its different properties.
These oils help to moisturize your skin. The natural oils proves to be extremely useful too as they do not contain any artificial colors or fragrance. Such high level of natural content just makes it very essential to be your body oil. These body oils become very useful due to the various amounts of herbs and essence used in it. With the richness of vitamins and other health benefits it becomes an integral part of your toiletry item.
The oils are very refreshing due to the presence of fragrance extracted from fresh fruits and plants. This gives you a sensual feeling when you apply it on your body. The smells which these oils carry along with them are very refreshing and intoxicating taking you to a higher level of existence.
Many don’t have a clue that these aromas can come from our very backyard which is what makes it so fresh and fragrant. These natural ingredients just make things easier for you as you can easily make your body healthy and protect your skin from any untoward and unwanted skin problems.
These products are widely being used in many of spas and for which you have been charged a bomb. You can make your own body massage oils at home by using some of the prevalent oils you have and some of the exotic ones to give you that extra level of fun and excitement.
This entry was posted in Medicare on July 15, 2017 by blue.

lowercased:
home remedies – facts or quacks?
that’s what i recently asked myself. myths and legends often have their basis in a grain of truth. so i wondered if home remedies, alternative treatments, and folklore cures might also be based on truth. a little research provided these astonishing results!
edward jenner is widely credited as the father of the smallpox vaccination. however, twenty years earlier in 1774, a quick-thinking english farmer named benjamin jesty saved his family from smallpox using some pretty unorthodox methods.
in 1774 the highly infectious and deadly smallpox disease was epidemic. farmer jesty, immune to the disease because he had survived it in childhood, feared for the lives of his pregnant wife and children. many country folk knew that people who had previously caught the milder disease of cowpox from an infected cow did not catch the normally-fatal smallpox disease.
frantic to find a solution before his family caught the disease, jesty took his family to a nearby farm where cows were infected with cowpox. he injected his family with diseased cowpox cells from the cows. because vacca is latin for cow, this procedure later became known as vaccination.
the mild cowpox disease came and went in the children. his pregnant wife had complications and required the aid of the local doctor. his family did not catch the deadly smallpox disease, but word leaked out. poor jesty was ridiculed by his neighbors, who expected his family to turn into cows, or at least grow horns!
edward jenner was a tireless crusader in promoting the benefits of smallpox vaccination. however, it was a desperate farmer who used his quick wit and country folklore to save his family 20 years earlier.
regardless of whom history credits, this home remedy definitely rates as a fact rather than a quack!
if you liked this home remedy information, you can find more through the resources shown below. home remedies can be effective, and may save you time and money.
this entry was posted in medicare on july 29, 2017 by blue.
this entry was posted in medicare on july 26, 2017 by blue.
i have to thank my son’s bump on the head for some of my conviction about the benefit of bach flower remedies. jon was about a year old and had hit his head quite badly. the bump was swelling before my eyes, and i decided to try out the bach rescue cream that i’d recently purchased. the bump was partly in his hair and partly on his forehead. i carefully put the cream on – it was difficult to get the cream close to the skin where his hair was. the next day the bruise on his forehead had gone completely, but the bruise in his hair was still there, although it was not as bad as i had expected it to be. this amazed me and made me determined to learn about these amazing remedies.
i bought and studied the little booklet that explained all about them – as a very busy mum i was happy to have something that wasn’t too big to read! i was also happy that the remedies weren’t drugs and could be used safely with even tiny babies. there are 38 different flower remedies for various psychological states, and i instantly could see how i could use them for myself, my family and my friends: larch is for someone who lacks self confidence, aspen is for generalised fears, impatiens for impatience, heather for those who want to be the centre of attention all the time, and scleranthus for the undecided.
the remedies were developed by dr edward bach -pronounced ‘batch’ – who lived in england from 1886-1936. he was trained as a doctor and worked as a pathologist and bacteriologist, but he felt that medicine was not getting to the root of the problem. he learnt about homeopathy, and developed various important homeopathic remedies, but he was still not satisfied, and this led him to develop the bach flower remedies.
the remedies are based on flowering plants and trees, and are designed to correct inappropriate psychological states. this doesn’t mean that they’re not suitable for physical problems, because bach believed that there was “a factor above the physical plane which in the ordinary course of life protects or renders susceptible any particular individual with regard to disease, of whatever nature it may be.” (from ‘heal thyself’ by edward bach). in other words, if you are dissatisfied or distressed, you are more likely to catch a cold or become chronically ill.
there is one combination that dr bach found he used a lot, and he called this ‘rescue remedy’. this is a mixture of 5 of the 38 flower remedies (cherry plum, clematis, impatiens, rock rose and star of bethlehem). it can be used for any emergency or stressful event. this is really helpful after a fall, or an argument, before visiting the dentist or taking an examination. the normal way of taking it is to put 4 drops in a glass of water and then to take small, frequent sips. you can also take it straight from the bottle in a real emergency. many nurses i meet swear by it, and secretly and unofficially recommend it to their patients.
the remedies are made using brandy, and this may be a problem for some people. an alternative way to take them is by dabbing them on the wrist, behind the ears and at the temples – this way the benefit of the remedies may be felt without imbibing alcohol.
this entry was posted in medicare on july 22, 2017 by blue.
dry skin, or xerosis, is a skin type usually marked by firm texture and parched skin. this type is especially noticeable during winter, when one turns to indoor heaters due to the cold weather and dry air or low humidity. signs of dry skin usually appear as pink spots on the face, arms and legs. these small spots can grow into painful patches that later flake and become itchy if left untreated. the shin and the abdomen, particularly the sides, are also frequent dry spots. eczema and other types of dermatitis could also emerge without the appropriate treatment. the condition may also be genetically inherited. the normal skin changes accompanying aging also tend to make elderly people have dry skin problems.
the irritation and dryness can be relieved by using a moisturizing cleanser and the frequent application of oil-based lotions or creams, particularly before the affected individual sleeps. experts also suggest less and shorter baths and showers of about 5-10 minutes to maintain skin hydration. lukewarm water is also considered more beneficial than hot water baths and showers. mild soaps are also preferred for the face, along with moisturizing lotions for the whole body following a bath and prior to bedtime. rehydration will also benefit from high levels of water and fruit consumption.
scaling or flaking skin can be syptomatic of dermatitis. one type is seborrheic dermatits, which is characterized by red, itchy rashes on diferent body parts, particularly areas with many oil glands. this scaly rash can be found on the nose, the scalp and eyebrows. another type is allergic contact dermatitis, which is the result of an immune reaction in contact between the skin and poison ivy or similar substances. some individuals also experience eczema, or atopic dermatitis, if it is common in the family; or athlete’s foot, a fungal infection affecting soles of the feet.
a key factor in basic skin care is knowing one’s skin type, as this will determine the approach and the products one will use. individuals will have either dry, normal/combination, sensitive or oily skin. a basic skin care routine will always include cleansing. since skin types vary across individuals, people should look for a cleanser that their skin responds to. most experts discourage the use of soap to cleanse the face, with some specifying soap only for cleansing from the neck to the feet. cleansers are made up of water, oil and surfactants that combine to dissolve facial oil and dirt, remove makeup and wash all these excesses away from the face. care should be taken to use only the appropriate mix to avoid clogging skin pores or drying the skin.
many experts advise the routine at night, with only lukewarm water used to wash the face in the morning. however, use of a moisturizer before bedtime will make cleansing also necessary in the morning. individuals are advised to use warm water to start washing, as this would unclog pores and loosen dirt. after a cleanser is used, rinsing off using cool water will tighten or close the pores. exfoliating is another step many specialists advise to treat or prevent dry skin. stanford university clinical assistant professor katie rodan advises that individuals exfoliate on a daily basis. this will augment natural replenishment of the skin – the removal of dead skin cells to give way to new cells – and improve moisture retention, giving one fresher and younger-looking skin. individuals with dry or sensitive skin should exfoliate up to two times a week, and increase the frequency during the summer and hot months, when sweat makes dead skin cells stick together and delays their removal. for those with sun-damaged skin, hydroxies may have to be used as deep exfoliants. toners are not requirement, as the removal of dirt, makeup and oil can already be done using a cleanser.
this entry was posted in medicare on july 19, 2017 by blue.
like our face our body too has to be properly nourished and for that we need to engage ourselves in some of the beneficial activities like massaging which would be very useful for our body. many are not aware about the importance and beneficial properties these body oils provide. once you start using the oils there won’t be any turning back. hop along with thousand others who have benefited from these oils. in the meanwhile, you can gain some therapeutic uses of these oils.
there are different ranges and fragrances in the market which you can apply on yourself and gain the valuable benefits. most of the oils we come across are very different due to its special quality. these qualities are the ones which help in making your body smoother and refined which is what it was lacking for a very long time.
many external factors works in favor of the body oil massage. due to changing weather your skin keeps facing some or the other problems. it faces the wrath of all the climatic changes including your different skin type problems. by the use of body oil, your skin remains supple as well as the oil which is used would benefit the skin with its different properties.
these oils help to moisturize your skin. the natural oils proves to be extremely useful too as they do not contain any artificial colors or fragrance. such high level of natural content just makes it very essential to be your body oil. these body oils become very useful due to the various amounts of herbs and essence used in it. with the richness of vitamins and other health benefits it becomes an integral part of your toiletry item.
the oils are very refreshing due to the presence of fragrance extracted from fresh fruits and plants. this gives you a sensual feeling when you apply it on your body. the smells which these oils carry along with them are very refreshing and intoxicating taking you to a higher level of existence.
many don’t have a clue that these aromas can come from our very backyard which is what makes it so fresh and fragrant. these natural ingredients just make things easier for you as you can easily make your body healthy and protect your skin from any untoward and unwanted skin problems.
these products are widely being used in many of spas and for which you have been charged a bomb. you can make your own body massage oils at home by using some of the prevalent oils you have and some of the exotic ones to give you that extra level of fun and excitement.
this entry was posted in medicare on july 15, 2017 by blue.


text:
When news broke in February that an Egyptian firm named Dolphinus Holdings had signed a US$15 billion deal to purchase Israeli natural gas for supply to Egypt, the Egyptian government refused to comment, portraying it as a private market transaction.
“The Ministry of Petroleum has no comment on private-sector negotiations or agreements regarding the import or sale of natural gas to Israel,” the ministry spokesperson said in a brief statement at the time.
That same day, Reuters quoted an anonymous Egyptian government official who said that the deal did not mean the government itself would import gas from Israel. “International private companies will import gas from abroad in the framework of their own needs,” the official said.
Similar claims were made in September after a preliminary agreement was struck for the acquisition of a stake in a pipeline between Ashkelon and Arish that would allow the transport of natural gas from Israel to Egypt.
Again, the Petroleum Ministry spokesperson issued a swift response: “The ministry welcomes this new step taken by the private companies involved in the imminent commercial venture.” This time, the Egyptian company involved was called East Gas.
But a Mada Masr investigation into the gas import deal — scheduled to come into effect early next year — found that the repeated claims by Egyptian government officials that the venture is a purely private sector affair wholly outside the “government framework” are misleading at best.
Documents show that East Gas, which stands to reap the greatest profits from the import and resale of Israeli gas to the Egyptian state, is a private firm that is majority-owned by Egyptian General Intelligence Service (GIS), which will claim 80 percent of the firm’s income.
Our investigation found that Shoeib was appointed to the company’s board as a representative of the GIS, and that the chairman of the board has always been the deputy head of the intelligence agency. Most of the company’s board members are drawn from the ranks of intelligence officers.
The GIS also partnered with Dolphinus Holdings, the firm that signed the agreement to buy the Israeli gas.
Documents and sources reveal that through a complex web of overseas shell corporations and subsidiaries, the intelligence body stands to cash in at all stages of the deal, from the transport of Israeli gas to Egypt to its final sale to the Egyptian government. These profits end up in the coffers of the GIS, and not the public budget.
The multiple shell corporations created in recent months form a network spanning the British Virgin Islands, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands, but with no presence at all in Egypt. The purpose of these efforts was to close the deal while concealing the identity of the Egyptian players, enabling them to avoid paying taxes, and shielding them from any potential legal liability or public accountability.
At the same time, the deal does not appear to be in Egypt’s economic interest, with the cost to Egypt of imported Israeli gas significantly higher than locally produced gas, according to internal corporate documents, and comes at a time when the Egyptian government is reducing fuel subsidies, and dramatically increasing the price of natural gas to Egyptian households.
The investigation by Mada Masr into the corporate structure of the deal relied on publicly accessible commercial records in Egypt and European states, available online at no cost or for a nominal fee of $10–$50 for each company. Information contained in these documents was confirmed in interviews with sources who have direct knowledge of various aspects of the deal, all of whom spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity.
When Egypt decided to import Israeli gas, it needed a businessman to play the role occupied in the Mubarak era by Hussein Salem, the politically connected businessman who acted as the go-between for the export of Egyptian gas to Israel before the 2011 revolution. That deal created a firestorm of controversy and sparked public outrage. Following Mubarak’s ouster, all officials implicated in the deal were prosecuted on charges of profiteering, bribery and incurring massive losses for Egypt by selling gas to Israel at less than a fair price.
This time, Egyptian businessman Alaa Arafa was the chosen go-between. A former doctor, Arafa is the president of Arafa Holdings, which he inherited from his father, General Ahmed Arafa, a former military pilot and a close friend of Mubarak. Alaa Arafa was a logical choice given his long commercial experience with Israel. His firm had an interest in textile ventures in the Qualifying Industrial Zones, areas established in a 2004 deal between Egypt, Israel, and the United States that gave Egyptian producers customs-and-quota-free access to US markets, provided their products included a percentage of Israeli components. Arafa Holdings was also a major domestic player in real estate, agriculture, cement, food industries, and energy.
Arafa did not respond to Mada Masr’s multiple attempts to contact him for comment on the findings of this investigation.
Arafa already owned a shell corporation outside Egypt, Dolphinus Holdings, which was registered in the British Virgin Islands, a favored destination for those looking to shelter their business earnings from taxes.
Documents obtained by Mada Masr show how the pieces were put in place to structure the gas deal.
Because Arafa had negligible experience in natural gas, a second person was brought in: Khaled Abu Bakr, chair of the energy committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo, and the CEO of Taqa Arabia, a subsidiary of Qalaa Holdings. In a text message to Mada Masr, Ahmed Heikal, the chairman of Qalaa, said that his companies were not involved in the deal to purchase gas from Israel “either directly or indirectly.” Three separate sources confirm that Heikal refused to get involved in the deal. Sources say that Abu Bakr came on board the deal in his personal capacity, not as a representative of Taqa Arabia.
Abu Bakr declined to respond to questions sent by Mada Masr via text message, saying he was out of the country.
To bring in Abu Bakr, Dolphinus created a subsidiary in Luxembourg called Blue Ocean. The firm’s registration filing, obtained by Mada Masr, shows that it is fully owned by Dolphinus Holdings. Three directors signed the company’s financial statement: Arafa, Abu Bakr and Mohamed Talaat Khalifa, a board member and director of investment at Arafa’s company.
Why Luxembourg? Most likely because the country is the EU’s biggest tax haven, allowing companies to transfer funds in and out with substantial tax exemptions and a high degree of secrecy. Most importantly, Luxembourg has a double taxation treaty with Israel, meaning that Arafa and Abu Bakr would pay as little as one percent of earnings in taxes while not paying any taxes in Israel.
In order to allow the private sector to import and sell natural gas in Egypt, the Egyptian natural gas sector had to be fully liberalized.
A government-drafted bill for the liberalization of the gas trade was approved by Parliament with no significant revisions in July 2017. A month later, the law was ratified by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The law reduced the state’s role to that of a regulator. It also granted private firms the right to use the national gas distribution grid and all state-owned infrastructure facilities in the sector.
This set the stage for Dolphinus to buy gas from Israel and resell it to Egypt. The implementing regulations of the law were issued in February 2018, and a week later Dolphinus signed an agreement for the purchase of gas with Delek Drilling, an Israeli firm, and Noble Energy, a US firm based in Texas. Combined, these firms hold the concession for two Israeli gas fields, Leviathan and Tamar.
Unlike Mubarak’s dealings with Hussein Salem, the current regime did not leave the deal solely in the hands of Arafa and Abu Bakr. The businessmen could not be allowed to make a fortune off the arrangement like Salem had. Whereas he was a former intelligence officer, Arafa and Abu Bakr are civilians rooted in the business world, which is little trusted by the regime.
Enter Shoeib, the former president of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) and the current CEO of East Gas, which is 80 percent owned by the GIS. The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and EGAS also each own a small share in the company.
Mada Masr reached out to Shoeib for comment, but he declined, saying he was out of the country. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Petroleum, Hamdi Abdel Aziz, asked that written questions be sent to him via WhatsApp. As of publication, we had received no comment from him.
In May 2018, three months after the agreement was signed for the purchase of Israeli gas, East Gas (owned by the GIS) partnered with Blue Ocean (owned by Arafa and Abu Bakr) to form a new firm: Energy Solutions.
This time, the company was headquartered in Switzerland. While Luxembourg offers favorable tax exemptions on capital gains, the new company also needed exemptions for corporate taxes, such as the purchase and sale of gas, and there is no better place than Switzerland, particularly the Zug canton where Energy Solutions was registered. Known worldwide for its “attractive” tax climate, Zug even touts this status on its website. Like Luxembourg, Switzerland maintains a double taxation treaty with Egypt (1987) and Israel (2003).
The commercial register for Energy Solutions, dated May 17, shows that East Gas owns a 40 percent stake while Blue Ocean holds the remaining 60 percent. The firm’s capital is no more than $20,000. The board of directors, according to the registry, includes Shoeib (the president of East Gas), Abu Bakr and Arafa with their deputy Khalifa, and an Egyptian businessman by the name of Ahmed Samir Abdel Fattah Ghars Eddin.
It is not definitive whether East Gas will, through this Swiss partnership, share in the profits that Dolphinus stands to make from the $15 billion deal it signed in February. Yet the fact that Energy Solutions was established as the gas deal unfolded, is comprised of the same set of Egyptian partners and was formed under a legal structure that offers hefty corporate tax exemptions, make it a likely prospect.
After the agreement was signed, one hurdle remained before Israeli gas could flow into Egypt: Israel possesses no infrastructure for the liquefaction or transport of gas to Egypt. Building an underwater pipeline between the two countries would be prohibitively expensive and time consuming. This is why Israel was so eager to sign a deal with Cairo: it has a lot of gas and no outlet for it.
This was the driver behind the acquisition of a pipeline owned by the East Mediterranean Gas Company (EMG) — a consortium of Israeli, US, Thai and Egyptian firms registered in Egypt. The pipeline, which runs from Ashkelon, Israel to Arish, Egypt, was used to pipe gas from Egypt to Israel under the Mubarak-era deal brokered by Hussein Salem. With a technical modification, it can be adapted to pump gas in the opposite direction.
Who profits off the pipeline?
This may have been the original plan, but it changed significantly. Officials in Cairo realized that if the acquisition went through, Egypt would retain only a 10 percent stake in EMG, held by the EGPC. Plus, EMG would earn fees if its pipeline were used to move gas from Ashkelon to Arish. So why shouldn’t the GIS, through East Gas, acquire a stake in the pipeline and take a cut of the usage fees?
When East Gas joined Delek and Noble Energy in negotiations to acquire EMG, East Gas created a new firm called Sphinx and registered it outside Egypt, in the Netherlands, perhaps because authorities in Cairo thought it unseemly for an Egyptian government intelligence agency to enter into a direct partnership with an Israeli company. The Netherlands is also the world’s biggest conduit to offshore corporate tax havens, and it too has double taxation treaties with Israel (1973) and Egypt (1999).
The Dutch commercial register for Sphinx shows the firm was registered less than two months ago, on August 31, 2018. The only company official listed is Shoeib, the president of East Gas, which owns 100 percent of Sphinx’s shares. The company’s capital is listed as just $1,000.
A few days after it was created, Sphinx (owned by East Gas, in turn owned by the GIS) formed a new company, EMED, also in the Netherlands, with Delek and Noble Energy. Sphinx owns 50 percent of EMED, according to the disclosure form Delek sent to the Israel Securities Authority. In late September, EMED announced it had purchased a 37 percent stake in EMG from businessmen Yossi Maiman and Sam Zell and a 2 percent stake from Ali Evsen, the Turkish businessman who once, and perhaps still, acts as a front for Salem.
East Gas also acquired a separate 9 percent stake from Evsen, in exchange for which all of Egypt’s arbitration claims against him, filed after the January 2011 revolution, were dropped.
It was Shoeib who made the decision to suspend gas supplies to Israel in 2012, when he was the chair of EGAS. EMG considered the decision a breach of contract, and as a result it filed three separate arbitration suits against Egypt: the first before the International Chamber of Commerce, seeking $1.6 billion in damages; the second before the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), for more than $800 million in damages; and the third, seeking roughly $757 million, before the tribunal created under the UN Commission on International Trade Law.
With the newly acquired shares in EMG in addition to the 10 percent stake owned by EGPC, Egypt now had enough voting power on the EMG board to drop all arbitration suits filed against Egypt. In fact, this was a non-negotiable condition for helping Israel find an outlet for its gas, one demanded repeatedly by Egyptian officials: imports in exchange for eliminating arbitration fines.
The pipeline agreement additionally gives Delek and Noble Energy the rights to use another pipeline between Aqaba, Jordan and Arish, Egypt to supply any additional quantities of Israeli gas in the future.
According to the agreement and official Egyptian sources, the sole owner of the Aqaba-Arish pipeline is East Gas.
In the final tally, East Gas — that is, the Egyptian intelligence agency — is part owner of the pipeline to Israel, a partner with Dolphinus which will buy the Israeli gas, and the sole owner of the pipeline to Jordan, which can be used to pump Israeli gas to Egypt if the Israeli line comes under attack in Sinai — as it has numerous times in the past — or some technical flaw is discovered.
And that is not all. Sources with knowledge of the deal tell Mada Masr that the plan now is for Dolphinus (or its front, Blue Ocean) to buy gas from Noble and Delek then sell it in Ashkelon to East Gas, which will pump the gas to Arish through the EMG pipeline, where it will be sold to the Egyptian state, represented by EGAS, which will in turn use the gas in Egypt or export it.
In other words, East Gas will claim transport fees on the gas pumped from Israel through the pipeline it partly owns and turn an additional profit when it resells the gas to the Egyptian government. It will also get a cut of any deal to move additional Israeli gas from Jordan to Egypt and then resell that to the Egyptian government at a profit, along with the transport fees for moving the gas through the Aqaba-Arish pipeline it owns.
With profits flowing in at every point on the supply chain, GIS-owned East Gas and a handful of businessmen will avoid all taxes by having registered its commercial activities in tax havens outside Egypt. The company and its partners will also be fully insulated from accountability or Egyptian legal sanctions in the event of any unanticipated political developments.
As with other commercial ventures it operates, the Egyptian General Intelligence Service does not treat its ownership of East Gas as a closely guarded secret. Nevertheless, the agency does not typically declare its ownership, the names of shareholders, or the names of those running its companies. With the exception of a handful of interviews with East Gas CEO Shoeib over the last two weeks, there is little information available about the company — located on al-Nabawi al-Mohandes Street in the Sifarat area of Nasr City — or other company officials. Nevertheless, it is common knowledge that the company is a subsidiary of General Intelligence among people working in the gas trade and transport in both the public and private sectors.
Mada Masr obtained an official copy of East Gas’s commercial license (no. 67352), which notes the company’s activity, the names of members of its board, and all changes to the board since the firm was registered in 2013.
The chairman of the board of East Gas when it was registered was Lieutenant General Abdel Wahab Sayyed Ahmed, who was appointed the deputy director of the GIS while Omar Suleiman headed the agency. In 2016, he was replaced by Major General Tarek Sallam, GIS deputy director under Khaled Fawzy. After Sallam left the agency last year and was made Egypt’s ambassador to Uganda (as Mada Masr reported in an exclusive in August 2017), the current chairman took his place: Major General Ibrahim Abdel Salam. Abdel Salam was touted in the press as the potential chief of intelligence when Fawzy was removed in January, before Abbas Kamel, formerly the president’s chief of staff, assumed the position.
According to the commercial registry issued on October 3, Abdel Salam was still the chairman of the board when it last met in August.
Along with leadership positions on the board, the commercial registry shows that most East Gas board members are drawn from the ranks of intelligence officers, meaning that most shares in the company also belong to the agency. They are appointed to the board as representatives of the Egyptian Company for Investment Projects, widely known in the business world as the commercial arm of the intelligence agency.
A search through publicly available sources turns up no information on the Egyptian Company for Investment Projects, with the exception of an address on Abdel Megid al-Ramalli Street in Bab al-Louq. But the Orbis Directory, owned by Moody’s and accessible for a fee, indicates that the company was registered in 1958. In July 2013, it was headed by Lieutenant General Abdel Wahab Sayyed, then the GIS deputy director and also the chair of East Gas. According to Orbis, the company’s shares were owned evenly by just two people: Ahmed Ibrahim al-Awady and Mohammed Ahmed al-Guindy.
A search for the two owners found that they were both commanders in the October 1973 war and both the recipient of state honors. Member of General Staff Major General Ahmed Ibrahim al-Awady is a former paratrooper commander and a current MP for the Homeland Defenders Party for Sanbalawein district in Daqahlia; he is a member of the House’s Defense and National Security Committee. Major General Mohammed Ahmed Kamal al-Guindy was a pilot in the air force, a recipient of the Military Star, Medal of Duty and Medal of Courage.
MP Awady did not respond to Mada Masr’s calls and messages asking for comment on his relationship to the company. Guindi could not be reached for comment.
The commercial registry indicates that East Gas started operating in 2006, although it was only registered as an investment company in 2013. Two important facts are known about the firm: first, that the company is a subsidiary of Egyptian General Intelligence and second, that profits from the trade in gas go into the coffers of the company and the intelligence agency, not the public budget. These facts are established in the case files for the trial of six Mubarak-era officials in the petroleum sector in connection with corruption in the export of gas to Israel (Case 41/2011).
According to the transcript of the interrogation of defendant Ibrahim Tawila, the former chair of EGPC, Tawila told the public prosecution that East Gas was “the transporting, intermediary company” for Egyptian gas to Jordan before the 2011 revolution. “It received half the value of the contract from Jordan,” he said, an estimated $1.8 billion. Tawila said East Gas was an Egyptian company, “80 percent of its shares owned by Egyptian National Security and 20 percent by the petroleum sector.” The Cairo Criminal Court acquitted all six defendants in the case in 2015.
In fact, this is no secret.
Did Egypt really “score a goal”?
In February, two days after the announcement that Egypt would import natural gas from Israel, President Sisi addressed the deal in an impromptu speech broadcast on television while inaugurating an investors’ service center. During the speech, he answered a question no one had yet asked publicly: Why import gas from Israel given the talk about the huge production from Egypt’s Zohr gas field in the Mediterranean. “I found people were — I mean, they were confused,” President Sisi said. “How are you talking about the Zohr field and how it will achieve self-sufficiency for us, and at the same time, you’re going to get gas from somewhere else [i.e., Israel]? If we’re going to get it from somewhere else, we’ll get it through market-based mechanisms. Lord, please get this straight. I mean, how much will we pay for it? Right? How much will we pay? Do you know how we buy our needs? Do you? [Laughs] No, we, thanks to God Almighty — I’m not just talking, I want this to get through to you. No, we scored a goal. Egyptians, we scored a big goal here. Am I right?” Attendees in the hall broke out in applause.
Leaving aside repeated references to “market-based mechanisms” and “the private sector,” Sisi perhaps thought at the time that Egypt had procured Israeli gas with “savvy” and thanks to the skills of the Egyptian negotiators in the private sector. Maybe this was what he was told by the bodies that did the negotiating. But the negotiators who signed the deal with their Israeli partners certainly know better.
CI Capital is one of the three biggest investment banks operating in Egypt, along with EFG Hermes and Belton. The bank is also owned by Alaa Arafa, acquired by him and other partners in 2016 in a deal valued at LE683.
The report concludes that the cost means that the gas will be sold to the end user for “$7.50-8/mmBtu, on our calculations.” For comparison’s sake, the report refers to the cost of producing local gas in Egypt, which ranges from $1.75 to $3.50 per btu after dividing costs with foreign firms, and the sale price in Europe, $5.80 per btu.
In light of this cost, the report concludes that it is unlikely that Israeli gas can be exported to Europe, demonstrating in graph form the difference between the price Egypt is paying to import Israeli gas and the sale price of gas in Europe.
The following table, also included in the report, further shows the difference in price between locally produced gas and Israeli imports, and gas prices in the EU, US, and Japan.
The reluctance may be because the report shows that the bank’s client, Shoeib, who, according to sources, travelled to Israel personally to negotiate the deal, knew that the deal was not in Egypt’s economic interest, at least according to the report.
It may also be because the report’s contents could interfere with the Egyptian government’s intention to declare Egypt self-sufficient in liquefied natural gas. (The declaration was released on September 29.) The CI Capital report estimates that self-sufficiency will last no more than a year or two before Egypt will be compelled to restart imports. The same thing already happened in 2004, when Egypt declared itself self-sufficient before soon resuming gas imports.
The report estimates that local gas supplies, including the production of the Zohr field, “despite its sheer volume, will be fully absorbed” by to the need to replace Egypt’s substantial LNG imports, growing local demand for gas, and the need to replace the mazote that currently runs power plants with adverse economic and technical impacts, as well as the inevitable decline in production in gas fields other than Zohr.
The report includes a graph that demonstrates the disparity between gas supply and demand in the coming years.
In the summer of 2018, the government raised the price of household natural gas by roughly 50 percent. The CI Capital report expects (and recommends) continued cuts to government gas subsidies, anticipating that, by the time the sector is fully liberalized, the price for citizens will increase an estimated 127 percent on current prices.
Egypt hopes to import gas from Israel and Cyprus, then treat and liquify it for export to Europe.
Export dreams: Will Zohr gas production allow Egypt to light Europe and its own cities?
Waad Ahmed | Can the narratives of self sufficiency and dreams of export Egypt's pinned on Zohr be reconciled?

lowercased:
when news broke in february that an egyptian firm named dolphinus holdings had signed a us$15 billion deal to purchase israeli natural gas for supply to egypt, the egyptian government refused to comment, portraying it as a private market transaction.
“the ministry of petroleum has no comment on private-sector negotiations or agreements regarding the import or sale of natural gas to israel,” the ministry spokesperson said in a brief statement at the time.
that same day, reuters quoted an anonymous egyptian government official who said that the deal did not mean the government itself would import gas from israel. “international private companies will import gas from abroad in the framework of their own needs,” the official said.
similar claims were made in september after a preliminary agreement was struck for the acquisition of a stake in a pipeline between ashkelon and arish that would allow the transport of natural gas from israel to egypt.
again, the petroleum ministry spokesperson issued a swift response: “the ministry welcomes this new step taken by the private companies involved in the imminent commercial venture.” this time, the egyptian company involved was called east gas.
but a mada masr investigation into the gas import deal — scheduled to come into effect early next year — found that the repeated claims by egyptian government officials that the venture is a purely private sector affair wholly outside the “government framework” are misleading at best.
documents show that east gas, which stands to reap the greatest profits from the import and resale of israeli gas to the egyptian state, is a private firm that is majority-owned by egyptian general intelligence service (gis), which will claim 80 percent of the firm’s income.
our investigation found that shoeib was appointed to the company’s board as a representative of the gis, and that the chairman of the board has always been the deputy head of the intelligence agency. most of the company’s board members are drawn from the ranks of intelligence officers.
the gis also partnered with dolphinus holdings, the firm that signed the agreement to buy the israeli gas.
documents and sources reveal that through a complex web of overseas shell corporations and subsidiaries, the intelligence body stands to cash in at all stages of the deal, from the transport of israeli gas to egypt to its final sale to the egyptian government. these profits end up in the coffers of the gis, and not the public budget.
the multiple shell corporations created in recent months form a network spanning the british virgin islands, luxembourg, switzerland and the netherlands, but with no presence at all in egypt. the purpose of these efforts was to close the deal while concealing the identity of the egyptian players, enabling them to avoid paying taxes, and shielding them from any potential legal liability or public accountability.
at the same time, the deal does not appear to be in egypt’s economic interest, with the cost to egypt of imported israeli gas significantly higher than locally produced gas, according to internal corporate documents, and comes at a time when the egyptian government is reducing fuel subsidies, and dramatically increasing the price of natural gas to egyptian households.
the investigation by mada masr into the corporate structure of the deal relied on publicly accessible commercial records in egypt and european states, available online at no cost or for a nominal fee of $10–$50 for each company. information contained in these documents was confirmed in interviews with sources who have direct knowledge of various aspects of the deal, all of whom spoke to mada masr on condition of anonymity.
when egypt decided to import israeli gas, it needed a businessman to play the role occupied in the mubarak era by hussein salem, the politically connected businessman who acted as the go-between for the export of egyptian gas to israel before the 2011 revolution. that deal created a firestorm of controversy and sparked public outrage. following mubarak’s ouster, all officials implicated in the deal were prosecuted on charges of profiteering, bribery and incurring massive losses for egypt by selling gas to israel at less than a fair price.
this time, egyptian businessman alaa arafa was the chosen go-between. a former doctor, arafa is the president of arafa holdings, which he inherited from his father, general ahmed arafa, a former military pilot and a close friend of mubarak. alaa arafa was a logical choice given his long commercial experience with israel. his firm had an interest in textile ventures in the qualifying industrial zones, areas established in a 2004 deal between egypt, israel, and the united states that gave egyptian producers customs-and-quota-free access to us markets, provided their products included a percentage of israeli components. arafa holdings was also a major domestic player in real estate, agriculture, cement, food industries, and energy.
arafa did not respond to mada masr’s multiple attempts to contact him for comment on the findings of this investigation.
arafa already owned a shell corporation outside egypt, dolphinus holdings, which was registered in the british virgin islands, a favored destination for those looking to shelter their business earnings from taxes.
documents obtained by mada masr show how the pieces were put in place to structure the gas deal.
because arafa had negligible experience in natural gas, a second person was brought in: khaled abu bakr, chair of the energy committee at the american chamber of commerce in cairo, and the ceo of taqa arabia, a subsidiary of qalaa holdings. in a text message to mada masr, ahmed heikal, the chairman of qalaa, said that his companies were not involved in the deal to purchase gas from israel “either directly or indirectly.” three separate sources confirm that heikal refused to get involved in the deal. sources say that abu bakr came on board the deal in his personal capacity, not as a representative of taqa arabia.
abu bakr declined to respond to questions sent by mada masr via text message, saying he was out of the country.
to bring in abu bakr, dolphinus created a subsidiary in luxembourg called blue ocean. the firm’s registration filing, obtained by mada masr, shows that it is fully owned by dolphinus holdings. three directors signed the company’s financial statement: arafa, abu bakr and mohamed talaat khalifa, a board member and director of investment at arafa’s company.
why luxembourg? most likely because the country is the eu’s biggest tax haven, allowing companies to transfer funds in and out with substantial tax exemptions and a high degree of secrecy. most importantly, luxembourg has a double taxation treaty with israel, meaning that arafa and abu bakr would pay as little as one percent of earnings in taxes while not paying any taxes in israel.
in order to allow the private sector to import and sell natural gas in egypt, the egyptian natural gas sector had to be fully liberalized.
a government-drafted bill for the liberalization of the gas trade was approved by parliament with no significant revisions in july 2017. a month later, the law was ratified by president abdel fattah al-sisi. the law reduced the state’s role to that of a regulator. it also granted private firms the right to use the national gas distribution grid and all state-owned infrastructure facilities in the sector.
this set the stage for dolphinus to buy gas from israel and resell it to egypt. the implementing regulations of the law were issued in february 2018, and a week later dolphinus signed an agreement for the purchase of gas with delek drilling, an israeli firm, and noble energy, a us firm based in texas. combined, these firms hold the concession for two israeli gas fields, leviathan and tamar.
unlike mubarak’s dealings with hussein salem, the current regime did not leave the deal solely in the hands of arafa and abu bakr. the businessmen could not be allowed to make a fortune off the arrangement like salem had. whereas he was a former intelligence officer, arafa and abu bakr are civilians rooted in the business world, which is little trusted by the regime.
enter shoeib, the former president of the egyptian natural gas holding company (egas) and the current ceo of east gas, which is 80 percent owned by the gis. the egyptian general petroleum corporation (egpc) and egas also each own a small share in the company.
mada masr reached out to shoeib for comment, but he declined, saying he was out of the country. the spokesperson for the ministry of petroleum, hamdi abdel aziz, asked that written questions be sent to him via whatsapp. as of publication, we had received no comment from him.
in may 2018, three months after the agreement was signed for the purchase of israeli gas, east gas (owned by the gis) partnered with blue ocean (owned by arafa and abu bakr) to form a new firm: energy solutions.
this time, the company was headquartered in switzerland. while luxembourg offers favorable tax exemptions on capital gains, the new company also needed exemptions for corporate taxes, such as the purchase and sale of gas, and there is no better place than switzerland, particularly the zug canton where energy solutions was registered. known worldwide for its “attractive” tax climate, zug even touts this status on its website. like luxembourg, switzerland maintains a double taxation treaty with egypt (1987) and israel (2003).
the commercial register for energy solutions, dated may 17, shows that east gas owns a 40 percent stake while blue ocean holds the remaining 60 percent. the firm’s capital is no more than $20,000. the board of directors, according to the registry, includes shoeib (the president of east gas), abu bakr and arafa with their deputy khalifa, and an egyptian businessman by the name of ahmed samir abdel fattah ghars eddin.
it is not definitive whether east gas will, through this swiss partnership, share in the profits that dolphinus stands to make from the $15 billion deal it signed in february. yet the fact that energy solutions was established as the gas deal unfolded, is comprised of the same set of egyptian partners and was formed under a legal structure that offers hefty corporate tax exemptions, make it a likely prospect.
after the agreement was signed, one hurdle remained before israeli gas could flow into egypt: israel possesses no infrastructure for the liquefaction or transport of gas to egypt. building an underwater pipeline between the two countries would be prohibitively expensive and time consuming. this is why israel was so eager to sign a deal with cairo: it has a lot of gas and no outlet for it.
this was the driver behind the acquisition of a pipeline owned by the east mediterranean gas company (emg) — a consortium of israeli, us, thai and egyptian firms registered in egypt. the pipeline, which runs from ashkelon, israel to arish, egypt, was used to pipe gas from egypt to israel under the mubarak-era deal brokered by hussein salem. with a technical modification, it can be adapted to pump gas in the opposite direction.
who profits off the pipeline?
this may have been the original plan, but it changed significantly. officials in cairo realized that if the acquisition went through, egypt would retain only a 10 percent stake in emg, held by the egpc. plus, emg would earn fees if its pipeline were used to move gas from ashkelon to arish. so why shouldn’t the gis, through east gas, acquire a stake in the pipeline and take a cut of the usage fees?
when east gas joined delek and noble energy in negotiations to acquire emg, east gas created a new firm called sphinx and registered it outside egypt, in the netherlands, perhaps because authorities in cairo thought it unseemly for an egyptian government intelligence agency to enter into a direct partnership with an israeli company. the netherlands is also the world’s biggest conduit to offshore corporate tax havens, and it too has double taxation treaties with israel (1973) and egypt (1999).
the dutch commercial register for sphinx shows the firm was registered less than two months ago, on august 31, 2018. the only company official listed is shoeib, the president of east gas, which owns 100 percent of sphinx’s shares. the company’s capital is listed as just $1,000.
a few days after it was created, sphinx (owned by east gas, in turn owned by the gis) formed a new company, emed, also in the netherlands, with delek and noble energy. sphinx owns 50 percent of emed, according to the disclosure form delek sent to the israel securities authority. in late september, emed announced it had purchased a 37 percent stake in emg from businessmen yossi maiman and sam zell and a 2 percent stake from ali evsen, the turkish businessman who once, and perhaps still, acts as a front for salem.
east gas also acquired a separate 9 percent stake from evsen, in exchange for which all of egypt’s arbitration claims against him, filed after the january 2011 revolution, were dropped.
it was shoeib who made the decision to suspend gas supplies to israel in 2012, when he was the chair of egas. emg considered the decision a breach of contract, and as a result it filed three separate arbitration suits against egypt: the first before the international chamber of commerce, seeking $1.6 billion in damages; the second before the international center for settlement of investment disputes (icsid), for more than $800 million in damages; and the third, seeking roughly $757 million, before the tribunal created under the un commission on international trade law.
with the newly acquired shares in emg in addition to the 10 percent stake owned by egpc, egypt now had enough voting power on the emg board to drop all arbitration suits filed against egypt. in fact, this was a non-negotiable condition for helping israel find an outlet for its gas, one demanded repeatedly by egyptian officials: imports in exchange for eliminating arbitration fines.
the pipeline agreement additionally gives delek and noble energy the rights to use another pipeline between aqaba, jordan and arish, egypt to supply any additional quantities of israeli gas in the future.
according to the agreement and official egyptian sources, the sole owner of the aqaba-arish pipeline is east gas.
in the final tally, east gas — that is, the egyptian intelligence agency — is part owner of the pipeline to israel, a partner with dolphinus which will buy the israeli gas, and the sole owner of the pipeline to jordan, which can be used to pump israeli gas to egypt if the israeli line comes under attack in sinai — as it has numerous times in the past — or some technical flaw is discovered.
and that is not all. sources with knowledge of the deal tell mada masr that the plan now is for dolphinus (or its front, blue ocean) to buy gas from noble and delek then sell it in ashkelon to east gas, which will pump the gas to arish through the emg pipeline, where it will be sold to the egyptian state, represented by egas, which will in turn use the gas in egypt or export it.
in other words, east gas will claim transport fees on the gas pumped from israel through the pipeline it partly owns and turn an additional profit when it resells the gas to the egyptian government. it will also get a cut of any deal to move additional israeli gas from jordan to egypt and then resell that to the egyptian government at a profit, along with the transport fees for moving the gas through the aqaba-arish pipeline it owns.
with profits flowing in at every point on the supply chain, gis-owned east gas and a handful of businessmen will avoid all taxes by having registered its commercial activities in tax havens outside egypt. the company and its partners will also be fully insulated from accountability or egyptian legal sanctions in the event of any unanticipated political developments.
as with other commercial ventures it operates, the egyptian general intelligence service does not treat its ownership of east gas as a closely guarded secret. nevertheless, the agency does not typically declare its ownership, the names of shareholders, or the names of those running its companies. with the exception of a handful of interviews with east gas ceo shoeib over the last two weeks, there is little information available about the company — located on al-nabawi al-mohandes street in the sifarat area of nasr city — or other company officials. nevertheless, it is common knowledge that the company is a subsidiary of general intelligence among people working in the gas trade and transport in both the public and private sectors.
mada masr obtained an official copy of east gas’s commercial license (no. 67352), which notes the company’s activity, the names of members of its board, and all changes to the board since the firm was registered in 2013.
the chairman of the board of east gas when it was registered was lieutenant general abdel wahab sayyed ahmed, who was appointed the deputy director of the gis while omar suleiman headed the agency. in 2016, he was replaced by major general tarek sallam, gis deputy director under khaled fawzy. after sallam left the agency last year and was made egypt’s ambassador to uganda (as mada masr reported in an exclusive in august 2017), the current chairman took his place: major general ibrahim abdel salam. abdel salam was touted in the press as the potential chief of intelligence when fawzy was removed in january, before abbas kamel, formerly the president’s chief of staff, assumed the position.
according to the commercial registry issued on october 3, abdel salam was still the chairman of the board when it last met in august.
along with leadership positions on the board, the commercial registry shows that most east gas board members are drawn from the ranks of intelligence officers, meaning that most shares in the company also belong to the agency. they are appointed to the board as representatives of the egyptian company for investment projects, widely known in the business world as the commercial arm of the intelligence agency.
a search through publicly available sources turns up no information on the egyptian company for investment projects, with the exception of an address on abdel megid al-ramalli street in bab al-louq. but the orbis directory, owned by moody’s and accessible for a fee, indicates that the company was registered in 1958. in july 2013, it was headed by lieutenant general abdel wahab sayyed, then the gis deputy director and also the chair of east gas. according to orbis, the company’s shares were owned evenly by just two people: ahmed ibrahim al-awady and mohammed ahmed al-guindy.
a search for the two owners found that they were both commanders in the october 1973 war and both the recipient of state honors. member of general staff major general ahmed ibrahim al-awady is a former paratrooper commander and a current mp for the homeland defenders party for sanbalawein district in daqahlia; he is a member of the house’s defense and national security committee. major general mohammed ahmed kamal al-guindy was a pilot in the air force, a recipient of the military star, medal of duty and medal of courage.
mp awady did not respond to mada masr’s calls and messages asking for comment on his relationship to the company. guindi could not be reached for comment.
the commercial registry indicates that east gas started operating in 2006, although it was only registered as an investment company in 2013. two important facts are known about the firm: first, that the company is a subsidiary of egyptian general intelligence and second, that profits from the trade in gas go into the coffers of the company and the intelligence agency, not the public budget. these facts are established in the case files for the trial of six mubarak-era officials in the petroleum sector in connection with corruption in the export of gas to israel (case 41/2011).
according to the transcript of the interrogation of defendant ibrahim tawila, the former chair of egpc, tawila told the public prosecution that east gas was “the transporting, intermediary company” for egyptian gas to jordan before the 2011 revolution. “it received half the value of the contract from jordan,” he said, an estimated $1.8 billion. tawila said east gas was an egyptian company, “80 percent of its shares owned by egyptian national security and 20 percent by the petroleum sector.” the cairo criminal court acquitted all six defendants in the case in 2015.
in fact, this is no secret.
did egypt really “score a goal”?
in february, two days after the announcement that egypt would import natural gas from israel, president sisi addressed the deal in an impromptu speech broadcast on television while inaugurating an investors’ service center. during the speech, he answered a question no one had yet asked publicly: why import gas from israel given the talk about the huge production from egypt’s zohr gas field in the mediterranean. “i found people were — i mean, they were confused,” president sisi said. “how are you talking about the zohr field and how it will achieve self-sufficiency for us, and at the same time, you’re going to get gas from somewhere else [i.e., israel]? if we’re going to get it from somewhere else, we’ll get it through market-based mechanisms. lord, please get this straight. i mean, how much will we pay for it? right? how much will we pay? do you know how we buy our needs? do you? [laughs] no, we, thanks to god almighty — i’m not just talking, i want this to get through to you. no, we scored a goal. egyptians, we scored a big goal here. am i right?” attendees in the hall broke out in applause.
leaving aside repeated references to “market-based mechanisms” and “the private sector,” sisi perhaps thought at the time that egypt had procured israeli gas with “savvy” and thanks to the skills of the egyptian negotiators in the private sector. maybe this was what he was told by the bodies that did the negotiating. but the negotiators who signed the deal with their israeli partners certainly know better.
ci capital is one of the three biggest investment banks operating in egypt, along with efg hermes and belton. the bank is also owned by alaa arafa, acquired by him and other partners in 2016 in a deal valued at le683.
the report concludes that the cost means that the gas will be sold to the end user for “$7.50-8/mmbtu, on our calculations.” for comparison’s sake, the report refers to the cost of producing local gas in egypt, which ranges from $1.75 to $3.50 per btu after dividing costs with foreign firms, and the sale price in europe, $5.80 per btu.
in light of this cost, the report concludes that it is unlikely that israeli gas can be exported to europe, demonstrating in graph form the difference between the price egypt is paying to import israeli gas and the sale price of gas in europe.
the following table, also included in the report, further shows the difference in price between locally produced gas and israeli imports, and gas prices in the eu, us, and japan.
the reluctance may be because the report shows that the bank’s client, shoeib, who, according to sources, travelled to israel personally to negotiate the deal, knew that the deal was not in egypt’s economic interest, at least according to the report.
it may also be because the report’s contents could interfere with the egyptian government’s intention to declare egypt self-sufficient in liquefied natural gas. (the declaration was released on september 29.) the ci capital report estimates that self-sufficiency will last no more than a year or two before egypt will be compelled to restart imports. the same thing already happened in 2004, when egypt declared itself self-sufficient before soon resuming gas imports.
the report estimates that local gas supplies, including the production of the zohr field, “despite its sheer volume, will be fully absorbed” by to the need to replace egypt’s substantial lng imports, growing local demand for gas, and the need to replace the mazote that currently runs power plants with adverse economic and technical impacts, as well as the inevitable decline in production in gas fields other than zohr.
the report includes a graph that demonstrates the disparity between gas supply and demand in the coming years.
in the summer of 2018, the government raised the price of household natural gas by roughly 50 percent. the ci capital report expects (and recommends) continued cuts to government gas subsidies, anticipating that, by the time the sector is fully liberalized, the price for citizens will increase an estimated 127 percent on current prices.
egypt hopes to import gas from israel and cyprus, then treat and liquify it for export to europe.
export dreams: will zohr gas production allow egypt to light europe and its own cities?
waad ahmed | can the narratives of self sufficiency and dreams of export egypt's pinned on zohr be reconciled?


text:
I would like to apologize in advance for the awful red eye in all of these pictures you are about to see. They were hastily taken in an attempt to capture some awesome moments.
So, remember that dog I was talking about, Ace? The one I promised I would find some good humans for? Well this girl takes those kinds of promises quite seriously. Today was the day I took him to his people! Well…kind of. I took him to his grandma’s house while his new mom gets settled into her new house.
Behind the counter at the vet’s office, excited to get on the road!
Once Ace got to the vet they realized that he had been messing with his stitches, tore them open, and gotten an infection. Now, of course we aren’t happy about this but fortunately it’s an easy fix: hydrogen peroxide, antibiotics, and The Cone of Shame!
Once we got outside he promptly wiggled it right off his head.
You won this battle Ace, but we will win the war.
After we walked around some (Ace had some “business” to attend to before getting to his new home) we hopped in the car and hit the road. We had to go to a very specific store to buy the type of food that Ace was used to eating. His awesome new mom insisted that he only have the best, and she was not going to even entertain the idea of him eating something he wasn’t used to and getting an upset tummy. In my book, there is no better sign of a wonderful dog mom than someone that cares about these kinds of things. I was more than happy to oblige.
In typically pittie fashion, Ace felt the need to be right in the middle of the action, and we had a bit of a hard time keeping him in the back. Not to worry though, he helped navigate the rainy roads.
Once we got to his new place Ace went right on in and got to business introducing himself to the new people. I could write a novel about how wonderful the family is but I’ll try and keep it short and sweet. They have had pits their entire life, rescued them from rougher situations than Ace came from, and just love dogs in general. Basically, they ROCK! I would give anything for the world to be graced with more people like them.
Anyways, I went over as much about him as I knew, answered the few questions they had, and watched him get to know his new place. Of course, I wanted to make sure that they were aware of how vicious he was, so I stuck my hands in his mouth and sure enough, he attacked. Oh wait…no he didn’t!
This is seriously the biggest lover I think I have ever met. It’s pretty clear why the people at the shelter just couldn’t bring themselves to put him down. He’s perfect!
Thanks to my mom for joining me tonight and capturing these pictures (even if Ace has evil-eye in them). And an even bigger thanks to the seriously awesome, wonderful, perfect family that is now giving Ace the love he deserves!
This has been one of those weekends that makes me love being involved in rescue stuff. So many different things happened for the right reasons, with the right people, at the right time–all with the kind of outcome I love.
Saturday morning Rich and I woke up and got right on the road. We were headed to Chipley (where Dash came from!) to help with a transport to Tallahassee. Rich was so excited and kept saying “It’s like an adventure, an adventure to save some lives! It’s like we are real life super heros!” How sweet is he? After we finally found the place we started helping to load dogs up in the cars and finally got the two that we would be transporting. One was a super duper cute little puppy, Dutchess, and the other was an older Cocker Spaniel named Precious because, well, she was!
Before we left I saw a dog that I was immediately drawn to. I spent some time talking to him and fell in love. His name was Ace and he wasn’t getting taken on this transport trip, no one wanted him, but before I left I promised him I would find him some people that would love him to pieces. Just wait–this story doesn’t end here.
Soon after we left Dutchess fell asleep and Precious spent the ride snuggling as much as she could with Rich. She was quite the little love. We got to Tallahassee and met the next “leg” of the transport where Precious’s new owner also met us. She was SO excited to be getting Precious and just kept thanking us for getting Precious to her. She was already in love with her and it was the best feeling knowing that we helped unite them. The little pup was headed farther down south to a rescue group.
Right after we had the dogs situated we raced back across town so that I could pick up Maggie. We had a Pittie Party to attend! I was so excited because the event was all about positively promoting the pit bull breed which, as you might have already guessed, I’m all for! It was great, there were lots of people, lots of dogs, and lots and lots of positive interactions! Katelyn, the incredibly awesome and passionate pittie lover that organized the event put a lot of work into the event and it showed. Her dog Jango was like the ambassador for the event and he was absolutely wonderful with all the dogs there, including Maggie who was very uncertain about the whole thing at first.
Maggie and Jango, fast friends thanks to Jango’s patience and good manners.
Jango was such a good boy and patiently waited and let Maggie approach him and check him out. At first she didn’t like when the dogs approached her head on but after Jango let her “sniff him out” she seemed to realize that everyone was friends and even relaxed enough to play with some of the other dogs AND let some new people pet her. It may seem insignificant but for Maggie to let a stranger pet her is a big step in the right direction; it’s a very big deal!
A new human friend for Maggie.
Gucci sitting pretty for a treat.
Doogan running through the tunnel like a good boy.
Dakota contemplating the tunnel. He was more interested in getting loved on by everyone!
So, as you can see there were tons of beautiful dogs, all incredibly loved by their proud owners. The next event is already scheduled and Maggie and I can’t wait to go!
A tired but very happy Maggie on the way home.
Sunday started with me determined to follow through on my promise to find Ace his very own human to love him. I contacted a friend of my mom’s who I knew had a deep love for pits and, after losing her dog to cancer, was ready for a new one. She is getting ready to move in to a new house next weekend so she wanted to wait until that was settled but I contacted her and told her about Ace anyways. Turns out he sounded exactly like what she was looking for and she said “Let’s do it! We want him!” So, after making phone call after phone call, going back and forth on plans, and coordinating like crazy I was finally able to nail it all down.
Ace, he doesn’t know it but he is the luckiest dog alive right now.
Ace had been on doggie death row for a while but a compassionate lady at the shelter knew he was special and kept “shuffling around” and “losing” his paperwork to buy him another week here and another week there. Because of this we were under a time crunch so I needed to get Ace out fast. On Wednesday a volunteer is going to drive him to Tallahassee and leave him at our vet’s office where he will get checked out and microchipped. After work I will be picking Ace up (I’m so excited!) and driving him to his new mom’s mom’s house–his grandma’s house if you will. He will be staying there through the weekend so that his new mom can get settled in to her new house and he doesn’t have to be stressed with all of the moving. By this time next week Ace will be in his new home where he will be loved like crazy.
I am completely in awe that I managed to make this happen at all, let alone so quickly. Maybe it’s not in the grand scheme of my entire life, but this sure feels like my biggest accomplishment. This has been one of the best weekends I have had in as long as I can remember.
Failure? Who you callin a Failure?
If you know anyone that is in any way related to the world of rescuing animals you have probably heard the term “Foster Failure” thrown around. Some say it with a laugh and most say it with pride. Why? Because that “foster failure” stumbled upon a secret.
The dog they were only suppose to have for a short time, until it found it’s permanent (or furrever) home, was actually meant for them. Through some twist of fate, higher power, divine intervention, or whatever you want to call, they ended up fostering a dog that was actually meant for them. It’s like they got to be part of some super cool club without even trying.
I think “failing” happens for a wide variety of reasons but usually it all boils down to something just clicking. Maybe the dog reminded them of a dog they had in the past and loved dearly. Maybe it was the silliest dog they have ever met and couldn’t bear to see it go. Maybe they become so protective over the dog they decided no home would be good enough for it but theirs. Maybe the dog gets along so well with their current dogs that they couldn’t imagine breaking up the pack.
Or, if they’re like me, it’s a combination of the above. Don’t get me wrong, I am still hoping that the perfect family comes along for Maggie so that I can continue fostering but if that doesn’t happen soon I will be joining the “foster failure” club too. And I’ll be doing it with pride.
Know any particularly funny or awesome “foster failure” stories? I’d love to hear them!
Houston, we have saved the kitties…and found a dog.
After searching, calling, emailing, and praying for the last week I finally found a rescue that was able to take in the kittens that were found!
It seems my blog that was suppose to be about fostering has turned more into a blog about my adventures trying to rescue animals in general. It is truly baffling how many animals there are roaming the streets or in shelters that die every single day. I know I wasn’t as aware of it before I got so involved in rescue but I still don’t understand how there are so many people out there continuing to backyard breed and add to the already extreme over-population problem. How do they not know about how bad it is? And what I really don’t understand are the people that contact our rescue that want to give up their dog. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time. I actually have to call a person back right now that is trying to get us to take their dog. This is by far my least favorite thing to do. Sigh–someone’s gotta do it, right?
That’s right folks, now I’m on to caring for baby kittens. I swear, I don’t go looking for more animals, they just find me!
Ok, so here’s how it happened. This morning I get a call from a friend asking if the rescue I help with can take in 3 baby kittens. They were found in a cage behind a Chinese restaurant here in town and her dog does not do well with cats so she needed somewhere to take them. I explained that the rescue really can’t take them in, there is no one that can foster them, but that I would try and help.
Next thing I know she is standing in my office with a box of the cutest little kittens I’ve ever seen!
While she drove around town to various vet offices that might be able to help I got on the phone and starting calling people and also emailing every organization I could find. So far, no luck, but I am hopeful that I will hear back from someone soon that can foster these babies until they get adopted.
In the mean time, I will have an incredibly full and ill equipped house. Since two of my three dogs are not “cat friendly” the kittens will have to stay in my spare bedroom until I can find someone that wants to adopt/foster them. If you happen to know of anyone in the market for some adorable little kitties (two black ones and a brown one that has a bobtail – all are super fluffy and have beautiful blue eyes) please please please send them my way! And please, don’t turn me over to the hoarding authorities–I swear, I won’t take in any more for awhile.
Maggie is still a little camera shy but when I just have my phone out I am able to sometimes snap a few quick pictures. She is just such a goof and, in hopes of trying to help others see that, I am going to share some of my not-so-great phone pictures. Excited for a montage of Maggie? Here goes!
Wasn’t that fun? These are just a sampling of the many sides of Maggie I get to see on a daily basis.
She fits in so well with my two dogs that it’s hard to imagine not having her around if she were to get adopted but there are also so many dogs that need foster homes that I am still hoping someone perfect will come in and swoop up Maggie. Sure, I’ll miss her goofiness (that’s a word, right?) but I also want to save so many more and right now four is probably a little too many for my small space. Cross your fingers that someone great comes along for Maggie. Or better yet, share her story with some friends. You just never know when someone might be looking for a pint sized pittie like my Maggie!

lowercased:
i would like to apologize in advance for the awful red eye in all of these pictures you are about to see. they were hastily taken in an attempt to capture some awesome moments.
so, remember that dog i was talking about, ace? the one i promised i would find some good humans for? well this girl takes those kinds of promises quite seriously. today was the day i took him to his people! well…kind of. i took him to his grandma’s house while his new mom gets settled into her new house.
behind the counter at the vet’s office, excited to get on the road!
once ace got to the vet they realized that he had been messing with his stitches, tore them open, and gotten an infection. now, of course we aren’t happy about this but fortunately it’s an easy fix: hydrogen peroxide, antibiotics, and the cone of shame!
once we got outside he promptly wiggled it right off his head.
you won this battle ace, but we will win the war.
after we walked around some (ace had some “business” to attend to before getting to his new home) we hopped in the car and hit the road. we had to go to a very specific store to buy the type of food that ace was used to eating. his awesome new mom insisted that he only have the best, and she was not going to even entertain the idea of him eating something he wasn’t used to and getting an upset tummy. in my book, there is no better sign of a wonderful dog mom than someone that cares about these kinds of things. i was more than happy to oblige.
in typically pittie fashion, ace felt the need to be right in the middle of the action, and we had a bit of a hard time keeping him in the back. not to worry though, he helped navigate the rainy roads.
once we got to his new place ace went right on in and got to business introducing himself to the new people. i could write a novel about how wonderful the family is but i’ll try and keep it short and sweet. they have had pits their entire life, rescued them from rougher situations than ace came from, and just love dogs in general. basically, they rock! i would give anything for the world to be graced with more people like them.
anyways, i went over as much about him as i knew, answered the few questions they had, and watched him get to know his new place. of course, i wanted to make sure that they were aware of how vicious he was, so i stuck my hands in his mouth and sure enough, he attacked. oh wait…no he didn’t!
this is seriously the biggest lover i think i have ever met. it’s pretty clear why the people at the shelter just couldn’t bring themselves to put him down. he’s perfect!
thanks to my mom for joining me tonight and capturing these pictures (even if ace has evil-eye in them). and an even bigger thanks to the seriously awesome, wonderful, perfect family that is now giving ace the love he deserves!
this has been one of those weekends that makes me love being involved in rescue stuff. so many different things happened for the right reasons, with the right people, at the right time–all with the kind of outcome i love.
saturday morning rich and i woke up and got right on the road. we were headed to chipley (where dash came from!) to help with a transport to tallahassee. rich was so excited and kept saying “it’s like an adventure, an adventure to save some lives! it’s like we are real life super heros!” how sweet is he? after we finally found the place we started helping to load dogs up in the cars and finally got the two that we would be transporting. one was a super duper cute little puppy, dutchess, and the other was an older cocker spaniel named precious because, well, she was!
before we left i saw a dog that i was immediately drawn to. i spent some time talking to him and fell in love. his name was ace and he wasn’t getting taken on this transport trip, no one wanted him, but before i left i promised him i would find him some people that would love him to pieces. just wait–this story doesn’t end here.
soon after we left dutchess fell asleep and precious spent the ride snuggling as much as she could with rich. she was quite the little love. we got to tallahassee and met the next “leg” of the transport where precious’s new owner also met us. she was so excited to be getting precious and just kept thanking us for getting precious to her. she was already in love with her and it was the best feeling knowing that we helped unite them. the little pup was headed farther down south to a rescue group.
right after we had the dogs situated we raced back across town so that i could pick up maggie. we had a pittie party to attend! i was so excited because the event was all about positively promoting the pit bull breed which, as you might have already guessed, i’m all for! it was great, there were lots of people, lots of dogs, and lots and lots of positive interactions! katelyn, the incredibly awesome and passionate pittie lover that organized the event put a lot of work into the event and it showed. her dog jango was like the ambassador for the event and he was absolutely wonderful with all the dogs there, including maggie who was very uncertain about the whole thing at first.
maggie and jango, fast friends thanks to jango’s patience and good manners.
jango was such a good boy and patiently waited and let maggie approach him and check him out. at first she didn’t like when the dogs approached her head on but after jango let her “sniff him out” she seemed to realize that everyone was friends and even relaxed enough to play with some of the other dogs and let some new people pet her. it may seem insignificant but for maggie to let a stranger pet her is a big step in the right direction; it’s a very big deal!
a new human friend for maggie.
gucci sitting pretty for a treat.
doogan running through the tunnel like a good boy.
dakota contemplating the tunnel. he was more interested in getting loved on by everyone!
so, as you can see there were tons of beautiful dogs, all incredibly loved by their proud owners. the next event is already scheduled and maggie and i can’t wait to go!
a tired but very happy maggie on the way home.
sunday started with me determined to follow through on my promise to find ace his very own human to love him. i contacted a friend of my mom’s who i knew had a deep love for pits and, after losing her dog to cancer, was ready for a new one. she is getting ready to move in to a new house next weekend so she wanted to wait until that was settled but i contacted her and told her about ace anyways. turns out he sounded exactly like what she was looking for and she said “let’s do it! we want him!” so, after making phone call after phone call, going back and forth on plans, and coordinating like crazy i was finally able to nail it all down.
ace, he doesn’t know it but he is the luckiest dog alive right now.
ace had been on doggie death row for a while but a compassionate lady at the shelter knew he was special and kept “shuffling around” and “losing” his paperwork to buy him another week here and another week there. because of this we were under a time crunch so i needed to get ace out fast. on wednesday a volunteer is going to drive him to tallahassee and leave him at our vet’s office where he will get checked out and microchipped. after work i will be picking ace up (i’m so excited!) and driving him to his new mom’s mom’s house–his grandma’s house if you will. he will be staying there through the weekend so that his new mom can get settled in to her new house and he doesn’t have to be stressed with all of the moving. by this time next week ace will be in his new home where he will be loved like crazy.
i am completely in awe that i managed to make this happen at all, let alone so quickly. maybe it’s not in the grand scheme of my entire life, but this sure feels like my biggest accomplishment. this has been one of the best weekends i have had in as long as i can remember.
failure? who you callin a failure?
if you know anyone that is in any way related to the world of rescuing animals you have probably heard the term “foster failure” thrown around. some say it with a laugh and most say it with pride. why? because that “foster failure” stumbled upon a secret.
the dog they were only suppose to have for a short time, until it found it’s permanent (or furrever) home, was actually meant for them. through some twist of fate, higher power, divine intervention, or whatever you want to call, they ended up fostering a dog that was actually meant for them. it’s like they got to be part of some super cool club without even trying.
i think “failing” happens for a wide variety of reasons but usually it all boils down to something just clicking. maybe the dog reminded them of a dog they had in the past and loved dearly. maybe it was the silliest dog they have ever met and couldn’t bear to see it go. maybe they become so protective over the dog they decided no home would be good enough for it but theirs. maybe the dog gets along so well with their current dogs that they couldn’t imagine breaking up the pack.
or, if they’re like me, it’s a combination of the above. don’t get me wrong, i am still hoping that the perfect family comes along for maggie so that i can continue fostering but if that doesn’t happen soon i will be joining the “foster failure” club too. and i’ll be doing it with pride.
know any particularly funny or awesome “foster failure” stories? i’d love to hear them!
houston, we have saved the kitties…and found a dog.
after searching, calling, emailing, and praying for the last week i finally found a rescue that was able to take in the kittens that were found!
it seems my blog that was suppose to be about fostering has turned more into a blog about my adventures trying to rescue animals in general. it is truly baffling how many animals there are roaming the streets or in shelters that die every single day. i know i wasn’t as aware of it before i got so involved in rescue but i still don’t understand how there are so many people out there continuing to backyard breed and add to the already extreme over-population problem. how do they not know about how bad it is? and what i really don’t understand are the people that contact our rescue that want to give up their dog. it’s heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time. i actually have to call a person back right now that is trying to get us to take their dog. this is by far my least favorite thing to do. sigh–someone’s gotta do it, right?
that’s right folks, now i’m on to caring for baby kittens. i swear, i don’t go looking for more animals, they just find me!
ok, so here’s how it happened. this morning i get a call from a friend asking if the rescue i help with can take in 3 baby kittens. they were found in a cage behind a chinese restaurant here in town and her dog does not do well with cats so she needed somewhere to take them. i explained that the rescue really can’t take them in, there is no one that can foster them, but that i would try and help.
next thing i know she is standing in my office with a box of the cutest little kittens i’ve ever seen!
while she drove around town to various vet offices that might be able to help i got on the phone and starting calling people and also emailing every organization i could find. so far, no luck, but i am hopeful that i will hear back from someone soon that can foster these babies until they get adopted.
in the mean time, i will have an incredibly full and ill equipped house. since two of my three dogs are not “cat friendly” the kittens will have to stay in my spare bedroom until i can find someone that wants to adopt/foster them. if you happen to know of anyone in the market for some adorable little kitties (two black ones and a brown one that has a bobtail – all are super fluffy and have beautiful blue eyes) please please please send them my way! and please, don’t turn me over to the hoarding authorities–i swear, i won’t take in any more for awhile.
maggie is still a little camera shy but when i just have my phone out i am able to sometimes snap a few quick pictures. she is just such a goof and, in hopes of trying to help others see that, i am going to share some of my not-so-great phone pictures. excited for a montage of maggie? here goes!
wasn’t that fun? these are just a sampling of the many sides of maggie i get to see on a daily basis.
she fits in so well with my two dogs that it’s hard to imagine not having her around if she were to get adopted but there are also so many dogs that need foster homes that i am still hoping someone perfect will come in and swoop up maggie. sure, i’ll miss her goofiness (that’s a word, right?) but i also want to save so many more and right now four is probably a little too many for my small space. cross your fingers that someone great comes along for maggie. or better yet, share her story with some friends. you just never know when someone might be looking for a pint sized pittie like my maggie!