Following meetings between the head of security for the Lisbon-Dakar Rally and government authorities in Mauritania, race organizers, undeterred by recent terrorist attacks in the country, have announced that the event will go on as planned.
Last week, terrorists in Mauritania shot and killed four French tourists and four Mauritanian soldiers. Reports indicated that the attacks were perpetrated by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the infamous terrorist network's North African wing, praying on fears that the militants were expanding southwards from their previous activities in Morocco and Algeria.
Last year's rally had two stages canceled due to security concerns regarding Algerian rebels. This year's rally is set to depart from Lisbon, Portugal, on January 5, passing through Mauritania on January 11 en route to the finish line in Dakar, Senegal, on January 20, covering a total of 9000km (5600 miles).
[Source: Autosport]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
dan spalinger @ Dec 31st 2007 9:49AM
I'm hopin Robby Gordon and Mark Miller are packing!!
JayP @ Dec 31st 2007 10:26AM
With HARM missiles or the like.
EJ25RUN @ Dec 31st 2007 10:00AM
you know i never did like al quida but this is pushing it..... they need to keep their terrorist ^$#@ out of motorsport....otherwise dakar standard equipment will be a car, fuel, safety kit, and a m4!
Rocketboy @ Dec 31st 2007 10:21AM
And someone still thinks that we can reason with them?
Solo Racer @ Dec 31st 2007 11:54AM
Nobody ever thought that. OK, maybe the Yemen government.
Rocketboy @ Dec 31st 2007 1:13PM
Sadly, there are a lot of people that think that a good talk is all that's needed.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Dec 31st 2007 11:04AM
Who is airing Dakar in the US? Anyone know?
VS has a single show airing on the 6th, but nothing before or after (that I can find).
tr @ Dec 31st 2007 6:17PM
Versus is airing the dakar daily:
http://www.versus.com/nw/article/view/673/?UserDef=true&catID=76
Francis @ Dec 31st 2007 11:19AM
http://www.haffapartner.de/html/prservice/exa/exa-07/Bilder-07/Pressebild_Rallye-Dakar_3445883-bp.jpg
Between the imposing bulk of the MAN, ,DAF, Kamaz and Unimog support rigs, the speed of the bikes, buggy and trophy trucks; I don't see the racers and crews as targets so much as I see the civilian populations and news media being either kidnapped or attacked.
hrudu @ Dec 31st 2007 11:23AM
Al-Qaeda attacks?
REALLY????
markitos @ Dec 31st 2007 11:52AM
Or not, these north african countries have desert rebels since the early 70s, they pre-exist al-quaeda, and are far less dangerous.
These clans or tribes have done some damage to the rally before in the 1980s and 1990s, thats why its called the hardest rally in the world, you have to dodge some guys in camels packing AK47s sometimes. Nothing new to this.
Guenther @ Dec 31st 2007 3:03PM
Markitos- for the following convoy, its beneficial if the drivers of KAMAZ's and MOG's manage to just "graze" those camels.
MikeW- any help on how to keep my foil hat from making wrinkling noises?
Quattrofan @ Dec 31st 2007 12:04PM
Holy s&$t! Enough already. P/D have gone trough the worst areas of Africa for years just as "Armed tribesmen/beduin" has been present at P/D since its inception. This is nothing new.
Attacks in Mauritania - give me a f^$%#ng break. TERRA! TERRA! TERRA! And you morons lap it up.
rob harris @ Dec 31st 2007 1:27PM
For unprecedented coverage of Team Dakar USA come over to Robbysuprising.com
Gas on
MikeW @ Dec 31st 2007 2:13PM
Al-Qaeda, if you believe in that organization wholly independent of the CIA, then run this
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-343457223222589182&q=suburban+minigun+site%3Avideo.google.com&total=1&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
otherwise watch some Webster Tarpley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxf4EU0xI3s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evGpJgwupPo
Frick @ Dec 31st 2007 3:40PM
oh great another conspiracy theorist.... how long's your mullet mikew? don't you think its time for a haircut?
MikeW @ Dec 31st 2007 7:12PM
The term 'conspiracy theorist' is worthless.
There is conspiracy conjecturist- the center of the moon is made of cheese. Well until you go there and take a core sample...
and conspiracy factualist, the gulf of tonkin 'incident' never happened as sold to the US public. Yes there were boats there, did they attack a US ship-no. Same with the attack on the USS Liberty. Just read the declassified documents.
I keep my hair high and tight, thank you.
Frick @ Dec 31st 2007 3:32PM
the el quidies are starting to piss me off...
Za @ Dec 31st 2007 6:19PM
More people die in collisions related to alcohol, improper use of seatbelts, or improper car maintenance than "TERRORISM". Probably by a factor of over a 100. "Terrorism" is a tool of fear and control.
mark_stearns @ Jan 1st 2008 9:02PM
if they DONT race the terrorists WIN