Last night, Marjorie and I went to AWARE’S program about Failaka Island. On maps of this region, Failaka was the first identifiable Kuwaiti area. Digs have found samples of Greek pottery, so the island has been of historical and academic interest. Last night?s chat was done by the son of the owner of the Tareq Rajab museums, Dr. Ziad Rajab. He spoke without notes ? very well informed and engaging. His family has been visiting Failaka since the 1950s and they?ve seen great changes there, and especially so after the Iraqi invasion when all Kuwaitis were removed from the island and it became a military base. Failaka has up until now a long inhabited history. What was very nice was that they exhibited pictures from the 1950s and 1960s so one could get a flavor of the life there ? pretty darn isolated and simple. The Kuwaiti government is schizophrenic about Failaka ? develop it ? leave it alone ? make it a national park?