Profiling the bad guys

[Tmy]

Anyone see the pictures of the United States Al Q terror guys they are looking for?? Quite the spectrum of looks. One guy "Adam" looks like 1/2 the guys Ive saw at Ozzfest last year.


People rant about how we should be profiling all the arab dudes walking/driving around. As if the badguys all wear turbins and "I hate america" T-shirts. Muslims extremists can be of any color of the bow. I heard they're out recruiting western looking types cause they know they wont fall under the same susipicion.

 

[The Don]

As if the badguys all wear turbins ......

A small point of correction, Turbans are worn by Sikhs who practise ann entirely different religion and present no threat to anyone from a terrorist perspective apart from people involved in the Kahsmir issue in India/Pakistan.

This kind of honest error is another illustration of why such coarse profiling is such a bad idea, you could spend all your time watching the wrong group of people

 

[TAILGUNNER]

Possibly this rule of thumb would apply

Suspect everybody and be vigilant

 

[The Don]

Possibly this rule of thumb would apply

Suspect everybody and be vigilant

Oh goody, the old "Reds under the bed" scenario

I hope that we've learned sufficient that it won't turn into another McCarthite witch hunt. After all, the symptoms could be there:

- A scared populace
- A government with incentive to whip up alarm
- An all pervasive menace
- An internal threat

All we need now is a charismatic, paranoid leader and away we go again

 

[zakur]

Story

In an attempt to derail any plot, law enforcement agents will fan out across the country to interview thousands of people of Middle Eastern descent.

[...]

In the past, the Justice Department has been taken to task by civil liberties groups for detaining suspected terrorists and interviewing Middle Eastern men about their contacts in the Muslim world.

Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, a non-profit anti-discrimination group based in Los Angeles, said it is too early to tell if this round of interviews would generate the same frustration and distrust in the Arab American community.

"We live in extraordinary times," Al-Marayati said. "I'd like to assess the interview process so that at least we are reassuring people this is not a witch hunt or a goose chase, but actually something that will help us deter terrorism."

James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute in Washington, was less optimistic. He said that the FBI's plan would only lead to fear in immigrant communities.

"We have not found that these public appeals, that play into fear and suspicion, are helpful," Zogby said.

Mueller said the interviews would be "driven by intelligence." He said the bureau would be seeking information about people that may have recently moved into the community, people who arrived without any roots and people who could facilitate or aid in an attack.

 

[charley_bigtime]

Possibly this rule of thumb would apply

Suspect everybody and be vigilant

Or in other words - become paranoid, panic and admit you've let let them beat you.

 

[LostAngeles]

I knew two Lebanese people once.

The first was tall, swarthy, and Roman Catholic.

The second was short, pale, and Roman Catholic.

Those of Middle Eastern decent run a whole gamut of appearances.

This hasn't stopped Logan Airport employees from singling me and my (mixed-race, not Middle Eastern) swarthiness out post WTC.

(Note: What has stopped them from searching my overweight bag, heading one way and my very flustered self was Logan Airport being Logan Airport.)