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Dubai, UAE  – Caterpillar Inc. has entered into an international power projects (IPP) agreement with Zahid Group, which recently formed a new subsidiary company, Altaaqa Global. As an IPP partner, Altaaqa Global will provide multi-megawatt temporary power solutions around the world, supported by partnerships within the worldwide Cat® dealer network.

L-R Front Row: Fahad Y. Zahid & Bill Rohner; L-R Back Row: Josh Eggert, Peter den Boogert, Stuart Levenick, Rick Rathe, Steven Meyrick
L-R Front Row: Fahad Y. Zahid & Bill Rohner; L-R Back Row: Josh Eggert, Peter den Boogert, Stuart Levenick, Rick Rathe, Steven Meyrick

“Zahid Group has demonstrated a proven track record of excellent customer service for more than 60 years,” said Bill Rohner, Vice President of Electric Power at Caterpillar. “Having them as a strategic partner will help expand Caterpillar’s evolving role in the IPP market.”

“Caterpillar’s global presence and Altaaqa Global’s temporary power expertise is a powerful synergy,” said Steven Meyrick, Managing Director of Altaaqa Global. “Bringing power to solutions is what we are offering. Bringing power where it is needed, when it is needed.”

“Our temporary power plants are mobile, easy to deploy and quick to install,” said Peter den Boogert, General Manager, Business Development of Altaaqa Global. “We can intelligently generate electricity within weeks in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific.”

Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Altaaqa Global will provide fast-track and large-scale temporary power solutions from 20MW to 100MW and more, offering gas, diesel or dual fuel technology to various sectors such as oil & gas, power utilities, mining, government services, military, manufacturing and construction. The company aims to serve its customers with engineered solutions tailored to the specific requirements of each industry. Highly experienced Cat power generation consultants along with a specialized power generation team from Altaaqa Global are fully aligned right from the planning phase, ensuring that the technical and logistical aspects of projects are addressed both effectively and efficiently.

For more information, visit www.altaaqaglobal.com/pr  or e-mail info@altaaqaglobal.com.  

# # #

About Caterpillar
For more than 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2011 sales and revenues of $60.1 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company also is a leading services provider through Caterpillar Financial Services, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services, Caterpillar Logistics Services and Progress Rail Services.

CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow”, the “Power Edge” trade dress, as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

About Zahid Group
Zahid Group represents a diverse range of companies, offering comprehensive, customer-centric solutions in a number of thriving industries. Some of those include construction; mining; oil & gas; agriculture; power, electricity & water generation; material handling; building materials; transportation & logistics; real estate development; travel & tourism; waste management & recycling; and hospitality.
http://www.zahid.com

About Altaaqa Global
Altaaqa Global, a subsidiary of Zahid Group, has been selected by Caterpillar Inc. to deliver multi-megawatt turnkey temporary power solutions worldwide. Altaaqa Global is able to provide large-scale turnkey temporary power solutions anytime, anywhere at extremely short notice. Altaaqa Global has state-of-the-art temporary power equipment and focused expertise to quickly deliver power projects of 20MW to 100MW and more.
http://www.altaaqaglobal.com

About Altaaqa Alternative Solutions
Altaaqa is an environmentally responsible provider of electrical power, water and temperature control solutions serving exclusively the dynamic Saudi Arabian market. Operating out of six branches strategically located across the Kingdom, the company focuses on providing added value through fully customizable offerings tailored to specific customer requirements.
http://www.altaaqa.com

PRESS INQUIRIES

Robert Bagatsing
Altaaqa Global
Tel: +971 56 1749505
rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

Dan Matarelli
Caterpillar Inc.
Tel: +1 312-972-5233
Matarelli_Dan@cat.com

Reader Requests

Altaaqa Global
Marketing Department
P.O. Box 262989
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Social Media

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AltaaqaGlobal
Linkedin Group:  http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Altaaqa-Global-4875736/about
Linkedin Company:  http://www.linkedin.com/company/altaaqa-global-cat-rental-power
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/AltaaqaGlobal  
G+:  https://plus.google.com/103611566876416785980/posts

Release Number: AG-PR-2013-04-15

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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22-year-old Yityish Aynaw, the first ever black Miss Israel has branded US President Barack Obama as a 'world class hunk, charming and exciting gentleman' and has added that she did not think first lady Michelle Obama would be jealous or mind the compliments.

This has been reported in telegraph.co.uk of dated 22nd of March 2013.

In his reply, President Obama reportedly told Miss Israel that she was very beautiful and that Michelle would have been very happy to be as tall as her!

It may be recalled that the president had himself expressed a desire to meet Yityish Aynaw, the first ever Miss Israel – the invitation had been extended by the staff of President Obama as reported in guardian.co.uk of dated 13th of March 2013.

Yityish Aynaw was the first Israeli of Ethiopian origin to win Israel's premier beauty queen contest and an invitee to the gala dinner hosted by Israel President Shimon Peres during the Middle East trip of President Obama.

Incidentally, Barack Obama, the Nobel Peace prize winner of 2009, was instrumental in bringing Israel and Turkey closer and pave the way to a smoother relationship.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, called his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and expressed apology for an incident in May 2010 when nine Turkish activists were killed in a commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

This was a big gain from President Barack Obama's Middle East visit.

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About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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Israel allegedly carried out an air raid on a target in Syria earlier this week; FM Ahmet Davutoglu asks: Why didn't Assad even throw a pebble when Israeli jets were flying over his palace?

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu came out against the alleged Israeli strike on the Syria-Lebanon border earlier this week, as well as criticizing President Bashar Assad's for inaction over the attack, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported on Saturday.

The foreign minister, who was traveling to Belgrade, Serbia for an official visit, told reporters, "Why didn't [Bashar] al-Assad even throw a pebble when Israeli jets were flying over his palace and playing with the dignity of his country?" according to the newspaper's report.

Davutoglu continued: "Why didn't the Syrian Army, which has been attacking its own innocent people for 22 months now from the air with jets and by land with tanks and artillery fire, respond to Israel's operation? Why can't al-Assad, who gave order to fire SCUD missiles at Aleppo, do anything against Israel?"

Turkey does not know the precise details of the alleged attack, the foreign minister said, adding that if Israel were to attack any Muslim country, Turkey would respond, Hurriyet reported.

Additionally, the foreign minister claimed that the Syrian president has made a secret deal with Israel.

"Is there a secret agreement between al-Assad and Israel? Wasn't the Syrian army founded to protect its country and its people against this sort of aggression? The al-Assad regime only abuses. Why don't you use the same power that you use against defenseless women against Israel, which you have seen as an enemy since its foundation," Hurriyet cited him as saying.

The alleged Israeli attack early Tuesday was apparently on an arms convoy bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In the hours and days after the airstrike allegedly carried out by the Israel Air Force, conflicting reports surfaced regarding the nature of the strike. Syria accused Israel of attacking a research center in Jamarya, but denied that an attack on a convoy transporting SA-17 surface-to-air missiles to Hezbollah in Lebanon had taken place as was previously reported. 

On Friday, Time magazine reported that Israeli jets attacked several targets in Syria in addition to the reseach center, which is outside Damascus.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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TOKYO (AP) — According to its official statements, North Korea is ready to go to the brink. But how serious are Pyongyang's threats?

This week, new U.N. sanctions punishing the North's successful December rocket launch have elicited a furious response from Pyongyang: strong hints that a third nuclear test is coming, along with bigger and better long-range missiles; "all-out action" against its "sworn enemy," the United States; and on Friday, a threat of "strong physical countermeasures" against South Korea if Seoul participates in the sanctions.

"Sanctions mean war," said a statement carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency.

A U.S. research institute said Friday that recent satellite photos of the site where nuclear tests were conducted in 2006 and 2009 show North Korea could be almost ready to carry out its threat.

In the face of international condemnation, North Korea can usually be counted on for such flights of rhetorical pique. In recent years it threatened to turn South Korea into a "sea of fire," and to wage a "sacred war" against its enemies.

If the past is any indication, its threats of war are overblown. But the chances it will conduct another nuclear test are high. And it is gaining ground in its missile program, experts say, though still a long way from seriously threatening the U.S. mainland.

"It's not the first time they've made a similar threat of war," said Ryoo Kihl-jae, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "What's more serious than the probability of an attack on South Korea is that of a nuclear test. I see very slim chances of North Korea following through with its threat of war."

Although North Korea's leadership is undeniably concerned that it might be attacked or bullied by outside powers, the tough talk is mainly an attempt to bolster its bargaining position in diplomatic negotiations.

The impoverished North is in need of international aid and is eager to sign a treaty bringing a formal end to the Korean War, which ended nearly 60 years ago in a truce. It uses its weapons program as a wedge in the ever-repeating diplomatic dance with the U.S.-led international community, and there is no reason to believe this time is different.

"I see this as their way of testing the water," said Narushige Michishita, a North Korea expert at Tokyo's Graduate Institute of Policy Studies. "North Korea will probably never be able to defeat the United States in a war. But they are getting stronger."

In 2006 and 2009, North Korea carried out underground nuclear tests just after receiving U.N. sanctions for launching long-range rockets. The latest barrage of rhetoric comes after the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to condemn the successful Dec. 12 rocket launch and further expand sanctions against Kim Jong Un's regime. Pyongyang replied with its threat of more launches and possibly another nuclear test.

"Settling accounts with the U.S. needs to be done with force, not with words," said Thursday's statement from the National Defense Commission, which promised "a new phase of the anti-U.S. struggle that has lasted century after century."

North Korea has long insisted that its rocket launches were peaceful attempts to put a satellite in orbit, while the U.S. and United Nations consider them illegal tests of missile technology. This week, however, Pyongyang, made it clear that one goal of its rocket program is to attack the United States.

But its ability to do so is limited, say experts who believe North Korea still has technological kinks to work out in its nuclear devices. It is thought to be unable to make a nuclear weapon small enough to be mounted on a missile, so it needs to test that technology as well.

Another big issue is money.

In his first speech to his people, the young leader, Kim, who is still believed to be in his 20s, said North Korea will continue its "military first" policy. But for a nation that chronically struggles to feed its own people, resources are limited. And because of trade restrictions, acquiring parts for its weapons from abroad is increasingly difficult.

Despite December's successful launch, North Korea's ability to get missiles off the launch pad is less than reliable. In April, a similar rocket splintered into pieces over the Yellow Sea. Days later, North Korea showed off what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile, but many experts who reviewed footage of the rockets said they were clearly fakes.

The North does, however, appear to be making some progress.

Japan's Defense Ministry, in an assessment of the December launch presented to the prime minister on Friday, said the North's best designs probably give its missiles a range of more than 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles), according to Japan's Kyodo news service. That would be enough to reach the West Coast of the United States. A South Korean defense official said Friday that Seoul agrees with that assessment.

The Japanese report warned that Pyongyang's missile technology has "entered a new stage" that is of serious concern to the international community. Japan is particularly wary of North Korea's capabilities because all of its islands are well within striking distance. Japan also hosts about 50,000 U.S. troops, whose bases would be a tempting target if Pyongyang were to try to make good on its threats.

"There has been a tendency to underestimate what North Korea can do in the space and missile field, and possibly with technology in general," U.S. nuclear expert Jeffrey Lewis wrote recently on his Arms Control Wonk blog. He noted that debris recovered from the wreckage of the December rocket's first stage indicates that most of it was made in North Korea.

North Korea claims the right to build nuclear weapons as a defense against the United States, which stations more than 28,000 troops in South Korea.

It is believed to have enough weapons-grade plutonium for about four to eight bombs, according to nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker, who visited North Korea's nuclear complex in 2010. And in 2009, Pyongyang also declared that it would begin enriching uranium, giving it a second way to make atomic weapons.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday that he has seen no outward sign that North Korea will follow through soon on its plan to conduct a test, but added that doesn't mean preparations aren't under way.

A U.S. research institute said Friday that recent satellite photos of the Punggye-ri site where nuclear tests were conducted in 2006 and 2009 reveal that over the past month roads have been kept clear of snow and that North Koreans may have been sealing the tunnel into a mountainside where a nuclear device would be detonated.

The analysis was provided to The Associated Press by 38 North, the website of U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. The latest image was taken Wednesday.

38 North concludes that the Punggye-ri site "appears to continue to be at a state of readiness that would allow the North to move forward with a test in a few weeks or less once the leadership in Pyongyang gives the order."

U.S. officials confirmed Friday that the U.S. has seen some trucks moving around the site. One official said the U.S. is not ruling out that the test could happen in the near future.

But the officials cautioned that, as in previous tests, because it would be done underground, the U.S. may not know much before it actually happens. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss intelligence matters publicly.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory in Tuesday's parliamentary elections, and says the top priority of the new government will be to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear arsenal. Netanyahu spoke shortly after three exit polls showed his hard-line Likud party alliance with the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party remaining, by a narrow margin, the biggest bloc in the 120-member parliament, the Knesset. Netanyahu told cheering supporters "the first …

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory in Tuesday's parliamentary elections, and says the top priority of the new government will be to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear arsenal.

Netanyahu spoke shortly after three exit polls showed his hard-line Likud party alliance with the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party remaining, by a narrow margin, the biggest bloc in the 120-member parliament, the Knesset.

Netanyahu told cheering supporters "the first challenge was and remains preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons."  He also said he hoped to "effect the kind of change the Israeli people are waiting for" with "the broadest government possible."

Data published as the polls closed showed Netanyahu's Likud-Beitenu slate winning 31 seats – 11 fewer than its 42 seats in the previous parliament.  The centrist secular Yesh Atid won 19, followed by the Labor Party with 17 seats and the far-right religious nationalist Jewish Home with 12.  Full preliminary results are expected Wednesday.

Israeli and Western media are describing the results as a setback for Netanyahu and his hard-line allies, and say the vote could force the prime minister to consider alliances with moderate rivals who made significant gains in the polls.

Nearly 67 percent of Israel's 5.5 million voters cast ballots Tuesday, a larger turnout than in previous elections.  Some analysts say the turnout may have helped centrists gain traction and win legislative seats.

Official tallies are expected next week. After that, President Shimon Peres is likely to ask Netanyahu, as leader of the largest parliamentary bloc. to try to form a new government.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, “Yesterday I saw a semi-neutral report on CNN that it was not ruled out that this terrorist act had been staged by the government forces themselves.”

“I cannot imagine anything more blasphemous,” he stated during his visit to the Tajik capital city of Dushanbe.

On January 15, over 80 people were killed and scores of others injured in two explosions at Aleppo University in the second largest city of Syria.

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday and blamed 'terrorists' for the “merciless bloody provocation.”

According to the statement, the explosions were the "terrorists’ revenge for the significant losses sustained in their confrontation with [Syrian] government forces.”

However, Washington accused Damascus of organizing the deadly attack in Aleppo.

Many people, including large numbers of security forces, have been killed in the turmoil that began in Syria nearly two years ago.

The Russian foreign minister also stated on Thursday that Moscow would “focus on the actions aimed at” stopping the violence in Syria.

On January 6, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that Damascus was always ready to hold talks with the opposition and political parties and that he would call for a “comprehensive national dialog” after the terrorist activities stopped in the country.

The Syrian president also urged “concerned states and parties” to stop funding, arming and harboring militants.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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BEIRUT (Codewit) — A government airstrike Sunday on a bakery in a rebel-held town in central Syria killed more than 60 people, activists said, casting a pall over a visit by the international envoy charged with negotiating an end to the country’s civil war.

The strike on the town of Halfaya left scattered bodies and debris up and down a street, and more than a dozen dead and wounded were trapped in tangled heap of dirt and rubble.

The attack appeared to be the government response to a newly announced rebel offensive seeking to drive the Syrian army from a constellation of towns and village north of the central city of Hama. Halfaya was the first of the area’s towns to be “liberated” by rebel fighters, and activists saw Sunday’s attack as payback.

“Halfaya was the first and biggest victory in the Hama countryside,” said Hama activist Mousab Alhamadee via Skype. “That’s why the regime is punishing them in this way.”

The total death toll remained unclear, but the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 60 people were killed. That number is expected to rise, it said, because some 50 of those wounded in the strike are in critical condition.

Amateur videos posted online Sunday showed residents and armed rebels rushing to the scene. One stopped to cover a mound of human flesh lying in the street with his coat.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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