Future of Dakar Rally now in doubt

[Punkbuster]

The Times - Article
Future of Dakar Rally now in doubt
Sapa-AP in Paris Published:Jan 06, 2008

Danger and the Dakar Rally have been synonymous. Dozens have died racing across some of the world’s most inhospitable terrain . But the epic race has been cancelled because the threat of an al-Qaeda-linked attack pushed the element of risk to “ unacceptable levels”.

The 550 competitors were to have embarked yesterday from Lisbon, Portugal, on the 16-day, 9270km trek through remote and hostile dunes and scrub to Dakar in Senegal, west Africa.

It is the first time that the 30- year-old rally has been called off. The cancellation of such a world-renowned sports event is unprecedented.

“Smaller cultural events have been cancelled , but this hasn’t happened with such a major international event,” said Victor Anderes, vice-president of a New York firm that provides security for high-profile events.

“The threat is significant,” Anderes said. “It would be almost impossible to secure the entire course.”


Organisers cited warnings from the French government after the slaying of a family of French tourists in Mauritania — where eight of the competition’s 15 stages were to be held — and “threats launched directly against the race ”.

A small quote from the article

Your comments:

Gee just when I have heard WAYYY too many comments about Americans "living in fear" from attacks and the tired missplaced comparisons of Muslim fantaics with American Christian fundamemtalists, al Qaeda proves they must be eliminated as they simply cant co-exist with the rest of the modern world. Maybe if the US gets out of Iraq they will like us? Maybe if we learn how to beat our wives correctly they will like us? It can be spun any way one wants to but the bottom line is that these people are 6th century neandrathal and since they believe they are doing good in the eyes of their god and they will get some more virgins in "heaven" (what happens when they run out of virgins?) they ncan note be negotiated with and therefore exterminated.

[Nono]

Jeez, what a rant, Punk.
And your point would be?

Quote by: Punk they ncan note be negotiated with and therefore exterminated.

Sounds like Nazi-talk to me. Good spelling too.

Mauritania is a pretty wild place. In fact most of the road routes south to Senegal run through wild territory.

Quote by: Times Clerc said: “Yes, we perhaps bowed to terrorism, but we don’t have the right to play games with safety.”

This makes me laugh. The Dakar Rally has always played games with safety, including the safety of a high number of spectators.
That said, there was an overt threat from Islamo-nuts* and I can see why they cancelled it.

* Islamic nuts, "Christian" nuts -- same difference, Punk.
As for running out of virgins, many such questions could be asked of Christian fundamentalists, such as why God (of all people) would have to rest on the seventh day. What a concept!

[Charlesuzoanya@]

Quote by: Punkbuster The Times - Article Future of Dakar Rally now in doubt Sapa-AP in Paris Published:Jan 06, 2008 Danger and the Dakar Rally have been synonymous. Dozens have died racing across some of the world’s most inhospitable terrain . But the epic race has been cancelled because the threat of an al-Qaeda-linked attack pushed the element of risk to “ unacceptable levels”. The 550 competitors were to have embarked yesterday from Lisbon, Portugal, on the 16-day, 9270km trek through remote and hostile dunes and scrub to Dakar in Senegal, west Africa. It is the first time that the 30- year-old rally has been called off. The cancellation of such a world-renowned sports event is unprecedented. “Smaller cultural events have been cancelled , but this hasn’t happened with such a major international event,” said Victor Anderes, vice-president of a New York firm that provides security for high-profile events. “The threat is significant,” Anderes said. “It would be almost impossible to secure the entire course.” Organisers cited warnings from the French government after the slaying of a family of French tourists in Mauritania — where eight of the competition’s 15 stages were to be held — and “threats launched directly against the race ”. Your comments: Gee just when I have heard WAYYY too many comments about Americans "living in fear" from attacks and the tired missplaced comparisons of Muslim fantaics with American Christian fundamemtalists, al Qaeda proves they must be eliminated as they simply cant co-exist with the rest of the modern world. Maybe if the US gets out of Iraq they will like us? Maybe if we learn how to beat our wives correctly they will like us? It can be spun any way one wants to but the bottom line is that these people are 6th century neandrathal and since they believe they are doing good in the eyes of their god and they will get some more virgins in "heaven" (what happens when they run out of virgins?) they ncan note be negotiated with and therefore exterminated.

Do you ever stop to consider the reasons behind their hatred for us and thus the violence? You have to realize that just as you are making these statements, someone on that side of the world is thinking the exact same thing about us. Just think about how many more people the US has killed for no other purpose but our own selfish justifications and the many wars and unrest that your government has instigated and all the mettling in other people's affairs. It will be too much to go into the details of those transgressions but think about all of that first before looking to exterminate people, won’t want history to be repeated.

[Punkbuster]

Quote by: Nono Jeez, what a rant, Punk. And your point would be? Sounds like Nazi-talk to me. Good spelling too. Sorry about the spelling will do better in the future just for you. This makes me laugh. The Dakar Rally has always played games with safety, including the safety of a high number of spectators. That said, there was an overt threat from Islamo-nuts* and I can see why they cancelled it. Equating the safety of an event that people excercising free will to view and compete in (for money) and those wanting to blow up innocents watching said event is a stupid comparison. * Islamic nuts, "Christian" nuts -- same difference, Punk. As for running out of virgins, many such questions could be asked of Christian fundamentalists, such as why God (of all people) would have to rest on the seventh day. What a concept!

Blowing up innocent people at will to please "god" and resting on the 7th day are two entirely different things and again a stupid comparo- you are stretching here. Maybe the Islamo terrorists could rest at least one day a week then we could all be safe from them??

[Punkbuster]

Quote by: Charlesuzoanya@ Do you ever stop to consider the reasons behind their hatred for us and thus the violence? You have to realize that just as you are making these statements, someone on that side of the world is thinking the exact same thing about us. Just think about how many more people the US has killed for no other purpose but our own selfish justifications and the many wars and unrest that your government has instigated and all the mettling in other people's affairs. It will be too much to go into the details of those transgressions but think about all of that first before looking to exterminate people, won’t want history to be repeated.

hmmm lets see them trying to knock down the WTC the first time was because of what we did in Iraq vis a vis Kuwait? that just about EVERY Gulf nation endorsed (who cares if it was about oil and furthermore Saddahm was MINO- Muslim in name only) or was it that we stood up for the Albanian Muslims in Kosovo (albeit late but none the less we did with our money and people- and other western countries as well allied with the UN) and of course giving Muslims free reign to do what ever they want in this country (at least pre 9-11- they riuned it for themselves not us) where they could build mosques and freely worship and spread their faith (preach your faith openly in most Mid East/African Muslim lands and prepare to die either officially or unofficially)- and of course no matter what the reason we assisted them against the Russians in Afganny (the enemy of my enemy is my freind no problem has happenend for years).
And of course those in Bali have done them wrong, England, Spain, Scotland, Pakistan on and on. LOL on them targeting those countires that have gone into Iraq- we are now seeing first hand that the rank and file in Iraq want nothing to do with Al-Qeada and their "kill first for god" philosophy.

Negotiating with ANY group of people is possible but not one that believes that endless carnal pleasures await them in paradise for pleasing "god" in my opinion- hope I'm wrong.

OHH and I left out that international boogeyman ISRAEL. The Jews have done them ALL wrong. ALL Mid East problems would be solved (if you listen to them) IF ONLY the Jews would leave the Holy Lands (that of course were theirs before the prophet ever walked the earth) Doesnt it get old for them all to galvanise such hatred against them to mask up their own political and social problems. YES the Jews have done wrong and need give back- and they are to a degree but of course should do this more) but the "palestinian problem" could have been solved years ago but the rest fo the countries need them to suffer so they can keep using them as pawns to stir up their own people against "something".

Blaming America first can only hold so much water for so long but after a while the multiple wrongs , stupidity and barbarism of the other side has to be considered

[shrike]

Quote by: punk Blowing up innocent people at will to please got and resting on the 7th day are two entirely different things and again a stupid comparo- you are stretching here. Maybe the Islamo terrorists could rest at least one day a week then we could all be safe from them??

Its classical tactic of Islamofascists-apologists. They know they can not defend they terrorist heroes so they post red-herring to divert they issue and derail the debate.

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: shrike Its classical tactic of Islamofascists-apologists. They know they can not defend they terrorist heroes so they post red-herring to divert they issue and derail the debate.

Much like our local Zionist, and Zionist sympathizers.

[shrike]

Quote by: Milton Bradley Much like our local Zionist, and Zionist sympathizers.

This post illustrate my point pefectly.Thank you.

[Jack]

Now that you're done trading jabs at each other, could we get back on topic?

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[Nono]

Quote by: Punkbuster Blowing up innocent people at will to please "god" ...

Now you're changing the subject to Bush's invasion of Iraq after conferring with God. Let's get back to the Dakar Rally.

[Punkbuster]

Being a race fan I wanted to get back to the Dakar Rally but alas there will be none this year as the Islamofacists have again proved their barbarism and 6th century mindset- they will stop beating their wives long enough to go blow up some spectators and race teams to stop this most interantional of events.

[Charlesuzoanya@]

Quote by: Punkbuster hmmm lets see them trying to knock down the WTC the first time was because of what we did in Iraq vis a vis Kuwait? that just about EVERY Gulf nation endorsed (who cares if it was about oil and furthermore Saddahm was MINO- Muslim in name only) or was it that we stood up for the Albanian Muslims in Kosovo (albeit late but none the less we did with our money and people- and other western countries as well allied with the UN) and of course giving Muslims free reign to do what ever they want in this country (at least pre 9-11- they riuned it for themselves not us) where they could build mosques and freely worship and spread their faith (preach your faith openly in most Mid East/African Muslim lands and prepare to die either officially or unofficially)- and of course no matter what the reason we assisted them against the Russians in Afganny (the enemy of my enemy is my freind no problem has happenend for years). And of course those in Bali have done them wrong, England, Spain, Scotland, Pakistan on and on. LOL on them targeting those countires that have gone into Iraq- we are now seeing first hand that the rank and file in Iraq want nothing to do with Al-Qeada and their "kill first for god" philosophy.

It’s nice of you to pick the few examples that on the surface seem noble of us but when you really break it down you will see that our actions always come with a hefty price. Let’s take our gracious intervention in Kuwait where we saved the poor people of Kuwait from an invading tyrant. You did mention oil, which was the primary purpose for our interference. We could not stand by and let our precious resource get threatened by a comparatively weaker army when we can take the opportunity to buttress our influence in the region. Do you not believe that the powers that be in the Middle East would have adequately dealt with Saddam without us? By the way you forgot to mention that Saddam was the friend of the US in the 1980’s when he invaded Iran and instead of chastising him we aided his actions. And you may ask, why? Well because we had a falling off with Iran after we controlled that country through the Shah, a puppet that was subject to our commands and ruled that country just as terribly as any dictator.

The Kosovo topic is very controversial and you can find people on many sides of the argument. Some will argue that the US should have stepped up its diplomatic efforts much earlier when Milosevic was oppressing his people during the late 80’s and early 90’s and should have never resulted to military means. The reason why we were so late in intervening was because there was little to gain from our presence there. Believe me, if there was oil that we had access to in Kosovo we would have been there quicker than Kuwait.

Afghanistan is yet another example of the US using a country for its own agenda and abandoning its people to terrible regimes and then when it comes back to hunt us we ask why. This was repeated many times in the past under the guise of preventing communism during the cold war. Cambodia, Vietnam, and Panama are few examples. Today you have to ask the question; was it worth all the costs in human lives and resources fighting a system that was going to be phased out anyway? We are still paying for all those past transgressions.

Interesting you bring up the topic of “Killing first for god” since most Christian conservatives in this country believe that the war on terrorism is more a less a continuation of the age old conflict between Christians and Muslims. Even Bush believes that he was right for going into Iraq because god told him so. I guess the west has never used god to justify any atrocities from the past being that we so righteous.

The truth is that America has been responsible for the deaths of millions of innocents around the world. It is the hard truth and one that many are ignorant about. People don’t start hating us just because of the social freedoms that we enjoy. There is a deeper reason behind it all one just needs to ask questions and see through all the BS.

Not to say that the US does no good in the world after all, being the world power and having much wealth and influence and socially conscious activists offers some opportunities for good to be done. The unfortunate part is that we put a price on every good deed. Whatever happened to doing good for goodness sake. Why Kuwait and not Rwanda or Iraq and not Sudan.

By the way the incident that thwarted the Dakar Rally is very unfortunate. I am very much a motor sports fan and believe that the rally is one of its purest forms. I happen to think that Al Qaeda’s actions around the world are despicable and make no mistake about it, I am no apologist for any organization that spreads terror and kills wantonly. It is however, naive to think that our government is an innocent participant or bystander being that we helped armed them and turned a blind eye while people like Viktor Bout supplied weapons the Taliban. All I'm saying is open your eyes and don’t let them fool you.

[Enlightenee]

Stop being ignorant and read.

Before you add anything to this thread read the Biography on Yasser Arafat and you will know why they do what they do.
They have no options available to them, pushed into a corner they fight back.

And it's not like your nation is a Saint either, the My Lai massacre, Vietnam in general, Iraq, exclusion of PLO talks in peace settlements with Israel.
Hell, even your own political system is corrupt, its where money wins and good politicians like Ron Paul aren't even mentioned in the newspapers anymore, its an absolute outrage.
USA is not a shining beacon and i think you had better bloody read up on personal accounts of these conflicts and see the other side of the coin before you push through your biased and prejudicial comments.

[shrike]

Quote by: Enlightenee Stop being ignorant and read. Before you add anything to this thread read the Biography on Yasser Arafat and you will know why they do what they do. They have no options available to them, pushed into a corner they fight back. And it's not like your nation is a Saint either, the

Are you saying the killing civilians is the only option?

[Enlightenee]

absolutely not, but unless you read the biography you wont know at least WHY they do it.
Some extremist factions in the middle east are similar to those in Africa, sadly all they want to do is kill.
But then if there was a seperate Palestinian state drawn on 1967 borders.... who knows?

[shrike]

absolutely not, but unless you read the biography you wont know at least WHY they do it.

You could claim this about any group even nazis.In your post its seems that your justified their reasons or maybe I mistaken.

[Matt W]

How about we stay on-topic?

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[GHook93]

Quote by: Enlightenee absolutely not, but unless you read the biography you wont know at least WHY they do it. Some extremist factions in the middle east are similar to those in Africa, sadly all they want to do is kill. But then if there was a seperate Palestinian state drawn on 1967 borders.... who knows?

Not to derail the thread (so this will be my only response to you), but you need to take your own advice and do some research of your own. The Palestinians have never agreed to any of the peace deals, not in '48, Oslo etc. If you think the only changes that can be had are from violence then you need to study Martin Luther King Jr. and not Arafat. Arafat was not only a terrorist that targeted innocent people (including children) he was a highly corrupt leader that spend millions of international aid dollars on himself instead of giving it to the Pals. There is nothing good or just about Arafat.

Ron Paul gets a hell of a lot of press for a guy so low in the polls. Don't compare him to the press that Huckabee, Guiliani, McCain and Romney get. Compare him to Richardson, Tacredo, Hunter and Binden get. You will say who? Exactly that is where he ranks in the polls. Radical Paul deserves no more respect than these other bottom dwellers!

Back on topic. Senegal is a dangerous place regardless of an Al Qaeda threat. But the constant apologizing for terrorist is pathetic. Just because liberal misguided people think that if we leave them alone they will leave us alone. They (radical Islamist) will always find a reason to continue their Jihad. Trust me, it will turn to France's repression of Muslim immigrants or the Skin movements repression and violence against Muslims in Germany and Britian or it could be another cartoon. Face it radical Islamist are irrational at their core!

[Sonart]

.

Actually folks, I'm thinking you'd better get used to this. As Global Warming progresses, it's the third world that's going to begin collapsing first -- and thus become fertile ground for the likes of al-Qaeda. 3rd world playgrounds for 1st world tourists are going to become fewer and fewer.

Count on it.


.

[Punkbuster]

Quote by: Sonart . Actually folks, I'm thinking you'd better get used to this. As Global Warming progresses, it's the third world that's going to begin collapsing first -- and thus become fertile ground for the likes of al-Qaeda. 3rd world playgrounds for 1st world tourists are going to become fewer and fewer. Count on it. .

Well it dont take a genius to know that any calamity will hurt underpriveledged first- they live next to water in mud huts while rich live next to water in mansions on sides of hills and cliffs. That of course makes the precarious presumption that "global warming" is going to cause all of this. But that does not explain the current iteration of our favorite Muslim/Nazi group. Al-Queda today is here to kill the infidel and to drive the infidel from Muslim lands. Then if we leave (we wont of course at least for now since oil is under the ground and I am for us staying) but if we leave it would then be fun to watch them terrorize "moderate" Muslims of different tribes and hunt and kill those who dont believe in full sharia law. They wont be satisfied until the caliphate of Saladin is revived. Aint gonna happen oh bearded ones. Always wanted to know if Saladin ruled with Sharia law or some form of it.?