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| Spain-inspired Great Bull Run coming to US - USA TODAY Posted: 03 Aug 2013 09:16 AM PDT Watch out! The Great Bull Run is coming to the U.S. Organizers of the Pamplona-inspired event plan for several U.S. cities to unleash bulls to sprint through fenced-in courses as daredevils sprint to avoid being trampled. The inaugural run is set for Aug. 24 in Richmond, Va. More events are planned for Georgia, Texas, Florida, California, Minnesota, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Bull runs — when the animals are released to run alongside participants as spectators cheer — are common in Spain and have proved to be dangerous. Dozens of people are injured each year in the San Fermin festival at Pamplona, most by tripping and falling. Bulls have killed 15 people since record keeping began in 1924. "By participating in the run, you accept the risk that you might be trampled, gored, rammed or tossed in the air by a bull, or bumped, jostled, tripped or trampled by your fellow runners," the event website states. "We do what we can to minimize those risks by using less-aggressive bulls than those used in Spain and allowing runners to hide in nooks and climb over the track fence if necessary, but make no mistake: You could get seriously injured in this event." About 5,000 people have signed up to participate in the Virginia event, and the number grows by about 50 each day, Rob Dickens, co-founder and chief operating officer of The Great Bull Run, told the Associated Press. And with 2,000 already signed up for the Conyers, Ga., event, Dickens expects 5,000 to 7,000 to run there in October. Bull runs have long been controversial. Some animal rights groups raise concerns over the treatment of the bulls. "These events are a shameful example of cruelty for the sake of nothing more than entertainment and profit," Ann Chynoweth, senior director of The Humane Society of the United States' End Animal Fighting & Cruelty Campaign, told the AP. "These companies put the health and safety of both humans and animals at risk, without the required federal oversight. We call on the USDA to investigate these entities immediately." Organizers at the Great Bull Run say they are "wholly committed to the health and safety of the animals we work with." "Unlike the running of the bulls in Spain, we don't kill the bulls in a bullfight, nor do we abuse them in anyway," organizers state on the event website. "We don't hit them, shock them or deprive them of food, water, light or sleep. In fact, we have a veterinarian on site at all times to make sure the bulls are treated properly and are perfectly healthy before, during and after each run." Organizers of the U.S. events plan to include several safety features, making them "quite different than the running of the bulls in Spain," Dickens said. Unlike the narrow, cobblestone streets of the Spanish runs, the U.S. events will use fencing that will include coves, or notches, so participants can get out of the way quickly. Bulls will be released in waves of six at a time, giving the animals and people a "better opportunity to complete the course safely," Dickens said. Before running, participants will be required to sign waivers. Dickens, an attorney, acknowledges that waivers won't prevent lawsuits but likened it to sky-diving or operating a rock-climbing wall: "The waivers for the most part ensure that even if you get sued, they're not going to win." Organizers say they're planning each of the U.S. events as an all-day experience, with plenty of activities such as a tomato fight, also modeled after a Spanish festival. But they hope the bull runs draw participants who have always wanted to participate but couldn't make the trip to Spain. "You can go running down the street any time you want, but to run with bulls — that's something that doesn't come along very often," Dickens said. Contributing: The Associated Press |
| US issues global travel alert, to close embassies due to al Qaeda threat - CNN Posted: 03 Aug 2013 08:34 AM PDT STORY HIGHLIGHTS
(CNN) -- A U.S. global travel alert remained in place Saturday amid fears that al Qaeda may launch attacks in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond in coming weeks. The threat prompted the United States to announce that 22 embassies and consulates will be closed on Sunday, including in Yemen, which was a focus of concern. Britain, France and Germany have said they too will close their embassies in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Sunday and Monday for security reasons. No other embassies are affected, they said. Neither Italy nor Spain -- which has no embassy in Yemen -- planned to close any of their embassies. The U.S. embassies that will be closed Sunday -- when they would normally be open -- stretch across a swath of North Africa and the Middle East, from Mauritania to Oman. Bangladesh and Afghanistan, both majority Muslim nations, are also affected. The U.S. government's actions are in response to growing intelligence that shows a potential for attacks in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa, said U.S. officials who spoke to CNN on condition of not being identified. Official: Security tightened in Yemen "The threat appears to be much worse than it has (been) in a long time," said a senior national security official in Yemen, where the government is "on high alert against possible attacks in the days to come." Various Western targets -- not just those tied to the United States -- are under threat, two U.S. officials said. Three sources said the United States has information that members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are in the final stages of planning for an unspecified attack. One of the sources said such preparations appeared to have increased in recent days with the approaching end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Sunday is Laylet al-Qadr, or the Night of Power, one of the holiest moments on the Muslim calendar. Said one U.S. official: "It all leads us to believe something could happen in the near future." What's behind timing of terror threat Christopher Hill, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, told CNN he had never seen embassy closures ordered across such a broad area. "There have been incidents where they've closed down a number of embassies in the Middle East because the information is not specific enough to say that 'embassy X' got to be closed as opposed to other embassies," said Hill, who joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1977. "But I think this, closing all of these embassies in the Middle East to North Africa, is in fact unprecedented. At least, I didn't see this during my career." 'Leave Yemen now' U.S. officials said that, based on intelligence, they were particularly concerned about the U.S. Embassy in Yemen between Saturday and Tuesday. President Barack Obama, amid regular updates on the situation, has directed officials to take all appropriate steps to protect Americans. A White House official said the president was updated Saturday morning by Lisa Monaco, his assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism. Obama, who departed for Joint Base Andrews to play golf, was to be updated through the weekend, the official said. He praised Yemeni President Abdo Rabu Mansour Hadi for his country's efforts following a meeting Thursday at the White House. The UK Foreign Office has also warned its citizens against travel to Yemen, and urged British nationals to leave as soon as possible. "If you don't leave the country now while commercial carriers are still flying it is extremely unlikely that the British government will be able to evacuate you or provide consular assistance," it said. Photos: Attacks on U.S. diplomatic sites   A suicide bomb goes off at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, on February 1. A security guard was killed and a journalist was wounded in the attack. The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP-C, took responsibility for the bombing. Take a look at other attacks on U.S. diplomatic sites around the world in recent years. Attacks on U.S. diplomatic sites HIDE CAPTION  Demonstrators set the U.S. Consulate compound in Benghazi, Libya, on fire on September 11, 2012. The U.S. ambassador and three other U.S. nationals were killed during the attack. The Obama administration initially blamed a mob inflamed by a U.S.-produced movie that mocked Islam and its Prophet Mohammed, but later said the storming of the consulate appears to have been a terrorist attack. View photos of protesters storming the U.S. Embassy buildings. Attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya HIDE CAPTION It was unclear whether the apparent plot targets that Arabian nation or one elsewhere -- which is why the travel alert applies so broadly, and why embassies from Bangladesh to Libya are being closed. Nor is the expected time of an attack known, which explains why the U.S. travel alert extends through August. "Terrorists may elect to use a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests," the alert states. "U.S. citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure." New York Rep. Peter King, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the information "the most specific I've seen." While the principal attention is on the Arabian Peninsula, he stressed to CNN's Wolf Blitzer that "we can't rule anything out." "We are focused on the Middle East, but it's a potential series of attacks that really could be almost anyplace," King said. 22 embassies, consulates ordered closed The State Department has listed 22 embassies and consulates that will close Sunday, which is normally the start of the work week in the countries affected. The 17 affected U.S. embassies are in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Yemen. The U.S. Embassy in Israel will be closed as normal Sunday. Consulates in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are also being shut for the day. Embassies and consulates in the region typically close or operate with minimal staff on Fridays and Saturdays. The shutdowns could extend beyond Sunday, a senior State Department official said. Retired Gen. James Mattis -- who until earlier this year was head of U.S. Central Command, responsible for a 20-country area that includes the Middle East -- said the decision to close the embassies underscores the reality of the threat and the wisdom of U.S. policymakers. U.S. embassies have been targeted before in places such as Yemen, Turkey and Tanzania, he pointed out. Moreover, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is one of the terrorist network's most active and most destructive branches. "We have to remember that we're up against an enemy who kills indiscriminately -- whether it be women, children, diplomats -- and our embassies ... have been one of the targets," Mattis told CNN on Friday. Referring to the move by U.S. officials, he said, "They are showing some proactive discretion here, making certain that we don't give the enemy an opportunity that we can deny them." Questions, concerns after Benghazi House leaders have been briefed, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters, adding that the travel alert and embassy closings provided "some understanding of the seriousness of the threat." King, who has also heard such briefings, applauded the government's decision to close its diplomatic missions. "I give them credit," the Republican said of the Obama administration. "I think the government is doing exactly the right thing here." Such bipartisan agreement in Washington comes at a time when politicians are still scrutinizing the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consular compound in Benghazi, Libya, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. Since then, Republicans have been pressing Obama's administration for answers, with some accusing officials of covering up what happened in Benghazi and not doing enough to track down the attackers. Eight GOP lawmakers are asking that incoming FBI Director James Comey brief Congress within 30 days about the investigation. They say the administration's inquiry to date has been "simply unacceptable," according to a draft letter obtained by CNN. Earlier this week, Vice President Joe Biden and senior State Department officials went to Congress to discuss embassy security. Biden also briefed congressional leadership, key committee chairmen and ranking members about the latest threat concerns, a source who attended the meeting said. Another official said the recent intelligence might not have warranted such a response before the Benghazi attack, which created a political firestorm for the administration. On Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the agency was taking the steps out of an abundance of caution. CNN found embassy attack suspect before FBI CNN's Greg Botelho, Barbara Starr, Chris Lawrence, Jill Dougherty, Dana Bash, Evan Perez, Gloria Borger, Jim Acosta, Elise Labott, Mohammed Jamjoon, NuNu Japaridze, Bharati Naik, Karen Smith, Laura Smith-Spark and Hakim Almasmari contributed to this report, which was written by Tom Cohen in Washington. |
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