Belgians seek to come to grips with fact that suicide bomber in Iraq was one of them

AsharqAl-Awsat /AP ^ | 12/1/05

[JimSEA]

"embraced the ideology of al-Qaeda."

Not surprising once you grasp the fact that this is a religious war, not a racial conflict.

[CWOJackson]

When are we going to get realistic and stop harassing normal people at the airports...like this medium brown haired, blue eyed woman.

[Valin]

Do I detect a hint of sarcsm? :-)

[CWOJackson]

Just a touch.

[airborne]

It's simple.

Refuse to take any responsibility, and just blame Bush!


Hey, it works for the liberals!

[Valin]

al-Qaeda's is evil...not stupid.

[CWOJackson]

"As soon as a majority don't fit the usual profiles?"

There are plenty of European looking Muslims, there are more Muslims who appear Asian then Middle Eastern, and millions who appear Hindu.

At the same time, most American's would be unable to distinguish a Middle Easterner from an Italian or Israeli to name just a few.

Which profile do we use?

[CWOJackson]

"Opinion polls show that Al Qaeda receives it greatest support from...Arabs."

Potential suicide bombers participate in opinion polls now?

I guess you're forgetting the bombers who took out so many Australians...all Asian. Then there was the plot to place bombs aboard about a dozen U.S. airliners...Philippine Muslims were behind that.

And thanks to the "Serbian" conflict there are plenty of blond haired Muslims with a lot of pent up anger.

[CWOJackson]

"Are you going to pretend that sympathy is unrelated to potential recruits?"

Not at all...it draws the sympathy of Muslims of all racial characteristics...not just those who look like Italians.

"No response to the fact that Al Qaeda is a largely Arab run organization?"

I guess you're forgetting about their connections in Pakistan, Malaysia and the Phillipines. Then there is there very real presence in the Balkins, cells of whom this country supported during that conflict. It gets even stranger when you look at other strange connections, such as with the IRA...a group that lended their talents to training these terrorists.

Racial profiling would be a very great mistake.

[jordan8]

This one woman doesn't change the facts, and racial profiling is more than justified. It's a matter of (overwhelming) odds. It would be criminal to pretend that you are no more likely to find Islamic terrorists among Arabs etc., than among white Iowans.

[CWOJackson]

"This one woman doesn't change the facts, and racial profiling is more than justified."

This woman is "the fact", that "racial" profiling for "religious fanatics" is worthless.

[jordan8]

That doesn't make any sense.

[CWOJackson]

It does in the real world.