Quake renews calls for warning system
NAPA, Calif. – The earthquake that jolted California’s wine capital may have caused at least $1 billion in property damage, but it also added impetus to the state’s effort to develop an early warning system that might offer a few precious seconds for residents to duck under desks, trains to slow down and utility lines to be powered down before the seismic waves reach them.
California’s senior senator, Democrat Dianne Feinstein, joined a chorus of renewed calls on Monday for the quick deployment of a quake activity alert system like the ones already in operation in Mexico and Japan.
“Officials in Washington and along the West Coast should partner with the private sector to make an interoperable earthquake early-warning system a reality, and we should do so as soon as possible before a much larger earthquake strikes,” Feinstein said.
U.S. blames Egypt, UAE for attacks in Libya
WASHINGTON – Egypt and the United Arab Emirates secretly carried out airstrikes against Islamist militias inside Libya, the United States publicly acknowledged Tuesday, another sharp jolt to American-led attempts over the past three years to stabilize Libya after dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s overthrow.
One official said Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia for months have been supporting a renegade general’s campaign against Libyan militant groups, but that the Saudis don’t appear to have played a role in recent strikes. The Libyan government is too weak and disorganized to fight the militants itself. Another official said the U.S. was aware that Egypt and UAE were planning strikes and warned them against it. Neither U.S. ally notified Washington before launching the strikes, officials said.
“Outside interference in Libya exacerbates current divisions and undermines Libya’s democratic transition,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. She said Libya was in a “very fragile place.”
But U.S.-led international efforts to secure the country clearly are fraying as impatience in the region grows. Libya is undergoing its worst violence since rebels ousted Gadhafi in 2011.
Associated Press
