Comments made on twitter regarding this incident to the BBC support the contention that the area of attack was a “safe zone”.
For instance Western Desert Tours has been operating in the area offering tours of the sand and oasis. It received an award of excellence in 2014 from the customer rating service Trip Advisor. Many other companies are offering safaris to the area. Egypt borders on states in N. Africa that have become unstable in recent years. Libya and Sudan on the west have become conduits for terrorist and counterrevolutionary activities. On the east where most of the attention has been focussed recently, Egypt shares borders with the Palestinian Territories(Gaza Strip) and Israel. The military government has been demolishing homes in the Sinai Desert to prevent unauthorized border crossings. The military there has come under increasingly deadly attacks. Egypt relies heavily on other countries for direct aid to finance itself but it also gains significant foreign currency from its tourist trade. Since the military coup in that country, the tourism industry has declined. At its high point over $12 billion USD was collected from travellers in one year. Sources: The Guardian Reuters
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There have been other brushes with judicial systems. The French have found Karpeles guilty of hacking and imposed in absentia a one year jail term. The US Justice Department has expressed interest in the non-traceable money exchanges. In its prosecution of the black market Silk Road a US$10 million fine was slapped onto Mt. Gox. It has been reported that a US federal prosecutor vacationed in Tokyo shortly before the former mogul was arrested and then was seen shortly afterwards also vacationing in Slovenia, the home of BitStamp.
People who lost money, virtual or real, on the Mt. Gox fiasco are claiming a total of $22 billionUDS in losses. Three investors are claiming a total of $21 billion in losses. Governments are generally wary of the growth of virtual money because it allows anonymous exchanges. It becomes impossible to check transactions for taxable transactions and money laundering. During the initial flush of excitement over bitcoins, there was speculation that criminals and terrorists could use the system to finance covert operations. Sources: Japan Today Crypto Coin News Some public toilets and simple accommodations have been built, but those criticizing the $13 billion US plans have pointed to the construction of upscale hotels and shopping centres.
Others have objected to the important religious sites that are being obliterated. While the official line is that the increasing number of pilgrims attending Mecca need reasonable housing, others point out that the Wahhabi branch of Muslim frowns on the reverence for the historically important sites. The Wahhabi, the Al Qaeda and now the followers of ISIL have all displayed their antipathy to concrete reminders of religions. The close relationship between the Wahhabists, the House of Saud and petroleum money have led some to accuse the rulers of funding the religious terrorism that is currently spreading in the Middle East. Sources: Al Arabyia Reuters The majority follow Christian or Moslem teachings. The government of Israel has taken in millions of people, but they follow Jewish teachings and the government is trying to maintain Israel as a Jewish state. Those who arrive from Africa are allowed in, but are not welcomed. The majority are kept in camps in the Negev desert. They must check in with the authorities there three times a day. New arrivals are required to spend a year in the desert camp before a temporary visa is issued. If a refugee is found outside the detention centre without a visa, he is subject to deportation. It has become increasingly difficult for visa holders to renew their permit. In addition to the turmoil in Africa other crises are generating asylum seekers. Syria, Iraq and Yemen are all in a state of war. Israel has been asked by neighbouring Lebanon to accept some people fleeing from the fighting, but have been refused. Lebanon currently hosts over 160 000 Syrian refugees. Many are not registered with the UN agency so the real number is probably much higher. Some countries in Europe have stepped up to the plate to accept people fleeing war. Others not so much. The Canadian government has pledged to take in 10 000 people, but few have actually been accepted. Sources: UN Refugee Agency Washington Post He had a tempestuous relationship with a Beijing woman who also had one of his babies. Xuan Yang gave birth to a girl in Los Angeles two months before Gang’s death. She is seeking to claim the whole of the estate left. She petitioned the courts for a DNA sample from the deceased. This was granted and the results were released in late August.
Gang’s brother who resides in China has engaged a lawyer in Canada to untangle the estate. He expressed surprise that the mother of the youngest infant would claim that her child is the only heir as at least four other children have been confirmed as his offspring. Each proven offspring would share equally in the estate. Sources: CTV News National Post |
Barbara McPherson
Blogger, gardener, farmer. Working toward food security and a 30 foot
diet. Addicted to reading. Love this planet, especially my little corner
on Vancouver Island, Canada Archives
October 2016
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