Gaddafi’s defiance is for what?
Libya and its entrenched leader are far from done. Even days after one of his son’s death in a NATO airstrike, Col Muammar Gaddafi is defiant.
The mass burial ceremony in Tripoli, which was reportedly attended by his other sons along with hundreds of people, is an indication of how politicised and polarised the Libyan society has turned, inevitably lending credence to the dictator to rule the roost. This would not have evolved had Britain and France allowed the uprising to take its due course, and led the people demanding change to triumph. A repeat of Egypt and Tunisia was stalled as extra-territorial forces intervened in a purely domestic issue, blowing it out of proportion to be dubbed as an aggression or sorts for neo-colonising Libya. At the same time, the European allies have failed to honour the mandate bestowed upon them by the United Nations to protect the civilians against government troops, and have rather compounded their miseries by waywardly flying sorties and sending down missiles.
With the passage of time, Libya is slipping into a perpetual warfare, and reflects no different from Afghanistan. This is more so because it is no more an issue of saving the civilians, who rose against Gaddafi, but has become a real-politick agenda for the West and the rebels who are more than eager to slice a part of Libya for their vested objectives. Though the uprising enjoys support worldwide and a broader base at home, it should not come at the expense of the country’s territorial integrity. The reported instance of some rebel chieftains grabbing a section of oil wells and selling the crude to foreign markets speaks highly of the collapsing writ of the state, which is quite unfortunate. This scrambling of territory and political influence, coupled with migration of its citizens, is costing this oil-and-mineral rich country too dearly.
Gaddafi has no recourse but to quit. The personal tragedy that he has seen last week should be more than enough for him to find a rationale in conceding power. Though as a statesman, he should have humbly bowed out when the nation rose against him — sparing the death of hundreds of innocent people and destruction of property to the tune of billions of dollars. As they say, it’s late but never too late, the embattled leader still holds the last say. It’s time to bid adieu to the false power ceiling.
Cityports the next step
The Arab Travel Mart currently under way is a clear indication that people are very much on the go and the spectre of recession has not been able to frighten people into shutting the doors on the outside world.
Have business will travel still works. The new slogan for the second decade of this century could well be that the world meets in airports. This is not an overestimated statement of the growing importance of airports worldwide. A focal point for diverse industries such as entertainment, tourism and Meetings, Incentive, Conferences and Exhibition (MICE), airports today have grown much beyond just passengers and cargo. The development of airports in cities, such as London and Amsterdam, has earned them the title of Airport Cities. Metropolises worldwide are now trying to emulate the Airport City concept by adding more features to their airport master plan, by going much beyond just building arrival and departure terminals and airside facilities. Abu Dhabi and Dubai spearhead such enterprises.
An Airport City is a self-contained unit in which the airport serves not just as a landing field or point of departure for aircraft but
creates its infrastructure and its own ambience. The Cityport as it will soon be known is rather like a grounded cruise ship in which everything is available by way of facilities and it has both the acumen and expertise as well to ensure a smooth running of the system while offering passengers in-terminal facilities.
So, you have hotels. Hospitals and clinics. Medical attention. Playing areas. Entertainment options. Food outlets. Shopping arcades. Communication facilities. Intermodal transportation. Even options for health clubs and spa treatments and salons. Tomorrow, who knows, a golf course, tennis courts and indoor squash courts for a quick game between flights.
On the technical side, spare part options on the premises, swifter procedures and turnaround times, in-house maintenance, airport staff housing colonies and more elaborate apron movements. The emphasis on Airport Cities is due to many reasons. The foremost being airports are under pressure to create additional revenue streams. The complete package of amenities available at the airport is a strong attraction for major air carriers, cargo integrators and manufacturing and distribution centres to specific airports, hence increasing their competitive edge in the global economy.
There is no other way to go. Dependency has to be taken out of the book on good airports and warehousing and instant access to materials made mandatory.
The emerging Airport Cities has resulted in different airports demonstrating stronger elements of one or the other type of facilities. And good, healthy tourism will be at the core of this next phase.
0 comments:
Post a Comment