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Global warming is a scientific fact which no one can deny. But stating Carbon dioxide emission as its cause remains unproven. The earth has passed through many warming cycles in its history when records show much less carbon in the atmosphere. The cause of global warming is the activity of the sun as was shown in a British TV programme recently calling it ‘The great global warming swindle’ in which many international scientists and space experts took part.
   Recently there have been many warnings about polar ice and mountain glaciers melting due to couple of degrees rise in global temperature without any thought that ice needs to reach zero Celsius for it to melt. The temperature in the environment of the polar caps and glaciers have only climbed two degrees from about minus 17 to minus 15, so how does ice melt at this temperature violating elementary knowledge of physics? Obviously, this melting is occurring due to some other mechanism like the microwave and other radiation from the sun which has increased, which heats and melts the ice from inside outwards rather than vice versa, which would be the action of global warming.
   Also increased global temperature must mean more evaporation of sea water which should form more clouds to block the sun’s emission, thus neutralising the warming effect, but this is not happening. The TV programme showed that evaporated sea water needs cosmic particles (which always bombard the earth’s atmosphere from the cosmos) to condense around it and form clouds and this is not happening because the sun’s increased emissions are interfering with the cosmic particles and deflecting them
   from earth.
   So instead of falsely concentrating on carbon emission, the scientists should try to find some methods to encourage cloud formation. For instance, although it may sound like science fiction, releasing balloons in the atmosphere with cloud forming spores might do the trick if done in large numbers
   worldwide.
   Sea water vapour, if it does not form clouds, constitutes about 95 per cent of all green house gases, including carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere and is a much serious cause of global warming.
   Shafi Ahmed
   London, UK

The over-all scenario in the Middle East is becoming fairly clear with the US adding more forces to the region aimed at the ‘ultimate victory’ over the Arabs. The earlier impression gained was that the USA and other nations that have sent forces to Afghanistan and Iraq would go for a gradual withdrawal beginning with troop reductions, leaving the Muslim nations to choose their own ‘democratic’ establishments.
   Before the US Congressional polls there was indeed a plan discussed among the contributing nations to Middle East wars about their withdrawal once the elections were over. But the defeat of the Republicans and the majority gained by the Democrats in the Congress has changed the overall perception of the USA, not just the Republicans alone. Notwithstanding the fight in the Congress over troop withdrawal or additions between the Democrats and Republicans, there seems to be a consensus among them as well as the CIA-Pentagon combine to stay on in Afghanistan and Iraq and concentrate on the Iranian and Syrian borders. This idea seems to have run into rough weather with other nations differing largely on the subject, but Washington has the capacity and means to persuade them to fall in line of the USA.
   Ideally, then, the USA single-handedly managed the affairs, including the resources in the region, aided by the UNSC and NATO. The most credible conclusion of all this manoeuvring was to ensure that the USA will stay on and all other countries will withdraw themselves at their convenience or completely. Over 17 nations across the continents have already withdrawn their troops fully or partially, while the USA has added more troops to the field.
   That means that the US has decided to annex the energy rich nations in the Middle East and these nations would be made part of the US empire according its Neo-imperialistic plan. References, in support of the US empire, are being forwarded by the US officials to Russia’s annexing Chechnya and Tatarstan etc, and India capturing Kashmir and making it part of Indian Union soon after it became independent. The Neo-cons reckon that this sound justification would be offered in due course.
   Agreement, then, rather than any disagreement, on the US controlling the Middle East seems to have been worked out among the occupying forces in favour of the US decision to say on. Establishment of a New Middle East supported efficiently by the US brand of democracy is at best a farce, if not a joke. Meanwhile, Russia and USA have resumed their old Cold War tactics, probably to detract the world attention from the US agenda for the Middle East. Would some spokesperson in the White House speak out the real intention of the USA in the Middle East, please?
   Dr Abdul Ruff Colachal
   JNU, New Delhi

Pepsi has stolen our Tiger logo and given it to India. Tiger has been the most important symbol in our struggle to brand Bangladesh. Australia is known by Kangaroo, Singapore by Lion, Malaysia by Hornbill, and we have come a long way in branding Bangladesh with Tiger. How dare Pepsi tries to brand India with Tiger, stealing our very own identity from us? That too in the month of March?
   Javeed Ahsan
   Dhaka