Potholers

[Emperordalek]

I can't understand why they refused local help to get them out.

[zovat]

Originally Posted by Emperordalek

I can't understand why they refused local help to get them out.

Mainly pride at a guess...

These guys are military types on an adventure training exercise, so they are not on leave - this is quite normal - I have colleagues who go skiing every year with the forces, and it is always counted as paid training...

They are there to pothole - therefore the visitors visas should be enough, they are not doing anything "military", this fuss would not have happened if they were civilians, but for the purposes of this trip, that is what they are... They are not representing the military, they are not doing military training.... I cannot see the problem here...

Just my 2c

[philip.j.fry]

Originally Posted by Emperordalek

I can't understand why they refused local help to get them out.

Me neither, I only caught a bit of it on the news but they said it was because they thought the British rescue team would be better trained. I thought this was a bit silly as local people with knowledge of the caves would surely be better, and also if they think the British are better trained, how come they got stuck down there in the first place?

Apparently the Mexican press are taking this pi$$ unmercifully, asking if they were looking for WMD's etc!

Originally Posted by danielf

If this exercise was part of their military training (however trivial), they are on dodgy grounds. The British military can't just go and train in another nation without declaring it/asking permission. If this is just a case of people pursuing their hobbies it's another matter, but if the whole team were military who were not on leave, and the rescuers were as well it does look like military training on a tourist visa and the Mexicans have every right to complain.

Half the team are civilians.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

Half the team are civilians.

I got the impression from one of the earlier posts they were all military...

My mistake sorry!

However I reckon the Mexican President is after summat?Why,I'm not sure except he is a politician.

[Theodoric]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

However I reckon the Mexican President is after summat?Why,I'm not sure except he is a politician.

Well, off hand, I can think of 2 things.

1) I believe that he is still a bit miffed about the alleged spying by the UK on his UN delegate.

2) He is probably being pressured by the Mexican equivalents of the Sun, Mail & Express. Imagine if something similar involving foreigners had occurred over here. That unprincipled trio would have headlines screaming about illegal immigrants, spying, why wasn't the government doing something about it, sack Blair, the end of the world is nigh etc!

Well I heard some muttering on the news yesterday about 'looking for uranium deposits'


I wonder how much it is going to cost the UK government in loans,oversea aid etc.

Or am I just being even more cynical as to his motives?

[Theodoric]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

Well I heard some muttering on the news yesterday about 'looking for uranium deposits'


I wonder how much it is going to cost the UK government in loans,oversea aid etc.

Or am I just being even more cynical as to his motives?

The uranium prospecting claim could be because, as I understand it, they were checking for radon, a radioactive daughter product of uranium. There have been problems with radon in houses in places like Cornwall that have uranium-containing rocks (granite is one, I believe).

EDIT Although you can't have caves in granite, can you? Don't caves need limestone that can be dissolved away by water. Does limestone contain uranium; I didn't think so? Help, we need a geologist!