What is NZ's problem in playing in Kenya ?

[aussie_beater]

I am not sure what exact security fears are prompting NZ to threaten a boycott of their scheduled match in Kenya ?

:O :O :O

 

[Top_Cat]

They're in the midst of an election and passions are running high. I guess they're a little apprehensive about it. Plus I'm sure the guys are spooked by the Zim situation. Understandable reaction, regardless of whether the facts support it. We can argue with them until we're blue in the face about how safe Kenya is (and it IS safe; I mean, it wasn't long ago Australia and Pakistan played a one-day tournament there) but aside from contractual obligations (and I'm sure there'd be a player safety 'get out' clause for the NZ cricket board), no-one can force them to play.

 

[aussie_beater]

...no-one can force them to play.

Ofcourse no one can force them to do anything, but we can surely criticize them for being totally unreasonable.

This world cup is dogged by so many issues, that I am not sure if its gonna be all that much fun.

 

[Tim]

Lets not forget that NZ have been involved in 3 terroist attacks since 1990. (2 in Sri Lanka & 1 in Pakistan)

I don't blame for wanting to be extra cautious especially after last year in Pakistan.

Last year if you recall an airline narrowly missed 2 missiles launched at it in Kenya a few hours after a terroist attack, so I really wouldn't blame NZ if they pulled out.

 

[aussie_beater]

Lets not forget that NZ have been involved in 3 terroist attacks since 1990. (2 in Sri Lanka & 1 in Pakistan)

I don't blame for wanting to be extra cautious especially after last year in Pakistan.

Last year if you recall an airline narrowly missed 2 missiles launched at it in Kenya a few hours after a terroist attack, so I really wouldn't blame NZ if they pulled out.

And that kind of threat exists all over the world, specially in the current situation.If its that way, then NZ might as well say that they won't play cricket anywhere outside Auckland.

 

[Tim]

Well the ICC have said that games will go ahead in Kenya.
And it seems that NZ will forfeit 2 points & cop a fine along with it.

How is this right? if the NZ Government & The US Government have declared it unsafe for Westerners while the ICC roll along & claim nothing is wrong.

And Age_Master if you're trying to say that the likelyhood of a terroist attack is almost the same in other places like England or Australia, then I think you need to go & get a reality check & visit Kenya.

Notice that the 3 teams considering forfeiting are Western nations? Australia, England & NZ

I think you're being to harsh considering what the NZ team went through last year, and even though they stand to blow their World Cup chances I don't really blame them.

 

[aussie_beater]

How is this right? if the NZ Government & The US Government have declared it unsafe for Westerners while the ICC roll along & claim nothing is wrong.

And Age_Master if you're trying to say that the likelyhood of a terroist attack is almost the same in other places like England or Australia, then I think you need to go & get a reality check & visit Kenya.

Notice that the 3 teams considering forfeiting are Western nations? Australia, England & NZ

I think you're being to harsh considering what the NZ team went through last year, and even though they stand to blow their World Cup chances I don't really blame them.

I have a co-worker who came back from Kenya just a couple of months back after a Safari trip. And yes, he is an American.He was saying that its one of the hottest tourist destination in all of Africa.There have been recent terrorist activity in UK and a lot of other places in Europe.And the US government has travel advisories in place for almost every country in the world.

Yes NZ has faced pretty bad incidents before, but that's just because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time which can happen to anyone anywhere.Its not that anyone targetted them.It can happen to anybody.Indian players like Sachin and Ganguly have a clear threat to their life.Nothing of the sort exists for the NZ folks.

 

[Top_Cat]

And Age_Master if you're trying to say that the likelyhood of a terroist attack is almost the same in other places like England or Australia, then I think you need to go & get a reality check & visit Kenya.

EXCUSE ME but may I remind you about the policeman who was killed in a raid in LONDON where ricin was discovered and the grandaddy of all terrorist attacks on western powers happened in Noo Yawk and Washington, for crying out loud. There was the WTC boming in 1993 and there have been several thwarted attempts at terrorist-type activities in the US in the last few years, all well documented in the news and in the wake of John O'Neill's death.

September 11th WAS the reality check for western countries (and you and I) in that we're far from immune from that sort of brazen attack. If a warning like that isn't heeded, well geez what would it take mate?

I think you'll find that the probability of a terrorist attack happening in a western country is almost as high as anywhere else - the western countries have probably just been better able to deal with it owing to better infrastructure i.e. MORE MONEY. Kenya ain't a rich country by any stretch of the imagination and so it's not altogether in concvievable that bad guys are more likely to slip through the investigative cracks.

 

[Tim]

if you're trying to say that the likelyhood of a terroist attack is almost the same in other places like England or Australia, then I think you need to go & get a reality check & visit Kenya.

You made my quote sound like a terroist attack in England or Australia was a once in 20 year event, but thats not the case. Im sure that England & Australia are constantly getting terroist threats but their resources & ability to deal with them is far greater than Kenya's.

The fact is, is that compared to England & Australia, Kenya are EXTREMELY vunerable to a terroist attack & with such a high profile sporting event in town involving a team of well-known western cricket players, I think the opportunity is too good to pass up.

 

[Top_Cat]

The fact is, is that compared to England & Australia, Kenya are EXTREMELY vunerable to a terroist attack & with such a high profile sporting event in town involving a team of well-known western cricket players, I think the opportunity is too good to pass up.

I doubt it. It's pretty obviously who's beating the war drum the heaviest right now (the US) so any terrorist attack would most likely target them directly.

I think the next terrorist attack will be at a G8 meeting. I mean, Carlos the Jackal headed an attack on an OPEC conference in the 70's so it's not out of the realms of possibility.

 

[Tim]

Anyway,

I doubt NZ will play there.

 

[Willow Whacker]

For those with short memories, on December 1 2002 Terrorists attacked an Israeli holiday resort killing heaps of innocent people.

I think the US embassy was hit about two years ago as well.

Kenya ain't a safe place - in fact very few places in Africa are.

At least the New Zealand camp have the guts to question these things. Its a shame others don't care...maybe the Indians and Pakistanis and Sri Lankans are so used to the ridiculous terrorism within their own countries that they are desensitised to atrocities commitied in Kenya & Zimababwe etc.


WW

 

[aussie_beater]

The fact is, is that compared to England & Australia, Kenya are EXTREMELY vunerable to a terroist attack & with such a high profile sporting event in town involving a team of well-known western cricket players, I think the opportunity is too good to pass up.

Yeah ? And when did any terrorists target the NZ players or for that matter NZ citizens or NZ missions abroad or anything of that sort ?

Yes probably NZ won't play in Kenya and would forfiet their points but no matter what, this is absolutely wrong.The security concerns are almost phony and totally unfounded.

 

[aussie_beater]

At least the New Zealand camp have the guts to question these things. Its a shame others don't care...maybe the Indians and Pakistanis and Sri Lankans are so used to the ridiculous terrorism within their own countries that they are desensitised to atrocities commitied in Kenya & Zimababwe etc.

You better watch it pal before coming out with such utter tripe and actually pretty outrageous statements.

What do you mean "desensitized" ? Just because the NZ govt. has jitters to go to Kenya for whatever reasons does not mean everybody has to follow suit.

Terrorism has surely killed people in Kenya....and it has also killed almost everywhere else in the world.If that's the case then why have the world cup at all.... everybody including the NZ players can go back to play school cricket in their own backyard in whatever form they want.

 

[Willow Whacker]

And who would think a bar in Bali would be a target?

 

[aussie_beater]

And who would think a bar in Bali would be a target?

Yes. then don't go to South Africa either.

 

[Top_Cat]

For those with short memories, on December 1 2002 Terrorists attacked an Israeli holiday resort killing heaps of innocent people.

That's right - in Mombasa, which is about 13 hour train ride from Nairobi (where the matches will be played) which translates to almost 500km away. They are two totally different cities and considering the high Arab population in Mombasa, they might as well be separate countries. I mean, you'd hardly say that a terrorist attack in Havana, Cuba infers that you're not safe in Florida, would you?

The Embassy attack in Nairobi was almost 5 years ago and last I checked, no sportsmen ever stay there. Can't you see the connection? Both bombs TARGETED a specific group of people, were well-planned and deliberate. I don't know of any terrorist group which has a gripe with Kiwi cricketers.

Kenya ain't a safe place - in fact very few places in Africa are.

Rubbish. Prove it. This is inflammatory and has little basis in fact.

 

[Top_Cat]

And who would think a bar in Bali would be a target?

Anyone who has taken a cursory glance at the politics of the region would know there has always been danger, let alone the Aussie government who had undoutably seen threat incident reports. Before the Bali bombings, I was never intending to go anywhere near Bali because there's things I personally know which mean Id never want to take the risk. All this media hype in Australia of 'paradise lost' and "We never saw it coming" is tripe. It's all designed to provoke an emotional response about something which has been in the air for many years.

 

[Tim]

I can't believe you'd be that blind to think that terroists wouldn't attack a team even if they don't hold a grudge against them.

New Zealand have sided with the USA in political terms, so attempting to take out the NZ cricket team would be a nice little reminder of who your friends are.

If Australia had been held up in Pakistan by the bomb blasts then this whole scenario would be no different.

Now we're entering into a new phase of terroism, its not just about selection anymore..its about how many you can kill in one area.

So this is all bollocks, and I will respect whatever the NZ team decides..case closed.

 

[Tim]

Ok obviously your respective countries have not had to deal with terroism at first hand.

Here lies the problem...

New Zealand have been involved in 3 terroist attacks since 1990. One almost ruined NZ cricket after players split up & people blamed one another which caused friendships to break. Another one almost killed 2 players, the one in Pakistan almost killed the whole team if it had been 2 minutes later.

If you think NZ are going to walk right into Kenya, ignore Government warnings & forget the past..you're wrong!