Syria has expressed its need for a greater share of water from the river Euphrates, during an official visit to the Turkish capital Ankara yesterday. Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Dardari said prolonged droughts had hampered wheat production in the country last year, and that Syria required more water from the river to compensate. The source of the Euphrates begins in Turkey, and crosses the borders of Syria, Iraq and Kuwait. But Turkish Environment and Forestry Minister Veysel Eroğlu said his country was experiencing similar difficulties, and that Syria could only get a greater share of water if rainfall increased. Syria also relies heavily on the Euphrates for electricity generation, and experienced power cuts last year when a heat wave caused the river's water level to drop significantly.

Quote: ""Iraq could fall into crisis, especially if we don't have more information from our neighbors and an idea of the state of their projects and if we end up without a fair share of the water," Rasheed said, noting that the looming danger came from Turkey, which has been damming the Euphrates and is expected to add to the amount of land under cultivation, further worsening water quality downstream. "I hope that the water issue does not fall prey to politics. Our river levels have plummeted, and Iraq needs guarantees that projects Turkey is building won't hit us further," he also said.

The water issue will indeed fall prey to politics. The Bible states that during the tribulation period, the river Euphrates will run dry, preparing the way for the kings of the East to march on Israel. It seems that the damming of the river, along with increased agricultural use and drought, are playing their part in reducing the flow of the mighty Euphrates.

Revelation 9:13-16
And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen [were] two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

Revelation 16:12
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

Source Today's Zaman