Dakar Cancelled

cruiseroutfit

Cruizah!
Moderator
Vendor
Location
Sandy, Ut
Wow, that sucks... terrorists.

Can you imagine how much $$$ is already into this years race, all the vehicle transports, all the teams waiting for the start. Ouch!
 

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
Reports say that the 'terrorist' threats were coming from a group of massive black trucks with lime green markings on the side...

;)

-Jason
 

teknodestrukto

Registered User
"The cancellation of the 2008 edition does not endanger the future of the Dakar."????

Apparently is does when all that is required is the "threat" of a terrorist attack. Next year all they have to do is make a phone call. Is Baja next??? What about the BITD series here? This is definately the kind of response you can expect from the French. That's why their country is being taken over by Islamic extremists, they're too PC to call a spade a spade, and then shoot the spade.
 

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
"The cancellation of the 2008 edition does not endanger the future of the Dakar."????

Apparently is does when all that is required is the "threat" of a terrorist attack. Next year all they have to do is make a phone call. Is Baja next??? What about the BITD series here? This is definately the kind of response you can expect from the French. That's why their country is being taken over by Islamic extremists, they're too PC to call a spade a spade, and then shoot the spade.

Apparently... apparently:rolleyes:... and i'm sure you're up to date on all the FACTS of the situation huh?

30 year history i'm willing to bet that the ASO has had their fair share of threats. Seeing as how they feel it important to provide a safe sporting event, i'd say it must've been some serious threats this time around.

Sure the French might not be a favorite... but niether would an IED on a roadside taking out a racer, chase vehicle and crew, press, etc...

I have mixed feelings about it, but then again i don't know everything about the situation either(though i have done abit of reading as this has developed)... I respect them for pulling the plug for the safety of the participants, despite the heavy pressure to run it so close to the starting date.

my $.02 anyways :-\

-Jason

PS.. GOOD ARTICLE
 
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Bodine

One Call That's All
Location
WVC
I wonder if Robbie Gordon was sponsored by the Army,Navy,Air force and Marines if things would be different. They could start the Abrams in 5 second intervals with the camera crew consisting of Apaches and Warthogs and an ABL to shed some light on things if necessary. The Navy could supply the Nuclear deterrent in case anyone has a problem with Robbie's sponsors.
My guess is the rally would set a record as far as viewers around the world :D
 

jet_aj

Just loosing my mind
Location
UT
Oh I love it... our world has become so scared of attacks. You cannnot go one day without hearing about some terrorist group. This is bullshit and we are letting them win. Every time some event in canceled, or a bomb goes off and kills people they are getting more power over us. I say its time to go a-wall on their organizations and to hell with the politics. Show them this crap wont be tolerated any more. All it takes is for us to start wiping out buildings that houses known terrorists and that will make them think twice about it. Quit giving them so much tv time and start giving more serious punishments. All the crap about not waterboading terrorists because it cruel... give me a break, the crap they do is cruel... waterboard the hell out of them! Tie the suckers up by their pinkies and hang them until they give us the info to take out the entire group, then just execute them. No prison time or lethal injection, thats too expensive and they dont deserve it, just shoot them.
I better stop now or I'm going to get in trouble... it just pisses me off.
 

Stephen

Who Dares Wins
Moderator
Gotta love the French.... "used gun, never fired, only dropped once".

I laugh at people with this viewpoint. It just shows that you have absolutely no knowledge of French military history.:rolleyes:

I respect the decision of the ASO. Al-Qaeda has been specifically targeting French interests in Mauritania for about a month. How can you possibly expect to protect a train of vehicles that stretches for a thousand kilometers? The countries that the Dakar passes through don't have the ability, and the French or Portuguese governments aren't going to allocate significant military resources to a sporting event, that would be ridiculous!
Yes, it sucks that the Dakar has been canceled, and 2009 will bring interesting developments (I've read a rumor that holding it in South America may be in the cards). But to say that the terrorists have won or that the ASO rolled over simple because of a 'threat' is just dumb. This is simply a reality of the world that we live in now. Adjustments will be made and the Dakar will live on, though slightly different. I for one am looking forward to the Trans-Ortientale in June since I can't get my Rally-Raid fix this winter.
 

Tacoma

Et incurventur ante non
Location
far enough away
I laugh at people with this viewpoint. It just shows that you have absolutely no knowledge of French military history.:rolleyes:


See: WWII. Every civilization starts to fail at some point. For France, that failure started in the 20th century. I am fully aware that France had a previously glorious military heritage. :D

But to say that the terrorists have won .... simply a reality of the world that we live in now.

Stated, and contradicted, in nearly one sentence. If terrorism has modified behavior to accomodate the fear of being attacked, then they have met their goals, in part. To say then that they have won is truthful, at least to some extent. In this case, to a major extent: they are not holding the event. And I don't disagree with the decision, there IS no way to secure that much area, nor is it right IMHO to do so. Sports are not essential parts of living.


so there. :p
 

Stephen

Who Dares Wins
Moderator
I should judge them on things that happened more than 100 years ago?

If you are going to judge a whole society, by god yes! Remember, if it were not for the French, the United States would not exist. What was it that General Pershing said when he arrived in France, "Lafayette, we are here."?
And think about the First World War: The Somme, The Marne, Verdun! An entire generation wiped out. So when the Second World War occurred and the French were faced with a vastly superior, battle hardened force invading their country and their only real ally wasn't fully behind the war yet and only had an small expeditionary force in France to assist. What could they do? They surrendered to SAVE THEIR PEOPLE! And if you think that the French didn't contribute to the defeat of Germany, tell that to the survivors of the maquis! Had it not been for the French Resistance the liberation of France and Europe would have been a much tougher battle. We probably would have invaded at Calais instead of Normandy, and that would have been even more horrific.
Sure their empire has fallen, the Indochine War was a mistake and their attempt to hold on to Algeria was bloodbath that makes our Vietnam War look tame. But France still holds a huge sway in international politics, has an immensely capable military which includes the only non-US super carrier in the world and influences the globe through its language and arts. To judge a country on only the last century and a single military failure is ridiculous.
By the same standards even the US is a dismal failure. Out culture has gone to hell, we've lost our 'empire' (the Philippines), we fought to a stalemate in Korea, lost in Vietnam and are arguably losing in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
 

Meat_

Banned
Location
Lehi
And if it wasn't for us, they wouldn't exist. Your point being? I judge them on the people who are alive right now, not those who are dead and buried. Right now they roll over easy and sell stuff to terrorists, then fight tooth and nail to keep us (as in the rest of the world, not US) from finding out.... then somehow weasel out of any consequences.

Also, I never said compared to ________ France sucks, I just said that France sucks.
 
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Tacoma

Et incurventur ante non
Location
far enough away
French Resistance> French government.

The Resistance did the right thing. As far as I can tell France THESE DAYS are a bunch of snakes.
 

teknodestrukto

Registered User
Apparently... apparently:rolleyes:... and i'm sure you're up to date on all the FACTS of the situation huh?

Apparently, even the race organizers recognise that they're caving in and handing power over to la queda.:p

Just mount some AA-12 Hammers to the top of the race vehicles and hammer away. That would add a cool twist to the race...
 
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