Question #1: What could be certain precautions to be taken while visiting Ethiopia?
There are many precautions to be taken. One of them is to avoid travel along the Somaliland and Somalia borders area.
Why? Banditry and lawlessness are two reasons. There are safer areas in which to travel elsewhere albeit bearing in mind some protective measures.
For more details on travel to Ethiopia please contact us for a full vulnerability assessment.
Question #2: Is it safe to travel to Lebanon right now?
Well it actually depends. There are several factors to consider. First, a few facts:
1. Sectarian divisions. There are ethnic/religious based pressures right now in Lebanon, especially since the start of the Syrian civil war. Shias/Alawites and the Sunni communities are at odds.
2. Hizbullah. Where this Islamic group is prominent, there are precautions to be taken. The collateral threat from Sunni attacks are real.
3. Tripoli area. The northern city of Tripoli has experienced on/off civil unrest, usually pretty violent to include heavily armed groups.
4. Border regions with Syria. The collateral risk is not insignificant: artillery, aerial bombings and mortar exposures.
Never underestimate that travel cannot be pursued in most areas of Lebanon. Analyzing and estimating risk is a must. Certain security measures must be adhered to in order to mitigate most potential issues.
Question #3: Thinking of visiting a Muslim country such as the U.A.E. or Qatar?
There are a few basic recommendations for a nice, enjoyable visit to some of the Persian Gulf countries. We will address two.
Please note that Muslim countries such as Bahrain, Qatar or the U.A.E. are quite secular and more open to western fashions.
1. Attire. Men should always wear long sleeve shirts as well as pants. This is in order to adhere to local customs, that are based on religion. Sandals are acceptable shoewear. White shirts and pale colour pants such as beige are quite popular. Jeans are usually hip in big cities such as Dubai or in Manama.
Women, when in public should wear pants, long sleeve shirts as well as a shawl. Flat, closed toed shoes are preferred for all women. In cooler weather, wearing a raincoat allows a woman to easily blend in.
These recommendations are ideal when outside at a market or any other oublic place. Whenever inside a mall women have been seen without a scarf or shawl, and that without being perceived negatively.
2. Alcohol. Restrain from drinking in public or to appear intoxicated in public. For example, Dubai has a few "watering holes" that cater to expats. Muslim taxi drivers may drive you straight to the nearest police station if you smell like alcohol. Penalties can be severe.
Enjoy beverages in your hotel lobby or room.
Question #4: What exactly is Kidnap and Ransom (K&R) insurance?
By definition, K&R insurance is designed to protect individuals and corporations operating in high-risk areas around the world. Some countries include Afghanistan, Yemen, Niger or Haiti.
Policies typically cover the perils of kidnap, extortion, wrongful detention, and hijacking. No actual ransom payment is included. The insured must first pay the ransom, thus incurring the loss, and then seek reimbursement under the policy. Losses typically reimbursed by K&R polices are ransom payments, loss-of-ransom-in-transit and additional expenses, such as medical expenses.
Note: For a K&R Insurance quotation please follow the link to Blue Sky Insurance Brokers
Question #5: How difficult is it to not be caught in the middle of violent public riots?
First off you can consult your governments Warning to Travellers websites, in which they can detail what areas to avoid. Unfortunately they are only warnings or advice which means that the said public unrest or violents protests could have actually occured. Sometimes it is too late: you're smack in the middle of it, risking injury or worse.
Can public unrest actually be forecasted?
Often, yes but it is not always an exact science. It requires research and analytical judgement in order to be effective. We at PAR-SEC Consulting utilize several intelligence analysis techniques that have proven extremely effective in military operations and over a long period of time. We do use countless sources and agencies in order to establish trends and patterns. We collect impressive amounts of unbiased, reliable and critical information and data, have access to top notch social media sources and we carry out solid predictive analysis in order to best draw up highly probable forecasts. We use situational logic, we scrutinize, continually update and monitor for the faintest of information elements that will make a difference. Usually, to assemble hundreds or thousands of rioters into one specific area requires a trigger.
Question #6: What are atmospherics intelligence and Human Terrain System (HTS)?
They are both emerging, while already proven intelligence disciplines. HTS was initially a military intelligence support program for Commanders to better understand the local population within his or her area of operation. Through better cultural understanding and cognizance, military Commanders can eliminate factors that may hinder operations all the while minimizing negative impacts with regards to the local populace.
Atmospherics intelligence, or simply atmospherics, assesses local dynamics for a given area and studies the environment from a variety of local perspectives. This is more or less "local" intelligence; very accurate for a small area of travel.
PAR-SEC Consulting has adapted these disciplines and apply them to further its threat and hazard analysis to alleviate many factors to ensure safer travels for its clientele.
We invite you to review our past twitter posts @parsecconsult as well as this blog's entries.
We encourage feedback and questions to our e-mail: parsec.consulting@gmail.com
Our website: http://parsecconsulting.wix.com/parsecconsulting
Attribution: copies and redistribution of the above material in any medium or format is authorized providing full attribution is credited by using full link of present blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment