NationStates Jolt Archive

A Muslim separatist group yesterday claimed responsibility for a series of fatal explosions in several Chinese cities and threatened to target the Olympic Games, due to begin on 8 August.

Chinese officials dismissed video statements by spokesmen claiming to represent the little-known Turkestan Islamic Party, who warned that they would attack next month's Games and said they were to blame for the previous blasts. A US terrorism-monitoring firm published a transcript of their video.

The Chinese authorities have repeatedly alleged that extremists from the restive northwestern region of Xinjiang - known as East Turkestan by separatists among the Uighur Muslim population - were targeting the Olympics. Officials have blamed the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and, more recently, Hizb ut-Tahrir for plots. The AFP news agency quoted intelligence analysts Stratfor as saying the Turkestan Islamic Party was another name for ETIM.

...

It quoted the group's leader, Commander Seyfullah, as saying: 'Despite the Turkestan Islamic Party's repeated warnings to China and international community about stopping the 29th Olympics in Beijing, the Chinese have haughtily ignored our warnings. The Turkestan Islamic Party volunteers who had gone through special preparations have started urgent actions. Our aim is to target the most critical points related to the Olympics. We will try to attack Chinese central cities severely, using the tactics that have never been employed.'

He urged spectators and athletes - 'particularly the Muslims' - not to attend the Games, adding: 'Please do not stand together with the faithless people.'

Earlier this year the Ministry of Public Security said it had disrupted two plots to attack the Olympics. It claimed one group had been planning to kidnap athletes, foreign journalists and other visitors, while a second had been manufacturing explosives and was plotting to attack hotels, government offices and military targets in Shanghai, Beijing and other cities, on the orders of ETIM.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/27/olympicgames2008.terrorism

Seems like everyone is trying to separate from China during the Olympics. I wouldn't be surprised if the ethnic Mongolians started cooking something next. :eek:

Even though I don't support the communists, I still want the Olympics to run smoothly since the overall basis of the games is friendship and peace transcending national boundaries, etc.

Oh, and also it looks like Europe/the states aren't the only countries facing Islamic extremists now. =\

Even though I don't support the communists...
Communists? China?

Lol.

Oh, and also it looks like Europe/the states aren't the only countries facing Islamic extremists now.
Um... Bali anyone?

Moreover, take a look at the political history of the Middle East and Asia, from Afghanistan to Egypt, for the past 80-odd years. And that's just in the twentieth century.

Check these dudes out (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_brotherhood) and Sayyid Qutb (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayyid_Qutb) in particular, for example.

Oh, and also it looks like Europe/the states aren't the only countries facing Islamic extremists now. =\

China has been dealing with Muslim seperatists for a very long time.

There's so much controversy and violence going on over the Olympics. People seem to forget that the World Games are for everyone to forget why the hell they hate each other and just do something together in friendly sport.

This stuff makes me angry.

Oh, and also it looks like Europe/the states aren't the only countries facing Islamic extremists now. =\
Who doesn't love living in a bubble.

There's so much controversy and violence going on over the Olympics. People seem to forget that the World Games are for everyone to forget why the hell they hate each other and just do something together in friendly sport.

This stuff makes me angry.

And That's why they do it, they're terrorists lol. I think every Olympic event has been threatened by terrorists in the past 20 years.

Don't quote me on that, but I always seem to hear something about terrorism when the Olympics roll around.

And That's why they do it, they're terrorists lol. I think every Olympic event has been threatened by terrorists in the past 20 years.

Don't quote me on that, but I always seem to hear something about terrorism when the Olympics roll around.

But I mean, it's not even that. The controversy with not sending out Athletes there over China's treatment to other nations. Yeah, of course we don't support it, but we still should go. It's not China's fault the Board selected them as this year's place to be held.

In the 1980s we didn't go either. At the height of the Cold War, the games were in Moscow. The USA did not attend.

I should specify, politics make me angry.

There's so much controversy and violence going on over the Olympics. People seem to forget that the World Games are for everyone to forget why the hell they hate each other and just do something together in friendly sport.

This stuff makes me angry.

Isn't it about penis waving on a peaceful level - an event where you could show the bastards that you're genetically superior?

Isn't it about penis waving on a peaceful level - an event where you could show the bastards that you're genetically superior?

Haha. In a way I suppose it has turned into that. But that wasn't the way it started.

I love how all the right-wing weirdos call China 'communist' even though their not, I guess it must be easier to refer to your enemy as an ideological opponent than a competitor in the capitalist market, which is what they are.

Tibet, Sudan etc, all of this the western media couldn't have cared less about until oil was found in Sudan and China become a rival for US capital.

But I mean, it's not even that. The controversy with not sending out Athletes there over China's treatment to other nations. Yeah, of course we don't support it, but we still should go. It's not China's fault the Board selected them as this year's place to be held.

In the 1980s we didn't go either. At the height of the Cold War, the games were in Moscow. The USA did not attend.

I should specify, politics make me angry.

Yeah, that is true. But the thing I kind of like about the whole not sending athletes thing is that it's a peaceful way to tell a host country that they suck and we don't support them.

I still believe that the athletes should participate though, the whole show is theirs after all.

And yeah, politics make me angry as hell, but I really like discussing them though, go figure.

But I mean, it's not even that. The controversy with not sending out Athletes there over China's treatment to other nations. Yeah, of course we don't support it, but we still should go. It's not China's fault the Board selected them as this year's place to be held.

<snip>
Excuse me, but it most certainly is "China's fault" they got the games. China lobbied and campaigned for several years to get the 2008 games in Beijing, beating out several other nations/cities who also wanted to host the games. They wanted to host the games for the anticipated economic boost from tourism, corporate investment in the area, and economic assistance in urban improvements in support of the building of new athletic facilities (all of which are typically designed for continuing use after the Olympics, and thus generation of future revenue, as well, btw). China also wanted them for a big public event/venue at which to establish China's new position as a world leader. China spent enormous amounts of money and made far-reaching promises about what they were going to do to the city of Beijing to get the IOC to give them the games -- promises which they are even now having a hard time making good on.

China was not just picked by the IOC at random. They practically squeezed the games out of the IOC's throat -- or rather, they made them offers they couldn't refuse. China has the games because they wanted them.

China was not just picked by the IOC at random. They practically squeezed the games out of the IOC's throat -- or rather, they made them offers they couldn't refuse. China has the games because they wanted them.
...and because the IOC chose them.

It's not as if they threatened the IOC.

...and because the IOC chose them.

It's not as if they threatened the IOC.
They didn't threaten the IOC. They nearly bribed them. As have most of the Olympic host cities/nations for the past few decades. Once you get away from the athletes themselves, there is virtually nothing idealistic about the Olympics anymore. It is all about the enormous money engine that sports has become -- and all the corruption and backroom dealing that come with that.

To suggest anything even remotely like China being some innocent, selfless volunteer just out to help the IOC and the wonderful athletes is tragically naive. China campaigned like Sherman to get those games.

They didn't threaten the IOC. They nearly bribed them.
Maybe, but "made them offers they couldn't refuse"?

A tad too Michael Corleone, no?

To suggest anything even remotely like China being some innocent, selfless volunteer just out to help the IOC and the wonderful athletes is tragically naive.
It would be, if I was in any way suggesting that.

Maybe, but "made them offers they couldn't refuse"?

A tad too Michael Corleone, no?
I am not responsible for your literal-mindedness. I meant it the way the "Godfather" didn't -- meaning that the movie line was using a euphemism, which I was using literally -- i.e. an offer too good to refuse.

It would be, if I was in any way suggesting that.
The poster I was originally responding to framed his/her remarks in a way that suggested it. Context matters.

I love how all the right-wing weirdos call China 'communist' even though their not, I guess it must be easier to refer to your enemy as an ideological opponent than a competitor in the capitalist market, which is what they are.

Tibet, Sudan etc, all of this the western media couldn't have cared less about until oil was found in Sudan and China become a rival for US capital.

The central government is called the Communist party, thus I referred to the chinese government as "communists". To clarify in hindsight, China is more capitalistic than America, from personal experiences.

China was not just picked by the IOC at random. They practically squeezed the games out of the IOC's throat -- or rather, they made them offers they couldn't refuse. China has the games because they wanted them.

I'm a bit ignorant on this one. What exactly are the incentives for IOC when China was selected for 2008? I don't understand how building stadiums in one country could benefit the entire IOC for generations. :confused:

The central government is called the Communist party, thus I referred to the chinese government as "communists". To clarify in hindsight, China is more capitalistic than America, from personal experiences.



I'm a bit ignorant on this one. What exactly are the incentives for IOC when China was selected for 2008? I don't understand how building stadiums in one country could benefit the entire IOC for generations. :confused:
First, building stadiums does not benefit the IOC for generations. It benefits the host city for decades, if they are lucky. It is one of the reasons cities/nations want to host the Olympics, because it brings in development money.

Second, I tried to look up news reports about how China won the IOC selection, but that is old news by several years, and the web is currently overwhelmed by new news about the Beijing games, so I failed in a quick google for this thread. I couldn't think of the right magic keyword to get what I wanted.

However, the IOC has a list of criteria for athletic facilities for training and the actual events, seating capacities, security, transportation, athlete housing/feeding/medical services, publicity, assurance that the host nation can pay the bills, and somewhat vaguer assurances concerning the host nation's human rights and other political stances, the environmental conditions the athletes will be subjected to, and stuff like that. China, like all wannabe host nations, went to a lot of trouble and expense to get all those assurances in line for the IOC (though there is a lot of doubt as to how well they've done as the day comes to actually deliver).

For a brutal Dictatorship, China sucks balls at crushing people like this.

For a brutal Dictatorship, China sucks balls at crushing people like this.

/thread

Oh, and also it looks like Europe/the states aren't the only countries facing Islamic extremists now. =\

:D:D:D:D

Oh deary deary me...

You may now return to ignoring world events. :tongue: