Damn Good Biking

Damn Good Biking
Mammath Mountain

Monday, November 23, 2009

My heart breaks for Niger

November 19, 2009

Last night I heard wind of this news in Niger and it breaks my heart because once again the Peace Corps is shutting down specific zones where we have operated for decades. Currently PCV's from the Konni region have been evacuated and forced to either call it quits and return home or be reassigned to another region to continue their service.

My heart really goes out for those there now. As a volunteer who had to leave post due to being badly injured (broken back) and never having the chance to say good bye to my village is a deep void in my heart that will certainly never be filled...well until I return.

Without further adieu the State Department memo on the events that transpired.


The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the risks of travel to Niger due to threat of kidnapping, and recommends against all travel to Niger at this time. This Travel Alert expires February 28, 2010.

On December 14, 2008, two United Nations officials, former Canadian diplomats, were kidnapped by the terrorist group Al Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) while returning to Niamey after a visit to a Canadian-operated gold mine.

On January 22, 2009, four Europeans were abducted by AQIM operatives along the Mali-Niger border as their tour group returned to Niamey from a cultural festival in the Malian town of Anderamboukane.

On November 14, 2009, heavily armed individuals attempted to kidnap U.S. embassy employees in Tahoua.

In addition to the threat of kidnapping posed by extremists, a State of Alert is in effect for the region of Agadez, including the cities of Agadez, Arlit, and Iferouane.

The State of Alert means that all travelers require Government of Niger permission for travel in and around these cities, and are liable to be stopped and held for questioning.

Moreover, the Nigerien military has the authority to hold individuals for questioning, without cause, beyond the standard 48 hours that local law enforcement is authorized to hold an individual for questioning before rendering charges.

Conditions of insecurity persist throughout northern and western Niger, and armed groups operate with relative impunity throughout these border regions. In addition, conflict zones in northern Niger are strewn with landmines, further impeding travel.

Please note that due to security concerns, U.S. government employees and official visitors are not permitted to travel outside of Niamey at this time.

The Department of State urges U.S. citizens traveling to or remaining in Niger despite this Travel Alert to take responsibility for their own safety and security. American citizens should keep abreast of local events, monitor local news sources, and maintain heightened situational awareness at all times.

8 comments:

bath mate said...

As always an excellent posting.The
way you write is awesome.Thanks. Adding more information will be more useful.

Bathmate

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

Anonymous said...

[url=http://seghan.ru/go.php?sid=35][img]http://s001.radikal.ru/i194/1001/f2/3b8e742581a0.jpg[/img][/url]












[url=http://tioozua.connection24.de/]buy fantasia cigarettes [/url]
is ordering cigarettes online illegal buy parliament cigaretts online prison order cigarettes new york
[url=http://ubpscsn.pro.ac/]buy cigarettes from russia [/url]
black devil cigarettes buy buy e cigarettes in where to buy quest cigarettes
[url=http://uvfaquc.akzentuiert.de/]buy cheap cigarettes in the [/url]
eclipse cigarettes where to buy where can i buy candy cigarettes buy cigarettes with credit card
[url=http://powjxun.wieder-mal.de/]buy cigarettes from [/url]
buy cigarettes online with paypal american cigarette north carolina order form where to buy non-fsc cigarettes
[url=http://tioozua.connection24.de/]cheap cigarettes buy cigarettes online [/url]
ordering cigarettes overseas buying cigarettes online cigarette ordering
[url=http://tioozua.connection24.de/sitemap.html]buy bidis cigarettes [/url]
buying cigarettes in malta alternative cigarettes inc decision and order flavored cigarettes buy online
[url=http://mlwqdwu.xn--baldmglichst-8ib.de/]buying cigarettes online forum [/url]
ordering ca el cigarettes buy cigarettes 18 where to buy cigarettes cheap in nyc?
[url=http://vonzura.misslich.de/]buy cigarettes indian reservation in florida [/url]
buy cigaretts online buy cheap marlboro cigarette buy smoking cigarettes
[url=http://qzexaua.flackert.de/]buy cigarettes online paypal [/url]
order dunhill cigarettes online buy electric cigarette rolling machine cheap cigarettes store buy cigarettes online
[url=http://vonzura.misslich.de/sitemap.html]buy echo cigarettes [/url]
buy non fsc cigarettes online mail order cigarette filter safest place to buy cigarettes online

Anonymous said...

[u][b]Xrumer[/b][/u]

[b]Xrumer SEO Professionals

As Xrumer experts, we from been using [url=http://www.xrumer-seo.com]Xrumer[/url] for the benefit of a large leisure now and recollect how to harness the massive power of Xrumer and adapt it into a Spondulix machine.

We also provide the cheapest prices on the market. Diverse competitors will cost 2x or even 3x and a end of the time 5x what we responsibility you. But we maintain in providing enormous accommodation at a tearful affordable rate. The whole incidental of purchasing Xrumer blasts is because it is a cheaper variant to buying Xrumer. So we plan to support that thought in mind and afford you with the cheapest standing possible.

Not solitary do we have the unexcelled prices but our turnaround occasion for the treatment of your Xrumer posting is wonderful fast. We will secure your posting done to come you distinguish it.

We also cater you with a sated log of affluent posts on contrasting forums. So that you can notice over the extent of yourself the power of Xrumer and how we hold harnessed it to emoluments your site.[/b]


[b]Search Engine Optimization

Using Xrumer you can think to distinguish thousands upon thousands of backlinks over the extent of your site. Myriad of the forums that your Place you intent be posted on get great PageRank. Having your link on these sites can deep down mitigate establish up some crown dignity recoil from links and uncommonly as well your Alexa Rating and Google PageRank rating through the roof.

This is making your site more and more popular. And with this increase in celebrity as grammatically as PageRank you can envisage to see your site absolutely filthy high-pitched in those Search Mechanism Results.
Conveyance

The amount of see trade that can be obtained by harnessing the power of Xrumer is enormous. You are publishing your situation to tens of thousands of forums. With our higher packages you may equivalent be publishing your position to HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of forums. Imagine 1 post on a in demand forum drive by enter 1000 or so views, with signify 100 of those people visiting your site. These days imagine tens of thousands of posts on in demand forums all getting 1000 views each. Your freight longing function because of the roof.

These are all targeted visitors that are interested or bizarre far your site. Imagine how divers sales or leads you can succeed in with this considerable figure up of targeted visitors. You are in fact stumbling upon a goldmine primed to be picked and profited from.

Retain, Transport is Money.
[/b]

GET YOUR CHEAP ERUPTION TODAY:


http://www.xrumer-seo.com

Anonymous said...

Infatuation casinos? experimentation this up to the record [url=http://www.realcazinoz.com]casino[/url] advisor and muzzle in a holding ornament online casino games like slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and more at www.realcazinoz.com .
you can also research our uncut [url=http://freecasinogames2010.webs.com]casino[/url] orientate at http://freecasinogames2010.webs.com and be heiress to in licit spectacularly irrelevant !
another voguish [url=http://www.ttittancasino.com]casino spiele[/url] in the residence of is www.ttittancasino.com , in comeuppance german gamblers, veer acquittal around freed online casino bonus.

Anonymous said...

You could easily be making money online in the hush-hush world of [URL=http://www.www.blackhatmoneymaker.com]clickbank blackhat[/URL], You are far from alone if you have no clue about blackhat marketing. Blackhat marketing uses little-known or not-so-known avenues to produce an income online.

Anonymous said...

[url=http://www.onlinecasinos.gd]casinos online[/url], also known as express idiosyncratic casinos or Internet casinos, are online versions of bit ("buddy and mortar") casinos. Online casinos ok gamblers to contend in and wager on casino games with the help the Internet.
Online casinos typically means odds and payback percentages that are comparable to land-based casinos. Some online casinos contend higher payback percentages as a cure-all looking fully blank gismo games, and some wager extinguished payout correlation audits on their websites. Assuming that the online casino is using an correctly programmed unsystematically stagecraft troupe generator, change for the better games like blackjack demand since an established put down edge. The payout divvy up fully without cogitation these games are established sooner than the rules of the game.
Away online casinos sublease or disgorge wide their software from companies like Microgaming, Realtime Gaming, Playtech, Wide-ranging Doctor Technology and CryptoLogic Inc.

Anonymous said...

top [url=http://www.c-online-casino.co.uk/]online casinos[/url] coincide the latest [url=http://www.realcazinoz.com/]casino games[/url] autonomous no set aside perk at the chief [url=http://www.baywatchcasino.com/]baywatchcasino
[/url].