NationStates Jolt Archive

Seven Spanish tourists and two Yemeni drivers were killed when a suicide bomber blew up a vehicle against their convoy at the Yemeni historical site of Marib on Monday.

[...] Yemen's interior ministry said the bombing in the restive northeastern region of Marib appeared to be linked to Al-Qaeda.

(Article (http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/news/world/20070702-yemen-tourists-spain-marib-attack-explosion-car-bomb.html))

So... why bomb Yemen? Not Arab enough? :p

So... why bomb Yemen?

That's a good question. This may be part of the answer:

In recent year's Yemen's government has been fighting Islamists with the help of US special forces based in Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa.

That's a good question. This may be part of the answer:

Ah, figures. :p

Watch someone turn up saying "If the Islamic Courts Ran Somilia this wouldn't have happened".

Spanish tourists? Didn't Spain give the Islamists what they wanted by pulling out of Iraq after the train bombings? Why ever would they be targeted?

Spanish tourists? Didn't Spain give the Islamists what they wanted by pulling out of Iraq after the train bombings? Why ever would they be targeted?

I'm sure they'll concoct a rationale if they didn't already. *nod*

Spanish tourists? Didn't Spain give the Islamists what they wanted by pulling out of Iraq after the train bombings? Why ever would they be targeted?

I'm pretty sure terrorists don't distinguish one nationality from another when targetting Westerners. As for these attacks, hardly surprising. Yemen has been a volatile place for decades. It only re-united seventeen years ago, and it's the least developed country in the Arab world, not to mention a repressive dictatorship rife with corruption.

I'm sure they'll concoct a rationale if they didn't already. *nod*

I do not believe that pulling out of anywhere discourages terrorism. Stating that this attack is for the civilians killed in Iraq, and that attack is for supporting Israel, are all merely post-event rationalizations. What makes people commit acts of terror is personal frustration, not political frustration.

I do not believe that pulling out of anywhere discourages terrorism.

Not necessarily.

Again, I don't think the terrorists in question here knew or cared that the foreigners they killed were Spaniards.

So... why bomb Yemen? Not Arab enough? :p


ithink we should bomb them into the stoneage..they seem to like that era..and when they poke their dumb ass heads out,bomb them again,people forget we won...and they lost,if they want to play by those rules,why shouldnt we?,i say punish them till they cry uncle and play nice...but we all know we are to nice and they are to devout....so make excuses for them..your gonna need them...

Spanish tourists? Didn't Spain give the Islamists what they wanted by pulling out of Iraq after the train bombings? Why ever would they be targeted?

Shows that the Spanish government is failing on all fronts with regards to terrorism. Their pulling out of Iraq backfired (not only the events in Yemen show this, but also events in Afghanistan and previous arrests in Spain show), and recently ETA has announced new terrorist attacks in Spain after the Zapatero government had stated to resolve the problems thorugh "dialogue". Shows once again that you cannot have a dialogie with an enemy that has no face.

My only real question is why anyone would want to visit Yemen.

There are certainly more interesting (and safer!) places one could visit.

My only real question is why anyone would want to visit Yemen.

There are certainly more interesting (and safer!) places one could visit.

Yemen actually has some beautiful sights to see.

Although, its stability is tenuous at best.

ithink we should bomb them into the stoneage..they seem to like that era..and when they poke their dumb ass heads out,bomb them again,people forget we won...and they lost,if they want to play by those rules,why shouldnt we?,i say punish them till they cry uncle and play nice...but we all know we are to nice and they are to devout....so make excuses for them..your gonna need them...

I'm not even going to pretend I understand any of your gibberish.

My only real question is why anyone would want to visit Yemen.

There are certainly more interesting (and safer!) places one could visit.

Safer, yes, but Yemen is a fascinating place:


Yemen is slowly becoming known as the 'undiscovered pearl of the Peninsula' by travellers in the know. Yemen has a history as long as your arm, and plenty of ruins and monuments to show for it. With deserts, defensive forts and villages, and spectacular mountain scenery, this country should suit those after adventure. (source (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/middle-east/yemen))

Archaeologists investigating the legendary kingdom of Sheba in the Yemeni province of Marib, have finished restoring an ancient temple which they believe could become one of the world's great tourist sites. (BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1082648.stm))

Sadly, there are countless places in the world which are extremely interesting but rarely visited, either because they're unsafe or because they haven't been "developed for tourists".

Sadly, there are countless places in the world which are extremely interesting but rarely visited, either because they're unsafe or because they haven't been "developed for tourists".

Yeah. I can think of many countries, most of them Africa, that match the bill. :(