21 Responses to “The 900 Pound Gorilla In The Room”

1. Nickele
   August 23, 2006 - 02:44 PM on August 23rd, 2006

   Hmm, let’s say, for some reason, a bunch of red hairish people commited terrorism. Now, all red hairish people are searched and noone from another hair color is. Would not feel good for all good red hairish people…

2. Peejz
   August 23, 2006 - 02:55 PM on August 23rd, 2006

   Gee Nickele, when the gingers unite and start blowing things up, we will discuss that.:roll: Until then, we are stuck with the fact that we are dealing with people of Middle Eastern descent!

3. San Francisco Liberal
   August 23, 2006 - 03:06 PM on August 23rd, 2006

   “…we are stuck with the fact that we are dealing with people of Middle Eastern descent!”

   Not the truth at all. The recent arrests in London were Pakistani (sp?). NOT middle-eastern at all.

   Geography, Peejz. Check it out.

4. Peejz
   August 23, 2006 - 03:14 PM on August 23rd, 2006

   3 Source here
   Middle East defines a cultural area, so it does not have precise borders. The most common and highly arbitrary definition includes: Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran (Persia), Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Palestine. Iran (Persia) is often the eastern border, but Afghanistan and Pakistan are occasionally included due to their close relationship (ethnically and religiously) to the larger group of Iranian peoples as well as historical connections to the Middle East including being part of the various empires that have spanned the region such as those of the Persians and Arabs among others. Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and western Pakistan (Balochistan and North West Frontier Province) share close cultural, linguistic, and historical ties with Iran and are also part of the Iranian plateau, whereas Iran’s relationship with Arab states is based more upon religion and geographic proximity. Also the Kurds, another group of Iranic linguistic extraction, are the largest ethnic group in the Middle East without their own state.

5. San Francisco Liberal
   August 23, 2006 - 03:20 PM on August 23rd, 2006

   Most Western definitions of the “Middle East” ” in both established reference books and common usage ” define the region as ‘nations in Southwest Asia, from Iran (Persia) to Egypt’. Egypt, with its Sinai Peninsula in Asia, is often considered part of the ‘Middle East’, although most of the country lies geographically in North Africa. North African nations without Asian links, such as Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, are increasingly being called North African ” as opposed to Middle Eastern (Iran (Persia) to Egypt-Asia) ” by international media outlets.

   One widely used definition of “Middle East” is that of the airline industry, maintained by the IATA standards organization. This definition ” as of early 2006 ” includes Bahrain, Egypt, Iran (Persia), Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. [1] This definition is used in world-wide airfare and tax calculations for passengers and cargo.

6. Peejz
   August 23, 2006 - 03:23 PM on August 23rd, 2006

   So the London arrests were men of ME descent:smile:

7. San Francisco Liberal
   August 23, 2006 - 03:39 PM on August 23rd, 2006

   No, they were South Asian.

   Pakistan is not traditionally described as being part of the Middle East.

   See my #5.

8. Nickele
   August 23, 2006 - 03:43 PM on August 23rd, 2006

   Just wondering: are Israeli people checked out as well? It’s true, they are middle easterns as well. But I’m sure, we would all see a problem with testing only Jewish or Israeli people.
   Btw, it seems that one or two “white” people of British descendence took part in the project. I am happy that the British intelligence did a good job at gathering information, probably not just focusing on Arab looking people…

9. Peejz
   August 23, 2006 - 03:45 PM on August 23rd, 2006

   7- refer to my cited #4

10. Peejz
    August 23, 2006 - 03:48 PM on August 23rd, 2006

    8- They more than likely would be checked out yes. There are many physical characteristics that resemble both an Israeli and say a Palistian.

    But a big tip off is their passports and in the event that one is not needed, a name will do.

11. Peejz
    August 23, 2006 - 03:49 PM on August 23rd, 2006

    7-BTW, it was only referenced as Asian so as not to have to report yet another ME threat!

12. San Francisco Liberal
    August 23, 2006 - 03:55 PM on August 23rd, 2006

    “BTW, it was only referenced as Asian so as not to have to report yet another ME threat!”

    What?!? Pakistan is in Asia. South Asia to be percise.

    Your line of thinking would have Morroco be described as “ME” even though it’s North African. (!)

13. FrmrArtyOffcr
    August 23, 2006 - 11:28 PM on August 23rd, 2006

    There are physical geographic descriptions and then there are cultural descriptions. Perhaps the best way to describe the terrorists would be that we should simply key on the current group of people who are the greatest risk. that being Muslim men between the ages of 17 and 40. With some countries having significantly higher Muslim populations than others, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to deduce that people with passports from those countries or with obvious ties to those countries (not many blue eyed blondes in Pakistan.) it would only make sense to direct our limited assets towards the most obvious threat. While I’m not saying that all of the members of the Muslim faith are terrorists, but with 90% of the terrorists running around the world at the moment being young Muslim males, it only makes sense to key on those who are most likely to be terrorists, rather than to waste limited assets on searching 4 yr olds children or 80 yr old grandmothers.

14. Mike Kilo
    August 24, 2006 - 07:05 AM on August 24th, 2006

    how about my definition..they are all muslim animals.

    next.

15. Nickele
    August 24, 2006 - 07:20 AM on August 24th, 2006

    well, that would be the same as saying Mike Kilo is a f…..g racism bastard…

16. Mike Kilo
    August 24, 2006 - 07:43 AM on August 24th, 2006

    what makes me a racism bastard (whatever that means)? pointing out that muslims are out killing innocent people?

    ok, I guess…

17. Nickele
    August 24, 2006 - 09:21 AM on August 24th, 2006

    “they are all muslim animals”

    Yes, they are animals (if you want, I would not insult animals by comparing them to terrorists), but “muslim animals” means that you are associating their “animal” behaviour with the fact that they are muslims.

    And excuse my mispelling, I’m sure you figured out that I meant “racist bastard”

18. Mike Kilo
    August 24, 2006 - 09:52 AM on August 24th, 2006

    yes, “people” who rape, maraud, kill, behead, etc. in the name of Allah, are animals.

    you have a problem with that?

19. San Francisco Liberal
    August 24, 2006 - 11:02 AM on August 24th, 2006

    kinda, not really. you’re free to say whatever the f*ck you want.

    but you really should say radical animals, or extremist animals.

20. Mike Kilo
    August 24, 2006 - 11:07 AM on August 24th, 2006

    why, if they are ALL Muslim?

    that’s your problem, afraid to call a spade a spade… not all Muslims are terrorists, but, as it stands…ALL terrorists are muslims.

21. San Francisco Liberal
    August 24, 2006 - 11:30 AM on August 24th, 2006

    “why, if they are ALL Muslim?”

    Yeah, but not ALL Muslims are terrorists, that’s why.

    And saying “Muslim Animals” strongly implies that ALL muslims are animals.

    But, hey man, you’re free to say whatever you want.

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