World famous Dakar Rally called off

[Jason Pipes]

For you racing and rally fans, the Paris to Dakar Rally has been called off one day before it was about to begin due to terrorist threats from Al-Qaida. A sad for race fans the world over and for those who don't support appeasing terrorists. My fiancee and I have a friend in the Rally who was poised to win in the motorcycle group (San Francisco-based Team Rally Pan-America with riders Jonah Street and Casey McCoy). They've spent years and tens of thousands of dollars preparing for this race. It's a sad day indeed!

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jOBB ... gD8TV7PJ80

[Piet Duits]

Jason,

What's even worse, is that by this way in my opinion the terrorists win.
Sure, the threat was serious enough forcing the rally to be cancelled, but what's next?

Piet

[Jason Pipes]

I would entirely agree with you on that. I think those of us here are in a very good position to understand the dangers of appeasement. Still, I give credit to the organizers for calling it off because if it had gone on and an attack took place and killed some of the particpants think of what the world reaction would have been.

[Hans]

The "Greens" would be pleased. All those little grains of sand that won't be crushed this year

- Hans

[Jason Pipes]

Yeah, the sand is more important than the millions and millions of dollars pumped into those struggling local African economies provided by the Rally...