The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine multipurpose canard-delta strike fighter aircraft. The aircraft is used by the German Luftwaffe, the Italian Air Force, the Spanish Air Force and the UK's Royal Air Force. It is built in Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain by a consortium involving BAE (BAE Systems), EADS (The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) and Finmeccanica.

The 4.43 billion pound ($8.86 billion) agreement was signed by the government of Saudi Arabia and Britain on Sept. 11 last year.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Defense and Aviation, the Kingdom will pay the same price for each jet as the Royal Air Force pays.

The deal followed an August 2006 agreement in principle and a memorandum of understanding between the two governments to modernize the Saudi armed forces. The memorandum, signed in December 2005, also provides for "a transfer of technology, investment in defense industry inside Saudi Arabia and the training of Saudi pilots," according to the Saudi Ministry of Defense.

Prince Khaled denied that Saudi and American officials had discussed any arms deals during US President George Bush's visit to the Kingdom earlier this month. "No discussions with American officials took place regarding arms," he stated.

The prince was speaking to reporters at a symposium entitled, "The Dangers of Asbestos and Safe Ways of Combating Them." He said the Ministry of Defense had been among the first Saudi ministries to begin implementing the removal of asbestos from all its facilities.

"The Ministry of Defense has been working for the past six and seven years to remove this substance from all its military facilities," he said. "We have finished the removal from military facilities in Sharourah and the southern region," he said, adding that work was underway to remove the substance from all military facilities in the Kingdom.

Asbestos have been used for a wide range of manufactured goods, mostly in building materials (roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products, and asbestos cement products), friction products (automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts), heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets, and coatings.

Asbestos fibers can enter the air or water from the breakdown of natural deposits and manufactured asbestos products. Its fibers do not evaporate into air or dissolve in water. Small-diameter fibers and particles may remain suspended in the air for a long time and be carried long distances by wind or water before settling down.

People working in industries that make or use asbestos products or who are involved in asbestos mining may be exposed to high levels of asbestos. People living near these industries may also be exposed to high levels of asbestos in air.

Asbestos mainly affects the lungs and the membrane that surrounds the lungs. Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers for a long time may result in scar-like tissue in the lungs and in the pleural membrane (lining) that surrounds the lung. This disease is called asbestosis. People with asbestosis have difficulty breathing, often a cough, and in severe cases heart enlargement. Asbestosis is a serious disease and can lead to disability and death.

By Raid Qusti

© Arab News 2008

 

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