In spite of warnings from western governments to avoid certain countries, people still travel to those areas for adventure and tourism and maybe a death wish or two. If that was curtailed, the income lost from tourism (at least in those places that still have a modicum of normalcy) might persuade those particular governments to take a stronger stand against the extremists that seem to have found a safe haven in their backyards.
The U.S. government has issued travel advisories for the following countries (note how many are in the Middle East) but that doesn't seem to stop people from traveling to those areas.
Lebanon 06/14/2007Saudi Arabia 06/14/2007Chad 06/11/2007Colombia 06/04/2007Côte d'Ivoire 06/01/2007Iran 05/31/2007East Timor 05/11/2007Nepal 05/07/2007Eritrea 05/02/2007Yemen 04/30/2007Philippines 04/27/2007Uzbekistan 04/25/2007Congo, Democratic Republic of the 04/24/2007Sri Lanka 04/05/2007Afghanistan 04/04/2007Algeria 03/22/2007Central African Republic 03/06/2007Kenya 02/06/2007Burundi 01/24/2007Nigeria 01/19/2007Israel, the West Bank and Gaza 01/17/2007Haiti 01/10/2007Indonesia 01/09/2007Pakistan 12/05/2006Syria 11/13/2006Sudan 10/05/2006Iraq 08/28/2006Somalia 06/05/2006
Apparently, the government of Spain has also issued warnings about travel to Yemen, however, an alleged Al-Qaida suicide bomber plowed into a group of Spanish tourists at an ancient Yemeni Temple dedicated to the Queen of Sheba (yesterday), killing 6 or 7 Spaniards and 2 Yemenis, and wounding others, just proving, once again, their total disregard for the sanctity of human life and historic and religious treasures.
"Al-Qaida has an active presence in Yemen, the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden, despite government efforts to fight the terror network. Al-Qaida was blamed for the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Aden that killed 17 American sailors and the attack on a French oil tanker that killed one person two years later. Yemen was a haven for Islamists from across the Arab world during the 1990s, but after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, it declared support for the U.S. campaign against international terrorism."And what would happen to the whole Middle Eastern infrastructure if western workers pulled out of the region? Most of those oil-rich countries are dependent upon those foreign workers, and yet they are targets of terrorists, as well. They might have the crude oil, but they need our technology and expertise, just like Venezuela does.
And what about all the foreign aid ngos? Pull those out of Palestine and other areas and see what happens.
Why should innocent civilians put themselves in harm's way?
I say level the playing field and see what happens! Boycott the Middle East!
(Yeah, I know, dream on. But one can dream.)
9 comments:
good idea incog, if all they claim to be fighting against, islamic fundamentalists, where to up and leave what excuse would they have for their fatwah, but for some odd known reason i think they may find something that has wronged them.
Part of me agrees - but then I think maybe we need to boycott the whole world, as there aren't many nice regimes around...
Wow, I never imagined as much hate as I saw in the videos from your last two posts. I don't think we can fight such a powerful culture of hate without throwing the entire region into war. I don't think a boycott is strong enough to counteract such hatred. But what is?
...and then there's oil...
They dont realise how much they are dependant on the US.A boycott may work.
What you said about foreign workers in the mIddle Eastern countries is so true.A lot of the lower middleclass Indians work there in factories or as maids for the shiekhs.They are treated horribly and many times when they finish their jobs and decide to come back home with their earnings....the family is met by a corpse in a casket.No money,nothing
Some oil companies still drill offshore in Africa - Nigeria and The Ivory Coast for example. My husband is an engineer in the oil biz. He has been held hostage 3 different times on oil drilling rigs, twice off Nigeria, once off Algeria. It is a way of life. The locals are angry about poverty or whatever, and board a rig, armed, and demand money from the oil company. Then they leave and life goes on. Sometimes the outcome isn't so smooth.
Let's just say none of those countries you mentioned are on my desired vacation locales! And I am very happy my husband hasn't had to travel to Africa in several years.
He's felt safe in other spots, though. Even in Iraq in 2003,just before the war.
I'm with u girl..where do we sign up!..ha
I'm there as well! If you cannot fight fair - fight with $$$'s. The bottom line is a huge incentive for cooperation!
PAT J: They always find things that offend them, that's what is so frustrating.
BOB: I agree with you. Maybe we should boycott the whole world...
PAPA J: Of course, a boycott would be impractical, but it's a nice pipe dream. And not sure what is strong enough to counteract such hate. It would take some major re-shaping and modernizing of that religion, and a concerted effort on the part of the Muslims to embrace peace not hate.
PAN: Yeah there's oil, but they need the west's help.
FRASY: I wonder why they don't employ their own people. There is such poverty even in the oil-rich countries.
KAREN: That must be frightening for your husband. You hear so often about oil workers etc. who are gunned down.. in the article I posted they also spoke of some oil workers in Yemen who were shot and killed. The authorities claimed it was a mentally ill man, but who knows the truth.
WOMAN: Maybe we should start a grassroots effort. In another life. :-)
STRAWB: You would need everyone to cooperate, and that would never happen. Ah well.
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