Badara

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Minister Aziz and Khalid bin-Ahmad

PHILANTHROPIST AWARDED LLD

At the National Institute of Technology, Khalid bin-Ahmad, Managing Partner of Marakesh Valves and Fittings, was presented a Legum Doctor award for his extremely generous contributions to the scholarship funds of Huba Akim Technical School for Girls in Dar as Salam over many years. Minster of Infrastructure and Transport Abdul Aziz presented this award and thanked bin-Ahmad on behalf of the government for doing his part and more to make Jumhuriat al-Badara a success. In his remarks accepting the LLD, bin-Ahmad said he and his company had been extremely fortunate; they were specialty suppliers to Utility Structures Unlimited and as that company's business expanded exponentially so did the business of Marakesh Valves and Fittings. He wanted to find a way to share his good fortune with others who might not have had a chance as the Prophet said was the will of Akim.

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Defense Minister Ahmed Beheshti with Invasion Response Forces

BEHESHTI REVIEWS INVASION RESPONSE FORCE

Defense Minister Achmed Beheshti visited Southwest Mu'Tasim Army Command to review the responsibilities of that command in the event of an invasion of the island of Mu'Tasim by enemy forces. Defense Command Strategy calls for the response to the appearance of any enemy forces off of Mu'Tasim to the south to initially consist of ground forces from Southwest Mu'Tasim Army Command, Southwest Mu'Tasim Task Force, the naval task force whose home port is Dar as Salam and Mu'Tasim Air Command which will soon include an air group using the A-1 aircraft purchased from the military aircraft manufacturer New Dawn as soon as training is complete.

Beheshti reviewed the 22d Motorized Heavy Infantry (Huba Ahmad) Regiment and congratulated them on their readiness to be part of the Defense Command plan of response to invasion by stopping them on the beach by hitting them with everything we have.

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Admiral bin-Yusuf presenting management award

NAVAL PORT OF RAS AL-ULIMA RECEIVES AWARD

Admiral Yasser bin-Yusuf, Chief of the Naval Staff, presented the government wide Annual Management Trophy to the Naval Port of Ras al-Ulima for its completion of expansion of the naval port and its shipyard to accommodate units from the Northeast Mu'Tasim Task Force to form the Nashwa Task Force and the patrol boat purchases from Majatran Fishing of Al'Baharia based in the port of al'Buqiyaa. All personnel will receive citations in their files as well as one week vacation in the form of comp time.

Admiral Harun al-Nayan, Commander of the Naval Port of Ras al-Ulima,who accepted the award on behalf of the Port, attributed the success of the project in coming in under budget and ahead of schedule entirely to commitment by all managers involved to the principles of Less Than Zero Budgeting and of Total Quantity Management (known in government circles as the personal philosophy of every middle manager discovered after lengthy inward meditation and reflection; the actual principles of which however remain elusive).

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BIER QASSEM CHRONICLE


Chancellor el-Qassem at the Akim Akbar

NEW CASINO FOR AL-KAMELAH

Chancellor Khalifi el-Qassem met with executives of the Royal Oasis Hotel chain at the Akim Akbar Hotel in Al-Kamelah which Royal Oasis had recently acquired. The plan was to renovate and expand the hotel so it could be operated as a hotel and casino with beach frontage on possibly the most popular beach on the island of Mu'Tasim and definitely the most popular in the province of Al'Fostat In addition to the shopping and restaurant and casino in the hotel and the beaches, Royal Oasis planned on having whale tours in season and bus tours inland to camel races and wadis. The hotel and casino would have a Cannrillaise theme featuring cafes, art colonies, hot air balloons, fine cuisine and haute couture. Since they also operated the Bactrian in Dar as Salam and the Dromedary in Ras el-Haram, they were calling this operation the Chameau.

The Chancellor suggested instead of shuttling international and inter island tourists from the airport at Bier Qassem as they were doing with the Dromedary and the Bactrian, they might simply shuttle them from the Al-Kamelah Regional Airport to the hotel; if that option was chosen he felt sure financing from the Ministries of Environment and Tourism and of Infrastructure and Transport would be available for purchases of biobuses from Big Island Bio as well as for for the tour buses. El-Qassem also assured Royal Oasis that loans for the expansion were available from the Central Bank with funds appropriated for the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

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BIER QASSEM CHRONICLE


Sultan Hotel in Al'Buqiyaa

MAJATRAN AHMADI THEME HOTEL TO OPEN IN AL'BUQIYAA

Royal Oasis Hotels has acquired the Imperial Hotel in Al'Buqiyaa, its first venture into the tourism business on the island of Nashwa. Royal Oasis plans for the renovated property to have a Majatran history and culture theme as well as an Ahmadi religious theme. The restaurant and casino staff will wear clothing appropriate to servants of the Sultanate and there will be a traditional food buffet constantly in operation. The primary tours will be to sites of religious historical significance in Al'Buqiyaa and to the mosques and shrines of the Holy City of Abu Jacob. The hotel itself will have a Majatran art and culture museum located with its conference rooms. Management has not yet decided whether to have religious history slot machines or whether that is really pushing it. The Hotel and Casino will be called the Sultan.

Although aware that financing is available for the renovation, management currently believes its operation can be paid out of allocations from profits from its own ongoing operations but is happy it has the backing of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism given by Minister ben-Bella.

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BIER QASSEM COURIER BEACON


QAS Oil Rig Off AL'Buqiyaa

KERBOGHA ADDRESSES OIL PRODUCTION

President Moqtada Kerbogha addressed public and private utility managers at an annual event sponsored by Utility Structures Unlimited (USU) at the Dromedary Hotel and Casino in Ras el-Haram. The President praised the modernization of water systems by USU in several cities and while fielding questions remarked on the crude oil market price decrease. Kerbogha said the government believed the observations of the Energy and Energy Affairs Minister of Kazulia were on point and it would really be beneficial to all oil producing nations to have a concerted plan to stabilize prices or at least production rather than have haphazard reactions to difficulties by individual nations before an oil glut actually occurred rather than after. He noted that Kafuristan and Vascania are already reducing production and Jumhuriat al-Badara is prepared to cooperate in concert with other nations.

The President felt the Majatran Economic Association(MEA) was the proper vehicle to in which to work to arrive at such a joint effort. Kerbogha indicated despite the hard feelings that are constantly on display, it was the judgment of the government that all members were very desirous of having a Majatran wide effort to aid in the economic prosperity of all. Kerbogha knew workers on the sewer lines had little sympathy for diplomats but noted they also serve who only sip Canrillaise wine and wait for opportunities to make a deal.

The President anticipated that should an appropriate amount for reduction be agreed upon, the nationally owned corporation Petroleum Development of al-Badara could absorb the reduction at least for a while without an effect on privately owned production. New leasing suspension would be the next step.

President Kerbogha does believe the safety net is still in place and displaced workers are not going to be destitute. Should there be a Terra wide oil glut, the most noticeable initial effect would be slowing economic expansion since that is fueled not only by government loans and capital injection and expenditures but by new capital arriving from petroleum sale profits.

Kerbogha felt there was opportunity for success but assured the audience the government was prepared for failure. President Kerbogha emphasized the government was doing all it could to work with other nations to prevent this from occurring.

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BIER QASSEM COURIER BEACON


Science and Technology Minister el-Radwan

GOVERNMENT MAY PROPOSE DEAL TO THE 3M

During a seminar at the National Institute of Technology School of Pharmacy, Science and Technology Minister Hamad el-Radwan responded to questions on outbreaks posed to him by students. El-Radwan answered that the government was still responsible for supplying prescribed drugs to all patients free of charge even though there were now some privately owned pharmaceutical businesses which in effect sold their products to the government to supply to patients sometimes through privately owned pharmacies. Although the paperwork was now more complicated the result was still the same.

The Minister said the People's Assembly had twice looked at the usual arrangement the 3M had proposed but had concluded so far that sending government funds outside the nation rather than spending them internally did not seem to make sense. He noted however in the particular instance the student had raised the government was now considering a proposal to the 3M. This is in view of considerably greater contact with Terra outside our own borders leads to the distinct possibility of an outbreak of a form that the health facilities in place find unfamiliar. But it may be quite familiar to the 3M with its vast experience as the leading pharmaceutical supplier throughout Terra.

Accordingly, he expected the government to ask the 3M if Jumhuriat al-Badara could be put on a regular customer basis in the event of an outbreak for treatments and vaccines; the government would be amenable to committing to a premium price in advance or to paying a regular retainer fee.

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BIER QASSEM COURIER BEACON


Chancellor el-Qassem at the Chameau

CHANCELLOR ADDRESSES ECONOMIC MEASURES

At a seminar sponsored by the Al'Kamelah School of Business at the Chameau Hotel and Casino, Chancellor Khalifi el-Qassem confirmed that the views expressed by Mr. Henning Svendsen, Kazulian Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs, were shared by the government. The Chancellor observed:

We are still working through the Majatran Economic Association (MEA) seeking to avert an oil glut. Four of the five nations with the largest reserves of oil and gas are now in discussions in the MEA; however at this juncture it is much more likely that the MEA will successfully prepare to cushion the disaster for member states with grants and loans than take any concerted action to prevent the down turn in oil prices from turning into a Terra wide oil glut. Jumhuriat al-Badara does support the funding of the grants and loans in question.

We do note as something hopeful that two of those with the largest oil and gas reserves are reducing oil production significantly. Jumhuriat al-Badara will do the same; we will be reducing the planned barrels per day by 20% and the current amount by about 15%. We do regret the lack of coordination since our own knowledge is of oil production figures but not long term market fluctuation experience (or even expertise achieved by inward reflection). We could use some experienced leadership.

The first four effects we expect are 1) with less new money flowing into our nation, expansion of business will dwindle and some new business will experience a good deal of stress, 2) the initial downturn in production will be largely absorbed by Petroleum Development of al-Badara, the government corporation producing and selling oil, 3) Majatran Leasing Corporation and others seeking leases from the government to extract and produce crude oil will seek far fewer new leases, and 4) the government will be reviewing legislation to see that the safety net for the citizenry does not collapse as taxes collected are reduced.

We are taking responsibility for the consequences of the Free Radical agenda and will not allow any citizen to be a casualty of ideology.]

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Bier QASSEM COURIER BEACON


Health and Social Services Minister Bashir ibn Ortoq


GOVERNMENT HAS DEAL WITH THE 3M

At an Al'Fostat wide meeting of hospital administrators in Al-e-Ahmad City, Health and Services Minister Bashir ibn Ortoq in response to questions announced:

A contractual arrangement had been concluded between the 3M, the most experienced and successful producer and supplier of pharmaceuticals throughout Terra, and the Ministry of Health and Social Services on behalf of the government of Jumhuriat al-Badara. The government and the 3M have negotiated an appropriate monthly retainer fee allowing it to purchase any of the pharmaceutical products available for market price less an agreed upon discount.

The impetus on the part of the Ministry was the realization that the government which has the obligation to all citizens to fill prescriptions free of charge could meet the usual need for prescription drugs but that with greater contact with the rest of Terra, we were at risk of an outbreak of a medical emergency originating elsewhere but for which Jumhuriat al-Badara may well be ill prepared. Certainly this has happened elsewhere. In order to be prepared rather than caught in a camel race with no saddle, the Ministry consulted with the 3M and came to an agreement believed to be satisfactory to both.

With the agreement in place the Ministry is likely to address some other ongoing problems the most publicly discussed of which is the unhappiness of patients, physicians and pharmacies with the statin drugs supplied by drug suppliers both private and government owned. While we obviously need to control cholestorol levels; too many patients complain of side effects; the men more persistently. The CO - Q 10 many chiropractors suggest to offset this is so inconsistent in strength and added ingredients that it is not much help. Accordingly the Ministry will be looking to the 3M for a good statin based drug to purchase and make available. We believe many drug suppliers public and private want out of the cholestrol business because of the complaints.

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BIER QASSEM COURIER BEACON


Air Marshal Faisal al-Makhtoum

AIR CHIEF INSPECTS NASHWA AIR DEFENSE FACILITIES

Air Marshal Faisal al-Makhtoum, Air Force Chief of Staff, visited Nashwa Air Command Headquarters as he began his inspection of air defense facilities and air units responsible for air defense in the first response to any invasion of or air attack on the island of Nashwa. Nashwa Air Command includes Attack Group 2 composed primarily of the A-1 attack planes acquired from the aircraft manufacturer New Dawn. Air Group 2 is charged with routinely patrolling north of Nashwa to detect any hostile naval movement.

Nashwa Air Command, Nashwa Army Command and Nashwa Task Force whose home port is Ras al-Ulima will be responsible for hitting any invasion force attempting to reach Nashwa with everything it had at the beaches. Reserves would come from Mu'Tasim Air Command and Northeast Mu'Tasim Task Force.

The Air Marshal remarked to reporters that of course diplomacy was always the first line of defense; military preparedness was only Plan B; but when there is a Plan B, Plan A usually works.