Guinea-Bissau arrests French tourist killers

Bissau - Police in Guinea-Bissau have arrested three more suspects in connection with the murder of four French tourists in Mauritania three weeks ago. Five detainees have now been extradited to Mauritania. Two were arrested in a hotel on Saturday in the capital Bissau on suspicion of direct involvement. The remaining three were apprehended shortly after and are accused of murder or complicity. Two suspects say they belong to al-Qaeda.

The French tourists were shot dead on 24 December in southern Mauritania, which is considered a relatively safe area. The Dakar Rally was cancelled in the wake of the murders.


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Source: radionetherlands.nl

Dakar: Petersen: Safety has to come first.

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/wrc/news/158479-0/dakar_petersen_safety_has_to_come_first.html

Petersen Motorsport team owner/driver Michael Petersen has said he fully supports the decision to cancel the 2008 running of the Dakar Rally on safety grounds.The event was cancelled by the organisers ASO little more than a day before it was due to get underway in Lisbon following 'direct threats launched directly against the race by terrorist organisations' and following the death of four French tourists in the Mauritania region around Christmas.Although understandably disappointed to see the event – which would have been the second for the American squad best known for its commitments in the American Le Mans Series – Petersen admitted that he would rather pack up and head for home than see any members of his team put at risk.

"As competitors we have not been made aware of the specific threats to the rally but nothing is more important than the safety of the guys on the team," he said. "If the ASO decided that it was too dangerous to hold the race this year, then we know it must be the case. "That doesn't help ease the disappointment or frustration. We are disappointed for the fans and supporters and our corporate partners. Everyone worked so hard to put this together. We overcame a lot of challenges to be here. We were scheduled to go through tech today and do the first stage tomorrow. We were all excited and all ready to go. It was a shock to wake up to this. Right now, we are all still trying to digest everything that has happened here but safety is always the most important thing. "The guys that make up this team are my friends. I have known some of them for over ten years. I share their disappointment but I'd rather see them disappointed that put in harms way."

Economic concerns in wake of Dakar rally cancellation

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iKVD5INvO8L_SUjnqz8Uri8EuMNg

DAKAR (AFP) — The last-minute cancellation of the 2008 Dakar motor rally will cause a "mini-tsunami" in the fragile economies of the African countries it was due to pass through, a Senegalese paper said Monday.
"In terms of lost profits, heavy losses and financial consequences, the cancellation of the 30th rally is the equivalent, for our fragile economies, of a real mini-tsunami," wrote the editor of the group that publishes Le Matin newspaper in a front-page editorial.
It recognised that the primary goal of the organisers had to be the security of the competitors.
But it added that "giving in to the threats of Bin Laden (head of the Al Qaeda network) or other terrorists, it's as if we're rolling out the red carpet for them, and it (will make them believe) they've triumphed over all the security measures taken by Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal combined."
The Lisbon-Dakar Rally was called off by organisers on January 5 following threats to its safety purportedly from the Al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb.
Those threats came in the wake of the murder on December 24 of four French tourists in Mauritania.

Dakar chiefs consider 2008 alternative

PRAGUE (AFP) — Dakar Rally organisers are considering a race through central Europe this spring to replace the event that was cancelled due to security concerns, the head of the Czech KM Racing Team told AFP on Monday.
"According to the information I received from my friends and Hungarian colleagues, ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation), are considering organising a competition in May to run through Hungary and Romania," said Pavel Kubicek.
"It would be a nice gesture to those who sacrificed a year of their lives in preparation for the 2008 Dakar," said the KM Racing chief, who added that Hungarian Balazs Szalay, the representative of ASO for central Europe had been pushing for several years for Budapest to host the start of the Dakar one day.
"In any case, it is impossible to compensate for the cancellation of the Dakar. It truly is a phenomenon, much more than just a rally."
KM Racing boasts three motorbike riders, David Pabiska, Dusan Randysek and Ivan Figura and Josef Machacek, four-time Dakar winner in the quad bike category.
The 2008 Dakar Rally had been due to start on Saturday in Lisbon, but the murder of four French tourists in Mauritania on December 24 led to the French government advising against any travel to the country and race organisers cancelling the 30th edition of the event.

Dakar 2008 Cancelled

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Lisbon, Friday the 4th of January 2008
A.S.O. cancels the 2008 edition of the Dakar rally
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 24th 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.