Hi. The issue here is not our subjective sense of danger. The issue is that as long as the US government has an advisory like that, many US-based companies will not authorize travel to Egypt. And engineers whose travel is funded by their US-based employer make up more than 50% of the attendees in a typical face-to-face meeting. That includes me, because although I’m not an American, my employer is. The current advisory as quoted by Ole makes a specific exception for Sharm el Sheikh. That is likely the result of lobbying by the Egyptian government. Good for them, but a single attack, even if not successful can remove the exception. That is something that the IETF needs to take into consideration. Yoav > On 26 Aug 2020, at 23:56, Khaled Omar <eng.khaled.omar@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > Hi, > > Actually, I didn't hear about all that threats before, I travelled to Sinai Peninsula twice this year in December and January and everything was fine, just many check points to guarantee the safety and identification of passengers. > > What is the goal of showing all these threats? You don't know which road to use until you ask someone and find military and police standing for support, so there is no fear, let people enjoy and don't let any news disrupt the safety of the venue. > > So all, no need to worry, Sinai is a holy land, and if you need to feel more safe, ask those who know what's going on here. > > Khaled Omar > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ole Jacobsen <olejacobsen@xxxxxx> > Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 10:41 PM > To: sarikaya@xxxxxxxx > Cc: Ole Jacobsen <olejacobsen@xxxxxx>; Khaled Omar <eng.khaled.omar@xxxxxxxxxxx>; IETF Discussion <ietf@xxxxxxxx> > Subject: Re: Egypt as the next venue. > > I suspect safety and security as outlined by various governments would factor a lot higher in the decision tree than food. The current US one says: > > > “The Department of State Travel Advisory warns U.S. citizens to avoid travel to the Sinai Peninsula (with the exception of travel to Sharm El-Sheikh by air) and the Western Desert. Travel to the Libyan and Sudanese borders is also not recommended. U.S. citizens in Egypt should maintain a high level of vigilance throughout the country due to the threat of terrorism. > > Between December 2018 and May 2019, terrorist incidents in tourist areas in greater Cairo killed four tourists and wounded at least 18 others. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, and have targeted diplomatic facilities, tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, western businesses, resorts, and local government facilities. There is a possibility of terrorist attacks in urban areas, including in Cairo, despite the heavy security presence. In August 2019, a car bomb explosion outside of a hospital in Cairo killed at least 20. Additionally, terrorists have targeted religious sites, to include mosques, churches, monasteries, and buses traveling to these locations. > > The Egyptian government has attempted to address security concerns and has visibly augmented its security presence at tourist locations, but challenges persist, and the threat of terrorism remains. Police and military are also engaged in operations to combat terrorism and disrupt terrorist cells in the Sinai Peninsula and the Nile Valley.” > > > Ole J. Jacobsen > Editor and Publisher > The Internet Protocol Journal > Office: +1 415-550-9433 > Cell: +1 415-370-4628 > Web: protocoljournal.org > E-mail: olejacobsen@xxxxxx > E-mail: ole@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > Skype: organdemo >
