Thread: Dakar Rally Cancelled Because of Security Concerns

This just sucks.

From Dakar.com:

After different exchanges with the French government - in particular the Ministry for Foreign Affairs - , and based on their firm recommendations, the organisers of the Dakar have taken the decision to cancel the 2008 edition of the rally, scheduled from the 5th to the 20th of January between Lisbon and Senegal?s capital.

Based on the current international political tension and the murder of four French tourists last 28th of December linked to a branch of Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, but also and mainly the direct threats launched directly against the race by terrorist organisations, no other decision but the cancellation of the sporting event could be taken by A.S.O.


A.S.O.?s first responsibility is to guarantee the safety of all: that of the populations in the countries visited, of the amateur and professional competitors, of the technical assistance personnel, of the journalists, partners and rally collaborators. A.S.O. therefore reaffirms that the choice of security is not, has never been and will never be a subject of compromise at the heart of the Dakar rally.

A.S.O. condemns the terrorist menace that annihilates a year of hard work, engagement and passion for all the participants and the different actors of the world?s biggest off-road rally. Aware of the huge frustration, especially in Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal, and beyond the general disappointment and the huge economical consequences in terms of direct and indirect repercussions for the countries visited, A.S.O. will continue to defend the major values of great sporting events and will carry on its engagement for a durable development through the Actions Dakar, started 5 years ago in sub-Saharan Africa with SOS Sahel International.

The Dakar is a symbol and nothing can destroy symbols. The cancellation of the 2008 edition does not endanger the future of the Dakar. To offer, for 2009 a new adventure to all the off-road rally passionate is a challenge that A.S.O. will take on in the months to come, faithful to its engagement and its passion for sports.

Yeah that isnt good. Terrorists have no place in this world in my opinion.

Argh, it did happen . I readed about the possibility of cancellation this morning and really crossed my fingers. Terrorists....now they start to affect motorsport events also.

Originally Posted by DanicaRules

Yeah that isnt good. Terrorists have no place in this world in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Radar

By cancelling the event, the terrorists have won.

To see the Dakar Rally get canceled is indeed painful

But at the same time, I fully agree with their decision. This is not the fight of the A.S.O. It is not their duty to show strength by risking their lives. They are not soldiers, they are racing drivers

Because I have done extensive academic research on the subject, I have to point out something. The word terrorism has no clear definition . Political scientists are struggling to this day to find a clear, widely-accepted explanation for the word. Sure, we know roughly what it means. But this is what the media, and particularly foreign policy formulators, capitalize on: its ambiguity and its well-established negative connotation. The practice is called labeling, which is easy for a state to do because it usually enjoys, if democratic, inherent credibility.

That does not mean that the groups you see or hear about are all fighting a just cause. Some of them are, some them are not.

The problem is that non-state actors, be it Al-Qaeda, the ETA in Spain or the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, is that they often resort to brutal means, such as suicide attacks against innocent civilians. In many cases this is done out of two reasons: First, it is a way of inducing fear and secondly, it is commonly the only way to inflict some sort of damage in the alleged enemy (due to lack of military resources to attack specific, far and well-protected military installations). This is when a political purpose affects us innocent civilians. We are caught in the crossfire, for a lack of a better word. We become the tool

The A.S.O. is concerned about the Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghrab, a Sunni Islamist movement which aims to overthrow the Algerian Government and implement an Islamic state. It operates in more than one country in the Sahara, hence the worry

The group has declared its intention to attack Algerian, French, and American targets. It has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State, and similarly classed as a terrorist organization by the European Union.

Of course the A.S.O. could have changed the route significantly (maybe across to Egypt then into the Middle East), but that would have taken away from the Dakar Spirit, and what really makes Dakar what it always has been

I don't give 2 ***ts about "terrorists." They're going to do what they want to do pretty much whenever they want. It's not hard to blow something up if you don't get the op too big. Anyone could act alone an get the job done. When we as a society start to shut down as a result we give up the freedom that we supposedly stand for. Look at all that bad stuff that happens that's NOT terrorist related (as they define it)....Columbine, Virginia Tech., the recent mall shootings...all random acts not fitting into the typical definition of "terrorism". You're more likley to die in a car accident then to ever even be effected directly by terrorists.

P.S. I live within eye sight of the place that Russian nukes are STILL aimed at. Remember the BP gas plant that blew up.....right there. Guess what.....F*CK NUKES!!

Originally Posted by EIR Loe.307

I don't give 2 ***ts about "terrorists." They're going to do what they want to do pretty much whenever they want. It's not hard to blow something up if you don't get the op too big. Anyone could act alone an get the job done. When we as a society start to shut down as a result we give up the freedom that we supposedly stand for. Look at all that bad stuff that happens that's NOT terrorist related (as they define it)....Columbine, Virginia Tech., the recent mall shootings...all random acts not fitting into the typical definition of "terrorism". You're more likley to die in a car accident then to ever even be effected directly by terrorists.

P.S. I live within eye sight of the place that Russian nukes are STILL aimed at. Remember the BP gas plant that blew up.....right there. Guess what.....F*CK NUKES!!

I remember the BP gas plant that exploded . You sure there are still Russian nukes aim at ya? I thought they cleaned that up back in the Kennedy era

That reminds me, the Oklahoma bombings were called terrorist attacks? I'm not sure...

And I agree with you, terrorists, or lets call it attacks against innocent civilians, should not define our lives. But there is more pressure on a sporting body like the A.S.O. Just image if someone kills a few drivers. Who will want to race there again? There will be evidence the A.S.O. was informed about the dangers beforehand, and then you have the media jumping on you. Then again, you could ask every driver to sign an informed consent paper, basically participating on his own responsibility. Who would do that though?

Also, Dakar is not an enclosed space that can be protected. And government like Mali are among the poorest countries in the world. They could not provide adequate protection throughout the entirety of the route

Originally Posted by JoStream

I remember the BP gas plant that exploded . You sure there are still Russian nukes aim at ya? I thought they cleaned that up back in the Kennedy era

That reminds me, the Oklahoma bombings were called terrorist attacks? I'm not sure...

They were called "homegrown terrorist" later on. They "lost" alot of those nukes so there's no telling. We're still a huge target.

Just image if someone kills a few drivers. Who will want to race there again?

I see what you mean but it's almost the same to just cancel minus the tradgedy.

Also, Dakar is not an enclosed space that can be protected. And government like Mali are among the poorest countries in the world. They could not provide adequate protection throughout the entirety of the route

That's is a good point too.