KIRO-TV reports:
The Seattle [FBI] and the Washington Joint Analytical Center are asking for the public's help identifying two individuals who have been seen aboard Washington state ferries on several occasions.
According to authorities, the two men have exhibited unusual behavior while aboard the ferries.Let's hope this is nothing, but either way anyone with information is asked to call 206-622-0460. The P-I reports this too, but refuses to publish the photographs:Numerous passengers have reported the strange behavior.
The FBI and WAJAC said the behavior may be innocuous but they would like to resolve the reports.
running a photograph of two men who may as easily be tourists from Texas as terrorists from the Mideast with a story that makes them out to be persons of interest in a terrorism investigation seems problematicThat's ridiculous and irresponsible. Whether this a real incident or a false alarm, the quicker the FBI gets the facts, the better for everyone. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at August 21, 2007 12:54 PM | Email This
Posted by: cato on August 21, 2007 12:49 PM
It would be nice to think that these two men are just out for a good time. However, better safe than sorry. Considering the makeup of the bazillion ferry passengers, these guys must be acting really odd for so many people to notice. Let's hope the authorities can get to the bottom of this quickly!
Posted by: Burdabee on August 21, 2007 01:16 PMa. Superman
b. Jay Leno
c. Harry Potter
d. Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40
1. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by:
a. Olga Corbett
b. Sitting Bull
c . Arnold Schwarzenegger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
2. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
3. During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
4. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Geraldo Rivera
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
5. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70
year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:
a. The Smurfs
b. Davy Jones
c. The L ittle Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
6. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy
diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:
a. Captai n Kidd
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
7. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
a. Scooby Doo
b . The Tooth Fairy
c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
8. In 1993 the World Trade Center Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Michael Jordan
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
9. In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Wild Bill' s women problems
c. The World Wrestling Federation
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
10. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as
missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers. Thousands of people were killed by:
a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. The Supreme Court of Florida
c. Mr. Bean
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
11. In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
a. Enron
b. The Lutheran Church Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
12. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
a. Bonnie and Clyde
b. Captain Kangaroo
c. Billy Graham
d. Muslim male extremist s mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
13. 2004 - Spain Railway bombings were done by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
14. 2005 London Railway bombings were done by:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
AND NOW !
15. 2006 plot to blowup airliners leaving London for US
destinations. Who has been implicated:
Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
Can you imagine what the PI editorial would be the day after a ferry is sunk when the paper found out the FBI has pictures of the guys who did it? Would the PI say it was right of the FBI not to publish the pictures since the FBI wasn't sure the people in the pix were bad guys? Posted by: Truth_Teller on August 21, 2007 02:34 PM
Real Americans will be the ones that save the hides of the ignorant and arrogant Progressives. And even when we do, we will get no thanks and more selective reporting.
Stefan, thanks for doing the work that "journalists" won't do.
Weird, unusual, and strange behavior they certainly exhibited.
One of 'em hit a hard 18.
Posted by: I Saw 'em on August 21, 2007 02:51 PMOh wait, that would be the Times.
Never mind.
Actually its probably too early here for levity or sarcasm. This is too serious a subject. The PI's decision may be a wrong one, but at least they seem to have thought it through, albeit from the perspective of their progressive prism of objectivity. Still, have we replaced obnoxious MaCarthyist peeping toms of the 50's with Big Bro's cameras of today?
Personally, I'd like to know what the "unusual behavior" was? Does anyone know?
It may be these guys may just be part of some band from Lebanon, but I was willing to accept Supreme Court judges from Florida.
Posted by: Diogenes on August 21, 2007 03:09 PMBut then, this could be a dry run like the airlines last summer (the singing Arabs) and which the government told us it was nothing, but later we discovered it was.
But then, it could be like the screaming immans of Detroit out to make a splash. They later sued the people that complained.
But then, this one wasn't a lone incident, either. Better get these guys, just in case.
And remember, it was the behaviors that drew the attention of the authorities and passengers. It wasn't the ethnicity.
Posted by: swatter on August 21, 2007 03:10 PM+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Damn, Cato and his foolish remarks strike again. Geee Cato the last time I was on the ferry I'm pretty sure they have Seattle news papers on them.
It's good that all news services get this info out. But the PI & Times are just to worried about much smaller things. Just think if our FBI & other law enforcement had make more of an effort before 9/11 we wouldn't even be talking about this.
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on August 21, 2007 04:00 PMWhy not?
Posted by: bigdawg on August 21, 2007 04:01 PMA pretty weak and silly contribution isn't it?
I mean it's not like white guys get to pass through the security lines at the airport is it?
And if we go into the areas marked "Restricted" on the ferry, they look suspiciously at white guys doing it too.
I dare say that as a middle aged white guy, if I were to do something like take out a camera at a grocery store and start taking pictures, I would be stopped and questioned by security. (This actually happened to me, so I know it's the case.)
If you point was to try to make some backhanded comment about how there's racism in what is being said on this matter, it falls pretty flat. The fact is that suspicious behavior is suspicious behavior. Liberal knee jerk reactions that would have us all ignore suspicious behavior simply because of a persons skin color is not only suicidal, but also makes about as much sense as making black people use different bathrooms and water fountains.
Posted by: Johnny on August 21, 2007 04:42 PMIf half-peruvian women start blowing up people on a regular basis, they can stop me and ask me what I'm doing if I'm acting strangely and wanting to know more about the workings and the layout of the ferry I'm riding. Or if I only want to learn to take off but not land a jet.
Did you not notice that it wasn't that two middle eastern guys rode a ferry, but that they were acting strangely and too interested in things that a Texas tourist really wouldn't be caring about? Can you put two and two together and ask few questions worth asking?
Posted by: Michele on August 21, 2007 05:10 PMFrom KOMO Radio's website:
"...But in the last month, there were also the two men in the FBI photos. The FBI won't say if two were taking pictures - just that the two were unusually interested in the size of the boats, how they work, and the docking procedures.
They were spotted on different ferry runs on different days over a period of four to six weeks."
I have heard elsewhere that they were in fact taking pictures sensitive areas as well.
The P-U should be ashamed... if these guys were Scandinavian, they would have no problems printing the photos of them. Regardless of their race, the fact that they were doing what they were doing, and doing it in such a way as to alarm the crew members and passengers they came in contact with warrants their photos being published. That the P-U won't in order to make themselves feel "racially sensitive" or whatever only goes to show that their journalistic judgment is blinded by their personal biases.
Posted by: Mike H on August 21, 2007 05:39 PMA little vigilance should be encouraged, not scoffed. A political correctness paranoia that prevents thorough investigations has proven to cost lives.
Get over yourself and if you know something, make the call.
Lefty, re-read your posts before you send them. If they make sense to you, hit the preview button and read again. Bin Laden is already "hiring" white guys. That is what is so scary about them currently. You should research their recruitment tactics, especially in Europe.
Why do you think you have to remove your shoes at the airport?
Posted by: Chris on August 21, 2007 06:43 PM"The American people have been mobilized, even if only recognize a concept...A much greater power is now protecting the American people.. The homeland security structure is now trickling down to schools, public libraries, city halls, neighborhoods...But today America has the single largest popular army against domestic jihadists -- a huge body, but in need of accelerated education. Once this objective is met, the real war to reduce the terrorist threat will be eventually won."
-- p.214, "Future Jihad" by Walid Phares
http://futurejihad.com/
Posted by: John Bailo on August 21, 2007 07:31 PMSo they weren't seen acting suspiciously by passengers and crew members of multiple ferries? It was all just made up? I'm confused... if we made this up, how come the FBI is looking for these guys?
... and try to justify your suspicions on facts you don't know to be true...
...And the facts are this: passengers and crew members on multiple ferries saw these two guys acting suspiciously. No more, no less. No one has said they committed a crime. In fact, the FBI has gone out of their way to say they didn't. But, their behavior apparently spooked enough people who saw it and in such a way that the FBI is looking into it.
Sorry, if I saw someone snooping around my house, or car, or whatever, I'm going to be suspicious. There is nothing illegal about snooping, but most people don't do it unless they plan on committing a crime.
Posted by: Mike H on August 21, 2007 08:43 PMLook's like the dude that works at that Egyption place at the market down town Seattle.
Posted by: dcat on August 21, 2007 08:48 PMPosted by: Doug on August 21, 2007 08:53 PM
Sometimes you can be so certain of your politically correct cause that everyone else is racist but you that you lose sight of reality and common sense. I hope that condition is temporary.
Posted by: Michele on August 21, 2007 08:54 PMOr maybe the several tens of thousands each year who die because of DWI-related wrecks.
Posted by: Stats boy on August 21, 2007 08:55 PMYou really shouldn't use so much toilet paper it will kill too many trees. click! Smile ferry rider$$
Posted by: dcat on August 21, 2007 09:46 PMNOT HERE HONEY!
Posted by: dcat on August 21, 2007 09:50 PMYup, it's simply because they look Middle Eastern. The fact they "were unusually interested in the size of the boats, how they work, and the docking procedures" (to quote the FBI) to the point it spooked a lot of people who saw it on multiple ferry runs over the course of several weeks has nothing to do with it. We're all just a bunch of racists.
By the way, what exactly were you hoping they'd sue us for? Wanting the FBI to catch up with them and question them about what it was they were doing that spooked so many people who saw it? Or criticizing the P-U for not running the pictures of these men in order to fulfill their need to feel "culturally sensitive"?
Wanting us to get sued for stating our opinions... that is pathetic. And you liken us to Nazi's...
Posted by: Mike H on August 21, 2007 09:51 PMI bet these guys are here and they are the ones that the FBI are looking for!
You know they showed that on TV how smart they are getting on the internet and all!
They didn't even read my post on John Doe wins!
Posted by: dcat on August 21, 2007 10:39 PMPost-Gazette Spits Venom at Critics of Profane Flight 93 Memorial
It looks like we'll have to give up our objections to the profane United Flight 93 memorial, which is less a monument to those killed resisting Muslim terrorists on 9/11 than an open-air mosque, designed as an Islamic crescent oriented toward Mecca. You see, the high priests of opinion have spoken from atop Mount Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Sometimes America's bubbling cauldron of resentments emits a poison that threatens to pollute good sense and the best of intentions. That such madness still haunts the planned Flight 93 Memorial in Somerset County is an unconscionable affront to the living and the dead.
As mentioned earlier, the father of one of the heroes of United Flight 93 does not want his son's name on this abomination. Too bad, snarls the lefty Post-Gazette:
The $57 million project is on track to open in 2011 -- and so it should, without a further thought to anyone who would turn it into a point of sour conjecture. No names should be removed -- they belong now to the ages.
Sorry, Mr. Burnett: your son Tom's name belongs to the ages -- and the current custodians of the ages are moonbats.
Hypocritical leftist groupthink. Also known as "progressive."
Posted by: dan on August 22, 2007 08:27 AMThese two guys are probably just investors from Dubai and are considering buying the Washington State Ferry system. Ha!
Let's suppose that there have been bombings at abortion clinics around the country, and the suspects were known to be white males.
I have to wonder that if the FBI were to give photographs to the PI of two white guys with bibles hanging around taking pictures of a Seattle Planned Parenthood office, would they print them? You betcha they would.
(Note: I have a degree in journalism, and I've thought about these things a lot over the years, so this isn't just off the top of my head here.)
Posted by: pudge on August 22, 2007 11:02 AMAs for DWI - those laws are stricly enforced. People go do jail for years for that offense and there is a tremendous amount of public effort to prevent DWIs through organizations like MADD, SADD, etc. Get some real stats, boy.
Posted by: saxa on August 22, 2007 12:15 PMThe Duke lacrosse players were suspects in a crime. It's a whole different ballgame than exhibiting 'suspicious activity' on a Ferry.
Hypocritical conservative groupthink.
Also known as Sound Politics.
Since 'suspicious activity' does not make them suspects or criminals they still have the same rights as you and I. Has nothing to do with feelings, has everything to do with law.
Comment #5 is what most people associate with two Arab looking men who exhibit 'suspicious activity'. Put that in a newspaper and people can associate your face with 'terrorist', many posts here already claim the men are terrorists or in an AlQ sleeper cell.
Papers will do quite a lot to avoid libel lawsuits. Until suspicious activity is a crime, the paper could have a potential libel lawsuit from these two men due. Guilt by association is a form of libel.
Posted by: Cato on August 22, 2007 12:43 PMIf the FBI issued these photos of the suspects, yes. Rape is a crime.
No-one here is accusing these guys of a crime, would you be so tolerant if someone was lurking around outside your house, in your yard, taking pictures through your basement windows, or would you be suspicious, no matter what race or nationality they were?
Posted by: dan on August 22, 2007 01:00 PMThere is enough there to warrant further investigation. Just like there was when some arab looking men signed up for flight school lessons and were not too interested in learning how to land a plane.
I dare say if these were two white people who were on several different ferry routes doing suspicious things like these Arab looking people were doing, the FBI would be even quicker in releasing their photos and the PI would print the photos, especially if they had the stereotypical look of militia members.
It is the PI being racist here and if something does happen on one of these ferries I hope that there are some PI reporters on board.
Posted by: Gus on August 22, 2007 01:01 PMYes, they should. The Duke players were suspects in a crime, so they have a greater potential to loose the case on those grounds.
They are calling it the Profane Flight 93 Memorial now because it is being made with Islamic symbols on it. The father of one of the heroes of that day wants his son's name taken off the memorial because it seems to honor the hijackers more than the passengers.
Posted by: Gus on August 22, 2007 01:07 PMDo you post everything word for word from Fox News or do you even bother to look a little deeper as to see what the controversy is actually about?
One of the FIVE finalist's design is a in the shape of crescent, it's called a crescent, but to say it's 'being made with Islamic symbols on it' is really a stretch.
I personally prefer 'Disturbed Harmony' design.
Sure, but that's for law enforcement to deal with not the PI. I have no issues with law enforcement talking to these guys. In fact why didn't the WSP or ferry security confront these guys? That's the question you should be asking not why the PI is not publishing their photos.
Obviously they we're suspicious enough to take a photo of them but not suspicious enough for ferry/law enforcement personnel to ask them what they were doing? That speaks loads about how safe the Ferry system is.
And law enforcement asked that the media help by disseminating the info and pictures. The PI declined.
Posted by: Peggy U on August 22, 2007 04:20 PM1) Because they haven't done anything except act suspicious on ferries. That in itself is not a crime.
2) They are not suspects in a crime investigation
3) They have not been accused of a crime
4) If you put a picture of a person next to the words 'The FBI hopes to determine whether the men are innocent passengers or possible terrorists.' people automatically assume they are terrorists (see everyones comments above).
5) If they are not terrorists and just tourists under current libel law they could sue the PI for libel. Why? Because people now associate the men with terrorists without actual evidence or proof to back up that claim. That is the very definition of libel.
I didn't write the current libel law. Blame all the celebrities who sue National Enquirer for accusing them of having multiple kids out of wedlock when they have no proof.
This is all sort of like the raptures testing the fences and reactions in jurassic park. There is a clear intent to push and see what the response is and find out where the defenses are weakest.
Posted by: Andy on August 22, 2007 06:59 PMWhat Crime? The entire Nifong mess is because there was no crime,in the first place, just a prosecutor gone mad. Posted by: pagar on August 23, 2007 09:11 AM
a) White males acting suspiciously around gay nightclubs?
b) White males in camoflage acting suspiciously around government buildings?
Or run a picture of the Minutemen with a caption such as "Racist or Patriot?"
Sorry Cato...there is NO libel suit possibility since libel requires knowingly (or should've known) that the information presented was false AND milicious intent when the libelous article (be it a photo or a written word) was published.
Posted by: drw on August 23, 2007 10:09 AMJust like that bull dog that attacked that woman!
They all need to be kept on a very short leash!
FBI ASKED FOR HELP! I SEE WHAT SIDE THE PAPER IS ON! I wouldn't even use it to line the bird cage! The ink is dangerous to my birds health! Or is that "Our Nation"!
Posted by: dcat on August 23, 2007 09:14 PM