[meteorite-list] Fwd: To all interested Parties

[Gerald Flaherty]

Martin, This episode with John, like the one described by Mike Farmer on 
this list a couple of months ago, seems more a revolutionary rather than an 
evolutionary change in Oman policy. That does not give one sufficient time 
to acclimate and tailor one's choices. If people have enjoyed the 
hospitality of a region for some time one should expect that same 
hospitality on their planned trip. John's site warns the would-be tourist 
that this is no longer the case and I for omne will not venture there based 
upon his experience.
John also refers to high ranking officials involved in his misadventure. 
This becomes a rather general inditment of a coutry's intent and seems 
rather important to advise against travel based upon personal experience. 
Again , I for one will take John's advise in this case.
Jerry Flaherty
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Martin Altmann" <Altmann at Meteorite-Martin.de>
To: "JKGwilliam" <h3chondrite at cox.net>; 
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 7:06 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Fwd: To all interested Parties


> Hiho,
>
> that, what is positive on that homepage, is that it settles all the 
> rumours
> about that incident,
> but the conclusions drawn, in my opinion at least, are somewhat strange.
> My regret is to John Blennert, who obviously blames with this homepage a
> whole country for him having been unable to inform himself accurately 
> before
> he was going there.
> To me it seems like travelling to a tropical country, returning ill from
> malaria and afterwards blaming a whole nation, because one didn't care for 
> a
> prophylaxis.
>
> Some points:
>
> Can't see, why normal travellers, who will visit Oman for tourism, should
> ever come in a situation like you was in, to get in conflict with written 
> or
> unwritten laws, as they are going there not for hunting minerals, rocks,
> meteorites.
>
> In my humble opinion, I'd say, if you were able to organize and to plan 
> the
> logistics of that trip, a part of these preparations should have comprised
> to check, whether there are any legal obstacles to hunt or to remove
> meteorites from there.
> At those times, it already was known by several hunters, that a license
> for hunting and a permission for export is necessary, some already were
> avoiding Oman, because
> of the difficulties to get one.
> That other hunters were not prosecuted, is no argument. You should have
> spoken to them before.
>
> To rely on a 4 years old book (Guba: Stone Treasures) regarding the actual
> laws is naive.
> A very important sentence I find on the top of your homepage:
> "Do not trust tourist information about Oman that you may have received 
> from
> official sources."
> In reading the rest of your site, I suggest, that you should modify it to
> "...official US-sources".
> You enquired at the American embassy in Muscat, they gave you the
> information, that they are "unaware" of any laws restricting rock hunting 
> or
> exporting. I recommend for retrieving your property, which was confiscated
> by the Omani, to file a lawsuit against them.
> As at the US-embassy they were obviously not informed about the laws in 
> Oman
> ("unaware" means not, that there do not exist any laws, only that they 
> don't
> know it) it would have been necessary to enquire an embassy of Oman or 
> even
> better to address to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Muscat,
> whether a permission for mineral prospection and exportation is necessary
> and how to apply for.
>
> As undelightful the treatment you had to experience there has been and as
> glad we are, that you're all back at good health, to blame the whole Omani
> people for your insufficient preparations for the trip and you incomplete
> knowledge,
> is ridicolous.
>
> "Tourists.....without being charged with any crime or misdemeanor."
> Besides the incorrect treatment, that you were not allowed to contact your
> consulates, that you were not told the reasons for your arrest ect.
> is this assertion contradictory to that, what one can read on your 
> homepage
> in the official Omani document, you present on your site, where it's said,
> that you violated those laws:  Article 279 of the Penal Code; articles
> (3/2 - 10/1 - 21/A) of Law 27 of 2003 on mining; articles (9/1 - 30 - 54) 
> of
> law 30 of 2002 on regulation of communications.
> The consequences you had to suffer, happened according:  Article (101) of
> the Criminal Procedures Law, Article (29) of the Foreigners Residence Law,
> Article (125) of the same mentioned law.
> I guess those laws exist somewhere in written form. That you didn't know
> them before, is not the fault of the Omani officials. Whether your case 
> was
> correctly subdued under this laws, is another question,
> but be assured, that you'll get also problems in democratic countries, 
> let's
> say - if you remove a column from the Akropolis in Athens, it won't help 
> you
> neither, if you'll state, that you didn't found in a book any hint, that 
> it
> might be illegal, nor that your embassy was "unaware" about that being a 
> not
> so good idea.
>
> - terrorism. I can't find any clue on your webpage, that could lead 
> someone
> to the opinion, Oman could be a terroristic country.
>
> John, your site is very helpful for those, who planned a hunting trip to
> Oman and can now avoid to come into similar troubles, you were in.
> Therefore my thanks,
> but to claim that tourist travels to Oman are extremely dangerous,
> is so silly like it would be to cry for a boycot for travels to U.S. as 
> it's
> to dangerous, because the human rights are not respected in Guantanamo or
> that
> underage and mentally ill persons were sentenced to death.
>
> My 2 buckleboos.
> Martin
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "JKGwilliam" <h3chondrite at cox.net>
> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 2:57 AM
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Fwd: To all interested Parties
>
>
>> Hello List members,
>> My good friend John Blennert has asked me to post the following to the
> List
>> as he has been unable to post it successfully himself.  Any comments
> should
>> be directed to John Blennert at:
>>
>> goldmaster at gci-net.com
>>
>> Best,
>> JKGwilliam
>>
>> >From: "John Blennert" <goldmaster at gci-net.com>
>> >To: "John K. Gwilliam" <jkg2 at cox.net>
>> >Subject: To all interested Parties
>> >Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:07:15 -0700
>> >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2180
>> >
>> >Hi Johnny Q
>> >
>> >I again cannot post on the list ?? Can you forward this letter with 
>> >links
>> >to the meteorite list !! Please don't change anything !!
>> >Thanks
>> >John
>> >
>> >To All Interested Parties
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >I would like to announce the first of several web pages that is up and
>> >running. The address is www.dontvisitoman.com . We still have work to do
>> >on it to get the translators fully functioning and many more
>> >countries/languages to add. I also have lots of work to do on priority
>> >placement of certain key words (tourist, tourism, travel, traveling,
>> >sights, sightseeing, bird watching, diving, fishing, business, boating,
>> >hotels, off road, car rentals, swimming and of course rock hunting and
>> >geology in conjunction with Oman) on the various internet search 
>> >engines.
>> >If anyone has any additional ideas as to where to link this sight for
>> >maximum tourist exposure I would welcome any and all suggestions!! I 
>> >take
>> >full responsibility for this web sights accuracy and content. We kept
>> >meticulous logs of the daily events while being detained in Oman. Only
> the
>> >pertinent information was used to develop this page and it's all 100%
>> >true. There was also a $50,000.00 US payoff that was paid to an Omani
>> >government official to release us from prison that was reported. But I
>> >have no first hand knowledge of that since it didn't originate in the 
>> >US.
>> >My only regret is to the honest and friendly citizens of Oman that will
> be
>> >affected by the loss of tourist dollars caused by this sight and the
> other
>> >web sights I'm working on. I welcome any and all comments good, bad or
>> >indifferent and suggestions and can be reached through email
>> >at   goldmaster at gci-net.com . Please take this travel warning serious
> this
>> >is not meant as a joke or to be humorous.
>> >
>> >It's great to be home!!
>> >
>> >Warmest Regards
>> >
>> >John B.
>>
>>
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