Fw: [meteorite-list] NWA meteorites - money for terrorism?

From: dean bessey <deanbessey_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:31:19 2004
Message-ID: <20040201215147.74921.qmail_at_web12310.mail.yahoo.com>

--- meteoritehunter_at_comcast.net wrote:
> Habibi, their name is Pellison, they are French, I
> am sure you know them.
> Mike Farmer
> >
Well, maybe he dont know the pellisons. I say this
because it is hard to believe that somebody who knows
what they are talking about and would have first hand
experience about how the meteorite market in morocco
works could come up with such a downright idiotic
train of thought.
I know that many list members have never been to
morocco but if you did go you can easily see where the
money is going. These people dont hoard money or ship
it to relitives in third world countries. You can
easily see where the money is going that the locals
get. They tell you. You can see the construction going
on on houses where the nomads (Often no longer true
nomads) live. They might have a car. And like any
parent some of the money is spent so kids can get a
better education (Remember - a lot of these people
have never been to school and they see the few people
with a minimal education getting all of the few
available jobs that are available like in banks and
things).
While many of the sellers are no longer true nomads
some regularly travel to the desert on two or three
month trips where they have true nomads all over the
Sahara looking for meteorites for them (Who get a cut
of the money directly also).
A very large portion of the money you pay for
meteorites goes to the local Saharan economy. The
economy in morocco is small. Several hundred thousand
dollars spent goes a long way. 80% unemployment is a
conservative figure. Up to a decade or so ago $200 was
a years wages. Its not like in North America where
unemployment rates are based on people actually
looking. In Morocco if you want a job you go looking
for meteorites or spend a few days in the fossil
mountains and dig fossils and then spend a few days
trying to sell them.
So thats why I say that habibi might not actually know
the pellisons. If the pellisons knew what they were
talking about they wouldent come up with such a stupid
idea that has no intelligence or knowledge whatsoever
associated with it.
What has there been - $2 million dollars spent on
meteorites in the past year or so in morocco?. For
terrorists used to smuggling drugs and arms where the
market is measured into the multiple billions of
dollars getting into the meteorite market wouldent
make much intelligent sense.
I am sure that there has been something dumber said on
this list in the past but I cant think offhand what it
could be. This probably takes the cake. It just shows
how desperate that the pellisons are and shows how low
they are willing to sink in an effort to sell
meteorites. There are no terrorists selling meteorites
in morocco. There are thousands of poor locals
searching for meteorites in the desert. Even at low
african wages terrorists woudlent be getting enough
money to pay their wages to search. There just plain
isnt enough money involved and the searching to labour
intensive and time consuming for a terrorist group to
consider getting involved. Remember, how much walking
do you have to do in arizona or nevada in the desert
to find a meteorite? Its no easier in Africa. You just
have more people saerching thats all.
This is stupid.
Sincerely
DEAN

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Received on Sun 01 Feb 2004 04:51:47 PM PST