Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > Regional Forums > North Africa
North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Danielle Murdoch, riding to Uganda - Kenya border

The only impossible journey
is the one
you never begin

Photo by Danielle Murdoch,
riding to Uganda - Kenya border



Trans Sahara Routes.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 14 Aug 2009
Chris Scott's Avatar
Super Moderator
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 4,796
Snow in the Sahara

Interesting article translated from German.

Google Translate

Ch
Attached Images
 

Last edited by Chris Scott; 29 Jan 2014 at 10:37.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 15 Aug 2009
roamingyak's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Portugal
Posts: 1,134
Also covered in 'The Dark Sahara' somewhat - reading now.
__________________
Kiwi, 7 years around Africa. Overlanding channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/roamingyak
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 15 Aug 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 292
According to locals Algerian government officials earn a lot of money with smuggling of cocaine, cigarettes, petrol, etc. I suppose Keenan is making this point as well. (did not buy the book yet)
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 17 Nov 2009
Moderator
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Oxford, U.K.
Posts: 625
10 tons of snow falls out of the sky over Gao in Mali but it all seems to have melted away....

BBC NEWS | Africa | Sahara cocaine plane crash probed

Last edited by Chris Scott; 12 Oct 2015 at 13:26. Reason: picture added by CS
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 1 Dec 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,460
Horrible story this. Now we have meth and cocaine labs in the desert?
Lots of bad, bad money coming in can only lead to bad things.

Counterterrorism Blog: Growing Evidence of the Transcontinental Cocaine Pipeline
By Douglas Farah

"One of the disturbing and little noticed events of recent weeks was the crash (or destruction) of a Boeing 727 in the desert of Mali.

The crash is disturbing for many reasons, among them these three: 1) the aircraft was carrying between 2 to 3 tons of cocaine, far more than other, smaller aircraft and boats that have been detected in recent months, indicating an escalation of the trade through the Trans-Sahel region; 2) The region where the aircraft was found, most likely torched by its crew to destroy evidence, in a area of heavy operation of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM); and 3) the aircraft departed from Venezuela, now Latin America's primary transshipment hub from Latin America to West Africa, and source of all the major air shipments of cocaine that have been interdicted in West Africa.

Finally, as the Observer article notes, British, U.S. and French authorities in West Africa have discovered HCL labs, used to make finished cocaine for the European market, as well as capsules and other items for making Meth capsules there, also likely for export to Europe.

All this points to a disturbing set conclusions. One is that the Colombian and Mexican traffickers are feeling sufficiently confident in their ability to move product through West Africa and upping the size of their loads based on that confidence. In testing new routes they always start small, to minimize losses if the route isn't working. Once they are confident they flood the zone. It seems that this is the first indication that the West Africa zone is now being flooded.

Another is that there could be a growing role of at least some branches of al Qaeda or other Islamist terrorist groups now willing to help move or protect the drugs as they move north. The crash indicates the cocaine was not going to be moved to Europe via boats, as it was far inland. The Tuareg and other groups that control the smuggling routes north through the Sahel will be making much more money as they move into the cocaine protection and movement business, much as the FARC in Colombia found itself awash in cash when they did. My full blog is here Douglas Farah ."

Edit: touaregs are always getting a bad rap . It is my understanding that they are often involved as guides, drivers, facilitators, guards - their traditional role in the desert - but are rarely the organizers or financiers of criminal activities. Yes, I am biased.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 1 Dec 2009
roamingyak's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Portugal
Posts: 1,134
That blog article sounds like bollocks to me mostly - countries like Guinea have been used for years so saying "It seems that this is the first indication that the West Africa zone is now being flooded." seems poorly worded at best.

Anybody who mentions drug smuggling routes/countries/parties involved without mentioning the CIA and other intelligent organisations 'business' dealings to fund illegal wars isn't probably worth listening to anyway.....
__________________
Kiwi, 7 years around Africa. Overlanding channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/roamingyak
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 1 Dec 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,460
Quote:
Originally Posted by roamingyak.org View Post
That blog article sounds like bollocks to me mostly - countries like Guinea have been used for years so saying "It seems that this is the first indication that the West Africa zone is now being flooded." seems poorly worded at best.

Anybody who mentions drug smuggling routes/countries/parties involved without mentioning the CIA and other intelligent organisations 'business' dealings to fund illegal wars isn't probably worth listening to anyway.....
Well he wrote "...indicating an escalation of the trade through the Trans-Sahel region" + I didn't know they have labs for processing in WA (Guinea?)
where the CIA fits in I don't know....
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 3 Dec 2009
Contributing Vendor
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Posts: 943
Wild Card?

While searching for anything new, I discovered this detailed September 2009 CNN.com/world article, Mauritania is mentioned.

My only first hand African experience is 3 weeks travel through Morocco 2003, but I have hosted and talked with scores of returned Peace Corps volunteers at my ranch (NGO) in the States who had served 2 years in Africa.

Perhaps others will advise if this article is relevant to this thread and the hostages?

Latin American drug cartels find home in West Africa

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Guinea-Bissau, fifth-poorest nation in the world, is called Africa's first narco-state
Officials: At least nine Latin American drug cartels have set up bases in West Africa
West Africa has little law enforcement, making it easier for traffickers there
More money can be made selling drugs to Europe than to the U.S., officials say.

Here is the article:

Latin American drug cartels find home in West Africa - CNN.com

Eat, Drink and Be Careful xfiltrate
__________________
Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.xfiltrate.com
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 4 Dec 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 1,377
Quote:
Originally Posted by roamingyak.org View Post
Anybody who mentions drug smuggling routes/countries/parties involved without mentioning the CIA and other intelligent organisations 'business' dealings to fund illegal wars isn't probably worth listening to anyway.....
ho hum, whatever you say. have any proof (please no links to ridiculous conspiracy theory web sites) for any of what you're saying or do you just make it up as you go?
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11 Dec 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,460
Boeing in the sand

AFP: Burnout Boeing, a clue in African drugs trade
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 12 Dec 2009
Contributing Vendor
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Posts: 943
Bad Dreams of a White Christmas?

roamingyak.org, you are not alone, former U S Navy Seal and Governor Jesse Ventura, has gone public describing his personal knowledge/experience of CIA run drug operations that funded covert CIA operations.

Iran Contra comes to mind so does Vietnam and even Venezuela, country of origin of the burnt out Boeing in priffe's post.

Afghanistan?

Ever read about the turn of the century Opium Wars, and the British?

Venezuelan National Guard Affair

In November 1993, Judge Robert C. Bonner, the former head of the DEA, appeared on 60 Minutes and alleged that the CIA had permitted a ton of cocaine to enter the United States.[7]
The New York Times reported:

The CIA - over the objections of the Drug Enforcement Administration, a branch of the Justice Department - approved the shipment of at least one ton of nearly pure cocaine to Miami International Airport as a way of gathering information about the Colombian drug cartels. But the cocaine ended up on the street because of "poor judgment and management on the part of several CIA officers," the intelligence agency said.[8]

In November 1996 a Miami jury indicted former Venezuelan anti-narcotics chief and CIA asset, General Ramon Guillen Davila, who "led a CIA counter-narcotics program that put a ton of cocaine on U.S. streets in 1990."

It might be very naive to dismiss roamingyak.org credibility so handily.

That's my 2 kilos worth.

Eat, Drink and Be Careful xfiltrate
__________________
Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.xfiltrate.com
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12 Dec 2009
Moderator
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Oxford, U.K.
Posts: 625
The interpretation so far is that the 727 was burnt to destroy evidence. This doesn't sound like the full story. If the 727 flies away, so does the evidence. So it seems to me that they couldn't get the plane in the sky again. Maybe the runway was too rough or too short. Almost certainly there was no way to refuel the plane there. On both counts the plane would have been grounded. At that point the decision to destroy it would be made.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 12 Dec 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,460
Or as the paranoiacs on the blogs will have it, it was intentionally burnt by the CIA to motivate sending more US troops to the desert.
Another AQIM Kidnapping in Mali? « Sahel Blog
from the comments:
"Everything is questionable in that area. One possibility is that the cargo that “crashed” in Tirkent – the town whose mayor is AQIM go-between Ould Sheikh - had no drug at all. Probably used to let the rest of us believe that the area is full of terrorists, colombians drug dealers, la Comorra and very soon Chechen rebels."
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 12 Dec 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 1,377
Quote:
Originally Posted by xfiltrate View Post
It might be very naive to dismiss roamingyak.org credibility so handily.
You don't know me enough to call me naive, I am most certainly not naive. His sources, and yours, are either not credible or refer to totally different situations (Opium Wars were, um, a while ago...). And I do not doubt that a botched CIA intelligence operation could result in drugs ending up in the US, or elsewhere. The CIA is playing a dirty, complicated game and as far as I can tell is not very good at it...
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 12 Dec 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 326
Quote:
Originally Posted by motoreiter View Post
You don't know me enough to call me naive, I am most certainly not naive. His sources, and yours, are either not credible or refer to totally different situations (Opium Wars were, um, a while ago...). And I do not doubt that a botched CIA intelligence operation could result in drugs ending up in the US, or elsewhere. The CIA is playing a dirty, complicated game and as far as I can tell is not very good at it...
Re xfiltrate:
I second the above opinion. If the Opium Wars are your "example" you're searching a bit far back in history. Your own current example of the ton of cocaine was a (botched) attempt to STOP the cocaine trade.
Ever heard of Occam's Razor?

Charlie
__________________
Unimog U500 w/Unicat
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Ride on Snow stuxtttr Which Bike? 2 29 Oct 2007 23:08
Riding in snow? wonky TRAVEL Hints and Tips 17 20 Mar 2006 22:04
Rýdýng ýn Snow simmo Travellers' questions that don't fit anywhere else 22 13 Dec 2005 14:35
Snow tyres on 2wd MarkieB Equipping the Overland Vehicle 8 9 Mar 2005 15:20
Snow in Alps K2R Route Planning 2 14 May 2004 19:54

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now
, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

HU Event and other updates on the HUBB Forum "Traveller's Advisories" thread.
ALL Dates subject to change.

2024:

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

HUBBUK: info

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.




All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:48.