I don't see the problem with the FBI asking the media for help. This certainly isn't the first time it's happened. I'm certain that they have used other investigation methods to identify these men, but perehaps they have not had any success. This would be just another avenue to persue. Either way, I hardly see any civil liberties being violated. The two men being that interested in how the ferry system works on multiple occasions seems suspicious enough to me. The photos were taken in a public place by a private citizen who willingly provided them to the FBI. The FBI then asked media outlets for help locating these men, seeing as the thousands of people who ride the ferries would take some time to interview. They did not strong-arm or intimidate, they asked. I don't have any problem with the The Seattle P-I not publishing the photos and neither did the FBI apparently. For that matter, the person who writes the blog that was refferenced didn't express any dissaproval of the P-I's decision, they simpley mentioned it. In fact the only people who condemned the P-I were people responding with their (in some cases extreme) oppinions. They have as much right to do that as the P-I does to not publish the pictures. Come to think of it, all they were doing was exercising their civil liberties.How quickly people forget how the FBI among other federal agencies was highly criticized for it's shortcomings prior to 9/11. Doesn't it make sense that they would try to improve their performance by thoroughly investigating any possible threat? Sure, these guys could just be tourists, but they could also be a probe for a terrorist organization. We don't know, that's why the FBI is looking for them. But can you imagine the pile of shit that would hit the fan if a terror attack were to take place and the FBI didn't use all means at their expense to investigate something that could have stopped it? Their not putting up wanted posters for God's sake, their just trying to locate the men in question so they can interview them. If these guys aren't doing anything wroung, then they have nothing to worry about.The FBI seems to be unusually open and forthcomming with the media in this case, going so far as to ask for help. Their not wire tapping or getting warrents from secret courts, their openly exchanging information. I would think that would please the more liberal folks. But to be honest, I think anyone using this a civil liberties issue is making a big deal out of nothing.
8/25/2007 4:37:15 AM
8/25/2007 11:08:46 AM
8/25/2007 12:10:34 PM
So.. I was thinking, which is probably a bad idea, but if this was my picture up I think I would have contacted the FBI already and gotten everything straight. I mean, your picture is up everywhere(Saw it on some news program the other night FOX or MSNBC) and it just seems the best way to solve it would be to come forward if you have nothing to hide. Though, I guess they *could* be illegals and not terrorists.
8/25/2007 4:02:07 PM
i bet those boys could make some damn good doner kebaps
8/25/2007 4:37:32 PM
^^ haha, or they could be terrorists, or at least working in conjunction with them
8/25/2007 4:53:20 PM
8/25/2007 5:05:18 PM
^ thank you.that is, in essence, the point I'm trying to make.i knew you libertarians were good for something
8/25/2007 6:04:00 PM
the only thing more irritating than having their guilt assumed because they haven't "turned themselves in" is the fact that you can aparantly now search the internet for the most politically biased blog imaginable and then link to it as proof that "the right is having a field day with this" or whatever the applicable term might be.faggotry and paranoialets just be fucking thankfull it hasn't been made law to be that wayyet
8/25/2007 6:20:58 PM
the core issue here is not "right" vs. "left". I regret if I made it appear that way.the core issue here is "police state" vs. "democracy". I'm arguing that the acceptance of broadcasting photos of people "suspected" of, essentially, thinking bad thoughts ( ) evidences a mindset or a mentality that is becoming more and more pervasive, and threatens to erode basic constitutional right, civil liberties, especially those related to presumption of innocence.(now there was a side note about how certain conservative bloggers are railing against the decision by at least one newspaper's largely symbolic stance in declining to publish the photos... but that is not the point of this thread)
8/25/2007 6:35:54 PM
8/25/2007 6:49:53 PM
^ run along, please. the adults are having "grown-up talk" now.
8/25/2007 7:36:24 PM
^^^ It certainly seems like more than just "suspected of thinking bad thoughts". We're talking multiple incidents of suspicious behavior, all being linked by the FBI to the same person, so again I ask, what would you like them to do differently to find these people? I am being serious here, I want to know what other method you suggest for tracking these folks down?
8/25/2007 7:46:32 PM
1337 b4k4 : the problem with your question (and others like it) is that it presumes some level of guilt of the men pictured, and thus forcing me to defend them.Here is what I understand to be true, based on the FBI report:the men are not pictured committing any crimethe men have not been charged with any crimethe men have not been accused of any crimethe men are not rumored to have committed any crimeand this includes crimes of conspiracy. to everyone's knowledge, there has been no crime committed.so what has happened?two men were reported to have been "interested" in details of ferry operation.they "took pictures" of the ferries.they "asked questions" about the ferries.they may have, on one occasion, gone into an area of the ferry limited to crew only.and they may have done this on more than one occasion!....so what?I have been (and am) "interested" in details of ferry operations. As an engineer by profession, I'm interested in big, complex, electro-mechanical systems. Being ex-Navy, I'm also interested in boats.I have "taken pictures" of the ferries including mechanical areas, because they "look cool"I have "asked questions" about the ferriesI have gone into restricted areas of the ferries. why? because I was curious to see what was there. they weren't secure in any way, they just had signs. and I have rode the ferries multiple times. --- It is not uncommon for, on one weekend's round trip of the islands, to have to take four (4) separate ferries in as short as a two- or three-day period... maybe more, depending on the route you take.Does that make me a terrorist suspect worthy of a nationwide manhunt complete with billboard photos and Breaking News releases? Probably not ... I'm not very swarthy. But maybe if i had a beard and was scowling when some WA DOT employee surreptitiously snapped my photograph, who knows then?
8/25/2007 9:30:23 PM
8/25/2007 10:31:54 PM
8/25/2007 10:58:33 PM
yeah, i certainly lean towards the pro civil-rights/anti-overreaching gov't side of the spectrum, and knowing what I know about this situation, I'm not up in arms about it. I'd say I have a watchful eye towards the authorities, wondering if they might go overboard about this--but I don't think this qualifies.
8/25/2007 11:42:26 PM
^ I would think most people like you end up either dead or in jail. If you feel that on some level you can determine who it's justifiable to kill and not kill, it only takes one bad judgement to make you a blood-thirsty murderer. I really don't see how we need ANYONE like that.
8/26/2007 12:19:11 AM
Everyone on some level can determine who is justifiable to kill and who isn't. Just because you can make a bad judgement doesn't mean you shouldn't make judgements.
8/26/2007 12:31:47 AM
8/26/2007 1:09:36 AM
^^ I would think when making judgments regarding ppl's lives, you wouldn't be so blind as to look at it as something to revel in. That seems somewhat psychopathic to me.I like to see bad people die as much as the next guy, but i'm not naive enough to think I alone can spot bad people with enough accuracy to say that I can kill them.
8/26/2007 1:42:03 AM
8/26/2007 2:42:31 AM
ok. (1) no crime has been committed or alleged.(2) a crime has been committed....can you spot the difference between (1) and (2) ?take your time.
8/26/2007 3:15:35 AM
8/26/2007 8:52:00 AM
No, just realism. I have never claimed to be, nor desired to be a "compassionate conservative" so I don't know where you got that idea.
8/26/2007 12:54:15 PM
Conspiracy is a crime. When people are engaging in behavior that is consistent with conspiring to commit an illegal act they become worth finding.
8/26/2007 2:04:23 PM
^ again, nice red herring.the men are not charged or even alleged to have committed conspiracy, or any other crime.are you doing this on purpose, or are you just not paying any attention here?
8/26/2007 3:10:42 PM
8/26/2007 3:14:26 PM
8/26/2007 3:24:14 PM
8/27/2007 9:32:56 PM
oh jesus.when a child is kidnapped, you can reasonably assume a crime (kidnapping) has been committed. law enforcement should absolutely pursue all leads and suspects possible.when "photos are taken", or "interest is shown" you can NOT reasonably assume a crime (conspiracy to commit acts of terror) has been committed. this does not give law enforcement the right to publicly harass people who must be presumed innocent.WHAT PART OF THIS DO YOU PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTAND?
8/27/2007 10:09:49 PM
it's not that interest was shown. it's that unusual interest was shown on multiple occasions, and was witnessed by MULTIPLE PEOPLE. what part of that do you not understand?for someone bitching about a lack of evidence of wrongdoing, you sure are going a long way to accuse the FBI of wrongdoing without any evidence whatsoever...and, like I said, would you agree that we shouldn't have questioned the 9/11 hijackers who were enrolling in flight schools and didn't want to learn about landing?]
8/27/2007 10:13:06 PM
Time for you to catch the ferry, schmoe.
8/27/2007 11:10:23 PM
8/27/2007 11:20:46 PM
8/27/2007 11:49:57 PM
8/28/2007 9:22:01 AM
This whole thing doesn't seem right. Why would they do this?If they're guilty, they've gone underground. If they're innocent, the FBI looks dumb.There must be an ulterior motive.
8/28/2007 9:28:27 AM
so...no luck finding these guys yet? .these guys are looking more and more like they were up to no good and have gone into hiding.
8/28/2007 9:55:02 AM
yup. bring out the hounds.
8/28/2007 11:18:46 AM
Interesting article and video from CNN. Witnesses reported the two men appeared to be measuring parts of the boat, taking pictures of restricted areas, and studdying emergency escape routes. If you watch the video a State Trooper describes it as a "pattern of behavior." Make sure you pay close attention to the last two sentences of the article. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/28/fbi.ferry/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
8/28/2007 11:59:53 PM
8/29/2007 12:42:19 AM
8/29/2007 12:46:03 AM
I must be one crazy, nosey ass bitch cause if I noticed these guys and genuinely believed they may be terrorists, I woulda followed they asses. Using my PI skills that I picked up from Simon & Simon, of course.Maybe this thread should be about what lazzy ass pussies Americans are.
8/29/2007 1:28:38 AM
yeah, maybe so
8/29/2007 1:39:49 AM
interesting point, Bridget. I agree. If I had witnessed these two men, and they were truly acting as suspicious as the DEFCON-5-Terror-Level-Red Alarmists portray them -- you know, to the point that I felt I needed to take their pictures and call the FBI...I damn sure would have gotten more than a couple mediocre, anonymous shots with my Sony Cybershot zoom.I would have followed them to their car and got the license plate, or if they were walk-on pedestrians I would have followed them off the boat while I called the cops.[Edited on August 29, 2007 at 11:34 AM. Reason : ]
8/29/2007 11:31:14 AM
^Equivocation at best. People were concerned enough about the behavior of the two men in question to report it. The fact that they were also concerned enough about their personal safety to not follow the individuals in no way delagitimizes that.
8/29/2007 11:51:14 AM
meh. they dont look so tough
8/29/2007 1:58:14 PM
Agreed.
8/30/2007 12:43:05 AM
any news?
9/25/2007 5:22:36 PM
9/25/2007 5:30:28 PM