European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 16, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Suez crisis Anglo French failure in 1956 by David Mason associated press a rash of soul searching has broken out in Britain Over the Laflura of the Anglo French invasion of he Suez canal zone 30years  1956 thrust of gunboat diplomacy conducted in collusion with Israel was aimed at recovering the vital International waterway seized by Gamal Abdel Nasser if not overthrowing the charismatic egyptian Leader himself. Instead the attack brought bitter confrontation with the United states which strenuously opposed he invasion and ended in an ignominious withdrawal of British and French forces and a consequent dimming of Western Europe s influence in the Middle East. At the same Lime the soviet Union rallied its rockets and Felt emboldened in mid november to suppress the hungarian insurrection that had erupted in late october. Sir Anthony Eden Britain s conservative prime minister was forced to step Down. Julian Amery a conservative member of parliament who had closely followed the Suez crisis wrote recently in the sunday Telegraph that political disaster followed irom the . Opposition to the Suez Man Euver. Two world War had already gravely weakened the influence of Europe in the world. The defeat of Britain and France at Suez by the United slates finally marked British Iro opt with mortar to Tref troop train Porterie Mutt far the open ton in the com zone in Tea Applew the end of Europe As the arbiter of International affairs Amery wrote. It was indeed Europe s  Robert Rhodes James whose authorized biography Anthony Eden was published this october whole in the times of London that Eden should not shoulder sole blame Lor the fiasco. It is too often inadequately realized that his assessment of Nasser his actions and his menace to British interests and to Middle East stability was absolutely right Rhodes wrote. Yet another attempt to explain what went wrong came from William Rees Mogg a former Zolitor of 77w times who worked briefly with Eden during the Suez episode. Egypt and the threat of Cairo sprawl by John k1fner new York times Twenty five years ago Whan he was ayoung boy Sayyed Fouad recalled the ground on which he now stood was All farms Fields of wheat and vegetables that fed the City of Cairo seemingly far away across the River. The electrician now 33, was standing in a narrow Alley Between seven Story Brick apartment buildings packed so densely that the Sun barely penetrated. His plastic sandals were sinking into a mixture of dirt and  the neighbourhood called Mounira Al Gedidah is part of Cairo housing about 100,000 people packed together at a density of about Bod people to an acre within a few years the neighbourhood is expected to grow to about 150,000 people which will give it a density of More than 1,000 per acre. The."3 Are no paved streets in Mounira Al Gedidah. Nor Are there sewers. Garbage is strewn in heaps along the centers of the main streets browsed on by donkeys goats and chickens. The stench of human waste permeates the air As the pedestrians mostly women balancing their burdens on their Heads pick their Way on the dry spots along the dlr roads and alleys. This is a microcosm of Urban Egypt said or. Dirk Vandowalle an american who is studying Urban problems Here As he walked through Mounira Al Gedidah recently. He estimated that about half of the 10 million people of Cairo lived in such neighbourhoods. This is pretty average housing probably better than most he said. It violates every single City planning regulation on the  scholars Diplomat and other experts Here say that along with the uncontrolled birth rate the unplanned and unchecked sprawl of Cairo gobbling up the few remnants of Fertile land around in is a major problem facing the government of president Hosni  was once an exporter of food now More than Hall of what it eats must be imported. A Lew years ago the narrow strip of arable land along the Nile was put at Only 5 percent of the country s total land. Today experts say that has shrunk to 3 percent. The farmlands have been replaced by housing Warrens Urban villages of Jerry built apartment buildings some perched on top of what had been one Story Arm  housing is the official name Given to buildings put up without permits inspection or other regulation. About 80 percent of the housing in Cairo is is photo by j. Kino chug Cairo i to witted congested. The pop Letlon la spreading into outlying Nui gobbling up the Ferem Nentz of Fertile lend around the City whote population it expected to retell 20 a Totlian by the turn of the Century. Page 16 the stars and stripes said to be  once in a while one of the buildings collapses usually killing a Hundred or so people. Tim neighbourhood that have grown up in recent years receive Tittle in tha Way of City services. Not Only is there no sewerage in Mounira Al Gedidah but Only about half of lha families have municipal water piped in. Tha Only thing close to Public transport is a number of pick up trucks equipped with benches and cloth canopies that shuttle about the Muddy streets. A recent world Bank study said improvements in Urban services planned by the government were woefully inadequate to meet minimum service Levels desired for Egypt s  but even that study was based on the optimistic projection that Egypt s population will reach 66 million by the year �000. The population has already reached 51 million and is now growing at the rate of one million every eight months. The country s population is thus expected to reach 70 million to 80 million by the turn of the Century with thai of Cairo doubling to 20 million. The government has drawn up plans for nine new cities and satellite towns in outlying areas to relieve the population pressure but the world Bank study expressed doubt. Even if implemented As planned the fee standing new communities and Remote areas will accommodate Only a very Small part of the Urban  the report said adding there is no escape from sunday november 16, 1986 improving the functioning of these existing cities by a lengthening their Urban infrastructure and providing for their growth in efficient  there is Little sign that such planning la taking Jace. Even some of the improvements such As the Cairo subway whose construction is plodding along Well behind schedule Are Likely to have unforeseen results engineers now few the subway will change the water table in the City possibly causing tha collapse of hundreds of buildings in the slum quarters Cairo generate about 4,000 ions of garbage a Day experts say. Of which about 600 ions a Day remains uncollected. In some areas the accretion of garbage has raised the Street level As much As two feet at the Entrance to another Alley a group of Young men wearing the distinctive Scarf of upper Egypt looped around their necks Sal at the tables of a coffees no. The men were construction workers they said building More housing in the once Rural neighbourhood of Warak Al Arab a few mites Down the River. There Are still a few tiny patches of Green left in this  decorations on some buildings indicate what had once been country Homes of the Gentry. Their Crew chief said a had begun to bring workers Here from the a Iyul area so years ago. The workers said they made three to five egyptian pounds a Day attest around $3. We Are the forgotten people one said