Roping icebergs for fresh water?

After hearing about the massive iceberg (twice the size of Manhattan) that is being observed off the coast of Australia this week, it started me thinking again about water shortages in parts of the world, and what might be done about it.

Several years ago (circa 1977) Time magazine published a report by several scientists that were looking at the idea of roping icebergs and "pulling them" by boat to certain areas that need them, where they could then be carved up and shipped to areas that need the water.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,9...

More recently, in the North Atlantic, the oil & gas industry have started roping icebergs and pulling them out of harms way, so they do not come dangerously close to oil platforms and shipping lanes.

http://www.athropolis.com/arctic-facts/fact-berg-t...

The Australia and the southern tip of Africa are both not too far from the Antarctic coast, where icebergs are often breaking off. Icebergs from Greenland or the North Atlantic could be roped and dropped off next to Morocco or Western Sahara, starting a new industry that divides the iceberg and transports chunks of it inland. If ground transport is too costly, perhaps an African pipeline carrying freshwater from melted icebergs could be achieved, similar to oil & gas pipelines across Canada and Europe. The iceberg is dropped off the coast, an industry grinds up the iceberg and drops the ice into the pipeline in Morocco, and it melts and comes out the other end as fresh water at reservoirs in Algeria, Niger, Chad, and the Sudan.

Australia could set up an iceberg crusher near Perth or Melbourne, and pump the resulting slush water inland to places that could use it.

These are just thoughts, and probably still out of a sci-fi novel or movie. But what do you think of this? And do you know any industries that may already be trying something like this?