12 Mexican Tourists and Egyptians Killed After Security Forces Misidentify Them As Terrorists

[TOMapleLaughs]

Hooray for the War on Tourists!

At least 12 Mexican tourists and their Egyptian guides were killed after security forces opened fire on four SUVs in the Western Desert.

According to an official statement by the Ministry of Interior, the tourists were killed after security forces mistook them for terrorists which they had been pursuing.

[update: Tourism Ministry says tourist group had been travelling in prohibited area, without license]

The Ministry of Interior also announced that 10 people had been injured and transported to hospital for emergency treatment.

In a press conference, Mexicos Foreign Ministry announced that the tourists had been bombed by military helicopters and aircraft while they were in the Western Desert.

Mexicos Foreign Ministry also confirmed that two Mexicans have been identified as being among those killed. The Foreign Ministry added that it was still working to identify other Mexicans that may be among those killed. Meanwhile, Egyptian judicial and government sources have announced that eight Mexican tourists are among those killed. Egypts Minister of Tourism also added that one US citizen was injured in the incident.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry said that joint military and police forces had been conducting security operations in El-Wahat (Western Oasis) in the Western Desert. After opening fire, security forces discovered that the four vehicles had been civilians and tourists.

The statement added that the vehicles had been in an area banned for access by civilians due to the security situation.

The Ministry of Interior has also announced that an investigation has been commenced into the circumstances behind the accidental killing of 12 tourists and their guides.

Following the attack, Mexicos President Enrique Peña Nieto tweeted his condolences.

In a tragic incident in Egypt, Mexican tourists were attacked. I deeply regret that people have lost their lives, said the Mexican leader on Twitter.

Mexicos Ambassador to Egypt has been supporting the wounded hospitalized. Mexico condemns these acts against our citizens and against the Government of Egypt and has called for a thorough investigation of what happened.

Military operations in the Western Desert

There are several oases in the Western Desert that are popular with tourists, although most countries advise their citizens against travelling there due to security concerns.

Earlier on Sunday, ISIS announced on social media that it had attacked a number of Egyptian military outposts in the Western Desert. Local media reports stated that the military had managed to cause significant causalities to the militant group, but the reports were not confirmed by the military.

The alleged attacks by militants in the Western Desert on military personnel are not new. In July 2014, 21 soldiers were killed in an attack reportedly carried out by arms smugglers in Egypts Farafra Oasis near Libya.

Meanwhile, in recent weeks, Egypts military had been waging an offensive against militants in the region. In August, Egypts military spokesperson announced that five soldiers had been killed when a military helicopter crashed in the Siwa Oasis due to a technical failure.

Egypt has witnessed a wave of attacks on security personnel since the ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013. According to the National Council of Human Rights, 700 security personnel were killed between June 2013 and December 2014.

http://egyptianstreets.com/2015/09/14/12-mexican-tourists-and-egyptians-killed-after-security-forces-misidentify-them-as-terrorists/

I love the reasoning... 'Prohibited area, without licence.' Equates to automatic death? Dat freedom.

But as usual, there are differing accounts on who's to blame.

'Mistakenly dealt with'

Egyptian officials say the tourists were in a no-go zone - and had not liaised with the authorities.

But a local tour guide has denied that, saying the group was in an unrestricted area, on top of sand dunes, trying to get a bird's eye view.

Another local source - who claims to have spoken to a driver who survived the incident - told the BBC the tourists even had a police escort.

He said the safari was organised by a local hotel which co-ordinated with the security forces.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34241680

For a country that relies on tourism, this incident isn't good.

To solve this problem in the future, Trump could build a wall in between Mexico and Egypt.

[thejazz97]

OP beat me to a Trump joke...

RIP tourists

[taxi]

Sadly this kind of stuff happens all the time. The dictatorships in Egypt and Saudi Arabia often label people as terrorists before summarily executed them.

In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood is labelled as a terrorist organization. Although, they do have militant wings, they also represent a genuine political opposition. it makes a great excuse for the Egyptian authorities to execute political dissidents.

Similarly, Saudi Arabia has now labelled "atheists" as terrorists:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/saudi-arabia-labels-atheists-terrorists-new-anti-dissident-law-article-1.1743233

All I have to say is that I am very happy I live in a place like Canada.

[RUPERTKBD]

Saw this on CBC yesterday. It certainly will hurt tourism in Egypt.

Firstly, you have to be concerned about the "shoot first and ask questions later" philosophy of the Egyptian security forces and secondly, you have to be just as concerned with traveling to a nation that is that worried about possible terrorist attacks.

I'd love to see the Pyramids up close and in person, but I doubt that I'll be booking that flight on EgyptAir anytime soon....

[Phil_314]

"But sir, this is a different kind of shooting..."

Anyways, it's such a bad idea to go into a prohibited area, I mean wouldn't their guides have known better?

[Mr. Ambien]

I guess no one bothered to read a few sentences in:

According to an official statement by the Ministry of Interior, the tourists were killed after security forces mistook them for terrorists which they had been pursuing.

[update: Tourism Ministry says tourist group had been travelling in prohibited area, without license]

and..

The statement added that the vehicles had been in an area banned for access by civilians due to the security situation.

So.. you take the risk by being stupid and you get killed. No bleeding heart necessary. Seems like Darwin doing his work.

[taxi]

I guess no one bothered to read a few sentences in:

and..

So.. you take the risk by being stupid and you get killed. No bleeding heart necessary. Seems like Darwin doing his work.

Or maybe they were just some tourists who got into what they thought was a safe tour bus...the bus driver was ignorant of or chose not to follow the law. I'm not sure how the tourists - who probably don't speak Arabic or now anything about the city and laws - are entirely responsible for this.

[250Integra]

I guess no one bothered to read a few sentences in:

and..

So.. you take the risk by being stupid and you get killed. No bleeding heart necessary. Seems like Darwin doing his work.

Well.. If the tourists joined a tour and the guide is from Egypt, I can't really see how it's their fault... considering they probably had no idea that the area was restricted.

[Mr. Ambien]

Well.. If the tourists joined a tour and the guide is from Egypt, I can't really see how it's their fault... considering they probably had no idea that the area was restricted.

It's everyone's job who visits a foreign country to understand simple customs and rules.

Lemme think, if I was visiting a country in MENA which is known for terrorism and this type of violence.. maybe the first thing I'd figure out is where it's safe to be, first and foremost, as well as what I can do there that wouldn't violate their laws, or piss people off.

A Mexican, of all things, should already be well equipped to be careful of where they are, given all the brutal murders and slaughtering that has been happening in that country.

So yes, it's their responsibility. It makes zero sense to go to a country (in this part of the world no less) and think you can do and go wherever.

[thejazz97]

It makes zero sense to go to a country (in this part of the world no less) and think you can do and go wherever.

Tell that to America.

[Mr. Ambien]

Tell that to America.

True, but this is not a topic about US foreign policy.

[TOMapleLaughs]

I guess no one bothered to read a few sentences in:

and..

So.. you take the risk by being stupid and you get killed. No bleeding heart necessary. Seems like Darwin doing his work.

You seem to be an expert on not reading. This was already addressed in the OP.

[thejazz97]

True, but this is not a topic about US foreign policy.

I know. But the irony is real

[Mr. Ambien]

You seem to be an expert on not reading. This was already addressed in the OP.

And yet the other posts ignored that. So looks like I'm better at reading than you are.

I know. But the irony is real

Meh. One American tourist got injured. I can't see that as irony.

It's actually a very simple thing for any tourist who visits another country. Some people obviously think that you should be able to travel to an area where terrorism happens, go outside a protected area, and not have things like this happen. I guess anything to forego personal responsibility.

[TOMapleLaughs]

And yet the other posts ignored that. So looks like I'm better at reading than you are.

Better at deflecting on every issue and posting for no reason, perhaps.

[Cerridwen]

And here we go again with the victim blaming. If only those tourists had been paying more attention and reading their tour guides' minds. If only they hadn't trusted that the people taking them on the tour had permission to be where they were. If only they'd just paid more attention to where they were in the Western Desert. If only they had all been using personal GPS devices which gave them the restricted coordinates so they would know before the tour guides that they were in a restricted area. If only...... indeed.

[Mr. Ambien]

And here we go again with the victim blaming. If only those tourists had been paying more attention and reading their tour guides' minds. If only they hadn't trusted that the people taking them on the tour had permission to be where they were. If only they'd just paid more attention to where they were in the Western Desert. If only they had all been using personal GPS devices which gave them the restricted coordinates so they would know before the tour guides that they were in a restricted area. If only...... indeed.

Only Bertuzzi Babe would excuse people not taking the due diligence to figure out for themselves where they should go or not go, and not rely on other people to do their work for them.

Have fun on your Egypt trip.

Better at deflecting on every issue and posting for no reason, perhaps.

I agree, so maybe you should stop.

[Mr. Ambien]

Oh, and recommending people actually bother to read things like advisories would be, well.. victim blaming too, amirite?

http://travel.gc.ca/destinations/egypt

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada advises against non-essential travel to Egypt (with the exception of the Red Sea coastal resorts of Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada and the area along the upper Nile, from Luxor to Aswan, where you should exercise a high degree of caution) due to the security situation, which remains unpredictable, and continued demonstrations in many parts of the country.

You should avoid non-essential travel to within 50 kilometers of the border with Libya, including the Siwa Oasis, and the desert areas in western Egypt, which include the oases of Farafra, Dakhla and Bawati/Bahariya, and the White and Black deserts, due to the presence of armed groups. See Security for more information.

The ability to provide consular services may be limited at short notice. We recommend that Canadians register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service. You are responsible for your personal safety abroad. If you do travel to Egypt, we strongly recommend that you plan your travel through a reputable travel company/agency. Travel companies in Egypt are well informed of the security situation and can better plan accordingly..

Security

The decision to travel is your responsibility. You are also responsible for your personal safety abroad. The Government of Canada takes the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provides credible and timely information in its Travel Advice. In the event of a crisis situation that requires evacuation, the Government of Canada’s policy is to provide safe transportation to the closest safe location. The Government of Canada will assist you in leaving a country or a region as a last resort, when all means of commercial or personal transportation have been exhausted. This service is provided on a cost-recovery basis. Onward travel is at your personal expense. Situations vary from one location to another, and there may be constraints on government resources that will limit the ability of the Government of Canada to provide assistance, particularly in countries or regions where the potential for violent conflict or political instability is high.

^ (to the bold/large text above)

Bertuzzi Babe better write her MP, sounds like victim blaming!

[Cerridwen]

Interestingly enough, I was under the impression, given the OP and the various news stories in the media, that we were talking about tourists from MEXICO and the US, not Canada. I am well aware of what Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada has to say about foreign travel but unfortunately for everyone involved, we are not discussing Canadians traveling abroad.

[Mr. Ambien]

Interestingly enough, I was under the impression, given the OP and the various news stories in the media, that we were talking about tourists from MEXICO and the US, not Canada. I am well aware of what Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada has to say about foreign travel but unfortunately for everyone involved, we are not discussing Canadians traveling abroad.

Okay miss pedantic, here you go:

Straight from the Embajada de México en Egipto:

http://embamex.sre.gob.mx/egipto/

"Don't travel at night, stay within the areas indicated by authorities"

Common sense, but as I can see with your response, not so common.

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/egypt.html

Restricted Areas: The U.S. Embassy restricts its employees and their family members from traveling outside of Cairo without prior approval and advises all U.S. citizens to carefully consider the security implications of travel outside of the greater Cairo metropolitan area. U.S. Embassy personnel in Egypt are currently prohibited from traveling to the Sinai, except by air to Sharm El Sheikh. Overland personal travel by U.S. government employees anywhere in the Sinai outside of Sharm El Sheikh is prohibited. The security situation in the northern Sinai area, which is generally defined as the area north of the Cairo-Nekhl-Taba and Sheikh Zuweid road, remains dangerous due to continuing violence. Travelers should be aware of the possible dangers of overland travel.

In November 2014, a Presidential decree placed Egypt’s borders under military control, substantially restricting, and in some cases prohibiting, movement of non-military vehicles and persons within those areas. The military zone along Egypt’s border with Libya is particularly extensive. U.S. citizens should not travel in these border zones.

Any other comments as to why people aren't to blame by not listening to warnings, advisories, and not informing themselves where to go/not to go/ignoring them? I wanna see some more "victim blaming" accusations, especially in lieu of simply not acting stupid when traveling to dangerous areas.