Readers contemplate whether Saddam Hussein’s fate would have been any different if the US had not responded with force to the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Ramzi Haidar / AFP
Readers contemplate whether Saddam Hussein’s fate would have been any different if the US had not responded with force to the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Ramzi Haidar / AFP

Sanctions might have worked against Saddam



Sorry, but I can't agree with Faisal Al Yafai's conclusions in What if the US had not invaded Iraq in 1991 (August 4).

The article assumes the 1991 invasion was the only way to drive Saddam out. This is false.

The UN imposed sanctions before the invasion just after Kuwait was occupied and Saddam offered to withdraw if the sanctions were lifted.

This article assumes that the sanctions would not exist if there was no invasion, but they came before the invasion.

Mohannad Alchalabi, Dubai

Without intervention, would Saddam Hussein have stopped at Kuwait's borders or would he have kept going? There was certainly some fear at the time. Dave Pryce, Abu Dhabi

Airlines should make changes

It will take more than the discovery of debris before we know why the Malaysian Airlines plane crashed (Are there any lessons to gain from MH370?, August 3).

Until they find the voice recorder and flight data recorder we can only speculate.

However, a number of recommendations were made when the incident occurred and I'm wondering how many of them have been implemented.

I believe this is the real question that is not being answered. For example, the engine manufacturers can receive data on a real-time basis, but how many airline companies have acquired this application?

Randall Mohammed, Dubai

Uncertainty may affect property

There may be other reasons for the current real-estate situation in Dubai (Falling prices don't mean property market maturity, August 3).

The falling market could also mean a decline in investor confidence due to the political situation in some neighbouring countries.

It could also be a result of restricted lending due to the introduction of the new credit bureau.

Iftikhar Gader, Dubai

Medical care should be free

More Dubai employees now have health cover (August 2) is welcome news.

I think the UAE should follow the health care system in the UK. All treatment should be free regardless of the patient's nationality.

Mohd Nawas, Abu Dhabi

Insurance of any type is fantastic – until you need to make a claim. That's when you realise your policy isn't as good as the salesman made it sound.

Many insurance companies go the extra mile not to have to pay out. Justin Webb, Dubai

Children need open spaces

In reference to Parents see red over play ban on green areas in Mudon (August 2), I think children are losing by not having space in which to play.

All children need to be able to run around, hit a ball, discover nature, climb a tree, play marbles in the sand and simply have the chance to be young.

Let them play on the grass and be free spirits while they can, because youth disappears so quickly.

Name withheld by request

Children don't have the space to play because too many are now living in apartment buildings. Many countries have this problem, including mine.

K Ragavan, India

Friendly gesture ends film rivalry

I know the simple answer to the question posed in Clash of the titans: why Salman Khan gave up his Eid slot to Shah Rukh Khan (August 3).

It was a goodwill gesture, as they are now friends.

Arif Hassan, India

Cars don't need to go on holiday

Taking your car to a foreign place makes little sense to me (Take your car to London, but show some sense, too, August 4).

Seeing young Arabs driving flashy cars certainly gives people the wrong impression of the Gulf.

These super cars speak for themselves when they are on the road, no matter where in the world. The drivers don't have to participate in competitions or parades to seek attention.

Fatima Suhail, Sharjah

I would show off too, if I could. I love these cars.

Melanie Neadeau, US

'My Son'

Director: Christian Carion

Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis

Rating: 2/5

Haemoglobin disorders explained

Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.

Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.

The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.

The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.

A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.

THURSDAY'S FIXTURES

4pm Maratha Arabians v Northern Warriors

6.15pm Deccan Gladiators v Pune Devils

8.30pm Delhi Bulls v Bangla Tigers

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Business Insights
  • Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
  • The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
  • US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat