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The Ghutra Man
Joined: 10 Mar 2005
Posts: 3
Location: Saudi Arabia
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 Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 6:45 am Post subject: another shooting - I'm getting ready to leave |
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Well my fellow posters and readers alike, it's time these old bones got back home.
The shoot out between militants and police today near Riyadh has further illustrated the insecurity this country faces. I believe it's only a matter of time before we start hearing about more of these events which will involve foreign nationals next time. These fanatics are so hell bent on driving us out (forget about trying to convert us), that they'll stop at nothing to get at us.
It was mentioned in another post that a teacher at KFUPM had a bullet pass through his car (accidentally from what I understand), that shows the security forces will fire at anything before attempting to ask why or what.
No, the feeling here in SA at the moment is a little bit dangerous and I relate that to the views I'm hearing from ordinary people on the streets where the young have no work and are ready to rise up against the crooked monarchy and their puppets.
Good luck to anyone considering coming over shortly. Let me say however, there are other jobs in the ME which offer more stability in terms of the politcal stability if you are prepared to take a drop in salary.
The
Ghutra
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Nomad Dan
Joined: 17 Feb 2003
Posts: 145
Location: Myanmar
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| Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 4:18 am Post subject: Impression made |
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Well, what you had to say makes me pay attention. I am thinking hard of going back to the KSA....I enjoyed my couple of years there...and I was eager to return...but hey, if it starts getting too crazy, Korea is a nice option.
Dan |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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I'm wondering why this particular incident is giving you so much food for thought.
After all, anyone who has been in KSA for the past 2 or 3 years has lived through such disturbing incidents as compound bombings, kidnappings, drive-by shootings (all aimed at ex-pats) as well as the bombing of the US Consulate and sundry other goings-on.
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| I believe it's only a matter of time before we start hearing about more of these events which will involve foreign nationals next time. |
Are you saying foreign nationals are among the "terrorists" the Saudis say have been killed in this stand-off? Because otherwise I don't really see the sense in this statement.
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| These fanatics are so hell bent on driving us out (forget about trying to convert us), that they'll stop at nothing to get at us |
Actually, most analysts believe that the Saudi "insurgency" has been dealt some pretty severe blows of late, and while it has certainly not been wiped out, it is very much weakened - for now. So, I would say that ex-pats are somewhat safer here now than they would have been a year or two years ago. There are also indications that the militants have changed their focus, to attacking Saudi interests outside the Kingdom. There is a theory - obviously very controversial and certainly unproven - that the killing of Lebanese ex-PM Rafiq Hariri may have been an example of this. |
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johnyarrington
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
Posts: 66
Location: Saudi Arabia
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| Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 2:22 pm Post subject: Another shooting...... |
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Dear Cleopatra,
I'm wondering why this particular incident is giving you so much time for what seems like apologies on behalf of the country, ....."
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After all, anyone who has been in KSA for the past 2 or 3 years has lived through such disturbing incidents as compound bombings, kidnappings, drive-by shootings (all aimed at ex-pats) as well as the bombing of the US Consulate and sundry other goings-on.
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and ....."Actually, most analysts believe that the Saudi "insurgency" has been dealt some pretty severe blows of late, and while it has certainly not been wiped out, it is very much weakened - for now. So, I would say that ex-pats are somewhat safer here now than they would have been a year or two years ago. There are also apparently ".........;intended obfuscation,......"are you saying.......because I .....really don't see the sense of this statement....."----The Ghurta Man's meaning was crystal clear to me---- and attempts at getting off the point by talking about the murder of Hariri----"obviously very controversial and certainly unproven......may have been an example of this
Are you an agent for the government?? Or what? Your response sounds like so much.........well, to be polite, I'll say, "nonsense in the extreme" that I read in the so-called newspapers, in this so-called country. |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Are you an agent for the government?? Or what? Your response sounds like so much.........well, to be polite, I'll say, "nonsense in the extreme" that I read in the so-called newspapers, in this so-called country. |
You mean you don't like it here? |
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Paul in Saudi
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Posts: 404
Location: Doha, Qatar
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 10:41 am Post subject: |
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It simply stands too reason that people will leave 'too soon' (as seems to be the case here) or 'too late' (I am holding out for 'too late').
The time to leave is before it becomes too dangerous or difficult to do so. If recent events have popped your circuit breaker then it is only right for you to fly.
I disagree with you at this point, but it is your decision to make. |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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Johnny,
It's hard to know how to respond to a "response" which had so little to do with the posting it claimed to "respond" to.
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| I'm wondering why this particular incident is giving you so much time for what seems like apologies on behalf of the country, ....." |
Ah yes, the old trick. Whenever anyone disagrees with something, accuse them of being an "apologist". Nearly as good a discussion killer as "conspiracy theorist" strawmen. I'm not aware of any instance in my above post where I "apologised" for anyone. Perhaps you'd care to be specific?
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| There are also apparently ".........;intended obfuscation,......"are you saying.......because I .....really don't see the sense of this statement....."---- |
Say what???
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| and attempts at getting off the point by talking about the murder of Hariri----"obviously very controversial and certainly unproven......may have been an example of this |
Due to faulty syntax, I'm not at all sure what your point is, if any.
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| Are you an agent for the government?? Or what? Your response sounds like so much.........well, to be polite, I'll say, "nonsense in the extreme" that I read in the so-called newspapers, in this so-called country. |
Ah! It's all becoming clear! You rely on ex-pat snoozepapers for your "news"! Too bad! Perhaps if you took the trouble to use your internet connection to read the analyses of many experts in the field of international terrorism, you might have been made aware that there is in fact a substantial body of opinion which believes that Saudi militants have indeed been forced to change their tactics in response to recent "hardening" of Saudi targets. Of course, as I said previously, this does not mean that the insurgency has gone away, but there are many who believe that, due to the bad publicity and (more to the point) a cut-off in funding from rich Saudi sponsers, the militants have shifted their tactics towards more "selective" attacks on SAudi targets, both inside and outside the Kingdom.
If you're interested in actually learning more about the subject under discussion, why not spend a little time doing a few quick Google searches? It would have to beat doing baseless personal attacks on posters you don't know, and would certainly be more informative than reading those "so called newspapers" you appear rather familiar with. |
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Mark100
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 441
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 8:18 am Post subject: |
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I will go with Cleopatra on this one.
Things have been much better this year than last year and there is a feeling that the security forces have made significant inroads into the militants ranks.
The situation is far from resolved and of course anything could happen at anytime but by and large most people i know feel more secure now than they did a year ago. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:17 am Post subject: |
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I left after the Oasis Massacre in Khobar in May 2004. Almost as soon as I left I regretted my decision.
Now I am back in the Majik Cingdom. I like my job. I like Saudi Arabia. Sometimes I wonder about being here but is it any safer in the big world outside of here ? |
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