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Tribe shoots arrows at aid flight
BBC ^ | 1/4/05 | Jonathan Charles

Posted on 01/03/2005 11:04:53 PM PST by LibWhacker

An Indian helicopter dropping food and water over the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been attacked by tribesmen using bows and arrows.

There were fears that the endangered tribal groups had been wiped out when massive waves struck their islands.

But the authorities say the attack is a sign that they have survived.

More than 6,000 people there are confirmed as either dead or missing, but thousands of others are still unaccounted for.

The Indian coastguard helicopter was flying low over Sentinel Island to drop aid when it came under attack.

Dozens of tribesmen fired bows and arrows at the helicopter, a traditional warning that outsiders aren't welcome.

A senior police officer said the crew weren't hurt and the authorities are taking it as a sign that the tribes haven't been wiped out by the earthquake and sea surges as many had feared.

The Andaman and Nicobar archipelago is home to several primitive tribes, some so isolated that they are still stuck in the stone age.

Officials believe they survived the devastation by using age-old early warning systems.

They might have run to high ground for safety after noticing changes in the behaviour of birds and marine wildlife.

Scientists are examining the possibility to see whether it can be used to predict earth tremors in future.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: andamanislands; arrows; coconut; coconuts; helicopter; india; northsentinelisland; shoots; tribe; tsunami
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To: LibWhacker

I dodn`t know they had liberals on that island. Shoot the help.


41 posted on 01/04/2005 9:46:57 AM PST by Imaverygooddriver (I`m a very good driver and I approve this message.)
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To: Chemist_Geek

Tell that guy that he's either part of the solution or part of the precipitate.


42 posted on 01/04/2005 9:56:08 AM PST by Eagle Eye (3/5 Got theirs. And then some.)
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To: LibWhacker

Shoot the help, this is like the immediate reaction of the UN. "The US is stingy"


43 posted on 01/04/2005 10:11:31 AM PST by Imaverygooddriver (I`m a very good driver and I approve this message.)
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To: LibWhacker
But the authorities say the attack is a sign that they have survived.

ROTFL!!!

44 posted on 01/04/2005 10:31:03 AM PST by An.American.Expatriate ((This space for let))
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To: Chemist_Geek

About 800-something years ago ason Kyomori Taira noted that it is gratitude that distinguishes the man from the beast. (See "Taira monogatari" book for the quote). These tribesmen do not pass the test.


45 posted on 01/04/2005 10:48:07 AM PST by GSlob
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To: LibWhacker

Give em a taste of a 50 caliber machine gun........I've no sympathy for foolishness at this point.


46 posted on 01/04/2005 10:50:43 AM PST by DoctorMichael (The Fourth Estate is a Fifth Column!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: brigette
use bows and iron-tipped arrows

Iron-tipped arrows? This begs a few questions. Where do they get the iron from? How did they discover the smelting of iron? Do they use iron for any other purpose?

47 posted on 01/04/2005 10:54:46 AM PST by Anitius Severinus Boethius
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To: GSlob

Maybe they are scared of the giant flying metal bird? They may just be reacting to xeno-phobic tendancies. Like what you see when you say "burrito" on many threads on this site.


48 posted on 01/04/2005 10:56:12 AM PST by Anitius Severinus Boethius
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To: LibWhacker
The Andaman and Nicobar archipelago is home to several primitive tribes, some so isolated that they are still stuck in the stone age.

Oh I see, they're moslems!

49 posted on 01/04/2005 11:00:06 AM PST by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: LibWhacker

Well, you see they were hungry.

This tribe is a bunch of paleolithic hunter/gatherers. Along comes the biggest f'ing bird they have *ever* seen . . . if they can catch it, and it is edible, why, they will feast like kings!


50 posted on 01/04/2005 11:01:05 AM PST by No Truce With Kings (The opinions expressed are mine! Mine! MINE! All Mine!)
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To: Happy2BMe

The Age Old System (TM): When you feel an earthquake, see the tides receding, and the animals going bananas... well, it is time to run like hell.


51 posted on 01/04/2005 11:21:08 AM PST by ambrose
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To: Keith in Iowa

"An Indian helicopter"

The Andaman Islanders aren't so keen on foreigners. A good history of theirs:

http://www2.db.dk/pe/Andaman.htm

Addresses some of the reasons why.


52 posted on 01/04/2005 11:57:53 AM PST by PeterFinn (Liberals are a greater threat to the USA than are Islamofascists.)
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To: LibWhacker
Dozens of tribesmen fired bows and arrows at the helicopter, a traditional warning that outsiders aren't welcome.

A senior police officer said the crew weren't hurt and the authorities are taking it as a sign that the tribes haven't been wiped out by the earthquake and sea surges as many had feared.

Sounds logical.

53 posted on 01/04/2005 12:01:18 PM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: miliantnutcase

"The God's Must Be Crazy"

I love that movie.


54 posted on 01/04/2005 12:50:53 PM PST by Gamecock (Exurge, Calvinisti, et judica causam tuam)
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To: thoughtomator

They obviously knew it was an Indian chopper and assumed its war bonneted occupants were similarly armed.

"Journalist speak with forked tongue".

(Lone Ranger-Tonto, we are surrounded by Indians!
Tonto- What you mean we, paleface?);-)


55 posted on 01/04/2005 1:46:42 PM PST by shubi (Peace through superior firepower.)
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To: Hatteras

"Is that kinda like running out of bullets and throwing the gun? Or maybe they were holding on to the wrong part? Hmmm...."

LOL! By Jove, I think we've got it ;-)


56 posted on 01/04/2005 3:49:21 PM PST by DakotaGator (Journalists - Half-brain. Will babble (don't you just hate fire bows?)!)
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