China faked Olympic Everest summit, page 1

Did China fake Olympic Everest summit?

An interesting conspiracy theory is taking root in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics, one that says the Chinese Summit of Mt Everest with the Olympic torch back in May was faked. Considering the history of this particular expedition, it’s one conspiracy theory that might actually be worth a closer look.

It was late in April when the world began to suspect that the much-publicised Olympic torch ascent of Everest might not be such a grand gesture for humanity after all. It had been known for some time that the Chinese were to restrict access to Everest, but, on April 21, 2008, Nepalnews.com reported that “due to possible threat that pro-Tibetan protestors could thwart the Olympic torch rally to Everest, the Nepal government has deployed additional security personnel on the base camp of Mt Everest...The soldiers have been given orders to shoot if necessary.”

Understandably enough, the odd rogue protester was reportedly thrashed off the mountain (while others were sent packing due to “illness”), but as bad weather began to threaten the Chinese deadline of May 10, it started to look like authorities wanted as few eyewitnesses as possible - news filtered through that nobody was to be allowed on the mountain between May 1 and May 10, Tibetan placard or not. The BBC was expelled from the Nepalese side of the mountain on April 28th and, the following day, on the Tibetan side, Olympic torch diarist Jonah Fisher reported wearily upon the “restrictions on satellite phones and video cameras” and threats that any mountaineers caught chatting to foreign media would be expelled. “Having invited us here to cover the ascent of the flame, the Chinese appear to have taken fright,” Fisher wrote. “Every question about the torch is stonewalled. It now seems that they only want us to report the victorious summit moment...The only fact we possess is that the flame is somewhere in the area.”

Full story here -
Did China fake Olympic Everest summit?