High risk to Britons in Egypt

[Deleted User]

marky_p wrote: »

Even the FCO overplay everything.

I understand if you're concerned but you HAVE to think rationally, to be concerned about going to somewhere like Sharm is as ridiculous as being scared of flying (which I am, but it wouldn't stop me going anywhere).

You,sir,are a clown.

The Foreign Office base their threat assessments on intelliegnce gathered by SIS ( you probably know it as MI6 ) who in turn receive intelligence from a wide variety of sources.
Any increase in the threat level should be treated extremely seriously and not as some kind of joke - that's what the intelligence services are there for.
If you can get to Sharm el-Sheikh easily so can a terrorist.

Just to remind everyone of the public information that is known

" The Foreign Office yesterday raised the terror threat level for the country from “general” to the most serious category of “high”, meaning an attack is likely.

Security sources said there has been growing concern that al-Qaeda is looking to target Western tourists in the region.

Five jihadists were arrested by Egyptian police near the border with Gaza last week fuelling reports they planned to attack the Sharm el-Sheikh resort over Christmas.

They were captured with guns and rocket-propelled grenades raising the prospect of a Mumbai-style shooting massacre.

However, it is understood the threat level has been increased because of a wider fear that Britons and other Westerners could increasingly be targeted.

Last week, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian-born cleric, called on jihadists to attack and kidnap Westerners around the world.
In June, Jonathan Evans, the Director General of MI5, warned the Arab Spring had spawned a new generation of terrorists, especially in Libya and Egypt.
A number of Salafi Islam fundamentalist groups are associated with al-Qaeda in Egypt, especially in the Sinai region. "

Lob_Marley

My girlfriend and I are travelling to Sharm El Sheikh (specifically Nabq Bay) in 2 weeks.

Little bit worried (or startled) by the headlines in recent days. Definitely won't be travelling to Cairo to visit the pyramids now. Pretty disappointed by that.

The general consensus however is that Sharm El Sheikh is safe, so we've little to worry about?

Voyager2002

Deleted_User wrote: »

You,sir,are a clown.

The Foreign Office base their threat assessments on intelliegnce gathered by SIS ( you probably know it as MI6 ) who in turn receive intelligence from a wide variety of sources.
Any increase in the threat level should be treated extremely seriously and not as some kind of joke - that's what the intelligence services are there for.

snip

Getting a bit off-topic, but the SIS have a spectacular ability to get things wrong. Try reading "Spycatcher", the autobiography of a retired director of MI5. (I have a great deal of respect for MI5, which is a totally different organisation from the farcical MI6.) On a personal level, I once needed official guidance on the safety of a railway line that crossed a rebel-influenced area in Southern Africa: the answer came back that it was safe, and there had not been any adverse incidents, despite a well-documented attack on a train that had even been reported in the local newspaper.

No: this is a situation that calls for common sense. If there really were a threat then we would be advised not to travel and could reclaim deposits from our insurance. In the absence of such official warnings, the tourist areas of Egypt are probably a good deal safer than somewhere like Florida.

PompeyPete

Deleted_User wrote: »

British tourists are seen as a soft target in the region and it's only a matter of time before some fundamentalist nutter gets through.

We are soft targets in our own country aren't we?
Terrorism is about terror, frightening the crap out of people, working up a frenzy, and also allowing on-lineTrolls to have a field-day.
For years there has been a terrorist threat of one level or another in most Middle Eastern and North African countries.
People really ought to do do their homework before thinking about embarking to some of these countries.
Just go !!!!!!, be sensible, and enjoy yourselves!

pulliptears

Lob_Marley wrote: »

My girlfriend and I are travelling to Sharm El Sheikh (specifically Nabq Bay) in 2 weeks.

Little bit worried (or startled) by the headlines in recent days. Definitely won't be travelling to Cairo to visit the pyramids now. Pretty disappointed by that.

The general consensus however is that Sharm El Sheikh is safe, so we've little to worry about?

Like you I'm also travelling to Nabq at the end of the month (26th to be exact). I was a little worried at first, but have calmed down a bit now.

Nabq is a small resort really (went there 2 years ago and loved it!) and I suspect if there were to be any attacks on tourists they would take place in the busier areas of Naama, plus as has been said I think there is probably more chance of being blown up in London.

I'm not bothered about trips as I did the quad biking last time so we'll stay close to the hotel I imagine. I will be keeping a close eye on the Foreign Office Advice though.

gregg1

Lob_Marley wrote: »

My girlfriend and I are travelling to Sharm El Sheikh (specifically Nabq Bay) in 2 weeks.

Little bit worried (or startled) by the headlines in recent days. Definitely won't be travelling to Cairo to visit the pyramids now. Pretty disappointed by that.

The general consensus however is that Sharm El Sheikh is safe, so we've little to worry about?

I think you are being very sensible. You are not cancelling your holiday but are minimising the potential risk factor re the pyramids. You can't really do much more than that. Have a good holiday.

[Deleted User]

PompeyPete wrote: »

We are soft targets in our own country aren't we?
Terrorism is about terror, frightening the crap out of people, working up a frenzy, and also allowing on-lineTrolls to have a field-day.
For years there has been a terrorist threat of one level or another in most Middle Eastern and North African countries.
People really ought to do do their homework before thinking about embarking to some of these countries.
Just go !!!!!!, be sensible, and enjoy yourselves!

I couldn't give a rat's @ss where anyone goes on their holiday.
But if you think the FCO raise their risk assessment to high for the fun of it you're very much mistaken.
Sharm el-Sheikh is no safer than anywhere else in the Middle East so you pays your money ...etc,etc.

PompeyPete

Deleted_User wrote: »

But if you think the FCO raise their risk assessment to high for the fun of it you're very much mistaken.
Sharm el-Sheikh is no safer than anywhere else in the Middle East so you pays your money ...etc,etc.

The currrent Travel Advice is...

"For this reason, we advise against all but essential travel to the Governorate of South Sinai, with the exception of (i) the Red Sea Resorts including those in the entire region of Sharm el Sheikh, Taba, Nuweiba and Dahab; (ii) road travel between these resorts; and iii) transfers between the resorts and the airports of Taba and Sharm el Sheikh."

...so, I for one am not suggesting that anyone should ignore what the FCO has to say.
Sharm el-Sheikh is obviously considered safe enough, and that'll do for me in 3 weeks time, albeit I'll restrict my movements, be more on my guard, be aware of my surroundings, and avoid crowded places.

marky_p

Deleted_User wrote: »

Sharm el-Sheikh is no safer than anywhere else in the Middle East so you pays your money ...etc,etc.

If you actually believe that Sharm is no safer than say, Homs in Syria, then it's you Sir, that is the clown.

Of course you should pay attention to advice but if you followed it to the letter you'd never leave the house, there is no need to live in fear of everyone and everything.

As an example, the terror alert level for the UK (according to MI5) is currently:

Substantial - an attack is a strong possibility
Now there hasn't been a terror attack in the UK for over five years. I'm not saying it won't happen but I'm sure you'll agree that the chances of a terror attack in the UK today is very unlikely, the chance of getting caught up in it even slimmer.

andygb

PompeyPete wrote: »

We are soft targets in our own country aren't we?
Terrorism is about terror, frightening the crap out of people, working up a frenzy, and also allowing on-lineTrolls to have a field-day.
For years there has been a terrorist threat of one level or another in most Middle Eastern and North African countries.
People really ought to do do their homework before thinking about embarking to some of these countries.
Just go !!!!!!, be sensible, and enjoy yourselves!

You need to get back in the real World, because these things do happen, and when they happen, many people are killed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2010/nov/18/from-the-archive-18-november-1997-massacre-at-the-temple

Egypt is anything but stable at the moment, and there is still fighting going on between the various factions.