Isn't Shadid an Arabic/Middle Eastern name? If so, perhaps this guy is only trying to excuse his "relatives".
There is a big difference between being TRUTHFUL and being "racially insensitive".
He is of Lebanese descent, but is an American raised in Oklahoma. His family is Orthodox Christian I believe.
My beef with him is his reporting on the war from the get go, which makes this, IMHO, no surprise. See my post number 17 on this thread.