'Staking' arouses terror suspicions

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | 9/9/2002 | Bill Gertz

[ex-Texan]

U.S. national security agencies are on alert for a terrorist attack after the discovery that a Middle Eastern man carried out suspicious surveillance of the Washington Monument, the Pentagon and other buildings in the area.

The man in question videotaped the Washington Monument on the Mall on Sept. 1 and paced off several distances around the monument, according to U.S. intelligence officials.

[Dog]

How did they get the tape if they didn't catch the guy??

[Mixer]

Maybe not Al-Queada at all but rather another terrorist group trying to make a new name for itself. We must be vigilant. I am glad they are taking every precaution and don't seem to mind profiling this week.

[zeromus]

You can't "catch" a guy for videotaping DC monuments. but you can sneak into his hotel room and copy his tapes.

[hangin' chad]

How did they get the tape if they didn't catch the guy??

My thoughts exactly...This article is a joke, right? We've got middle eastern looking folks pacing off measurments and video taping around the Washington Monument and other landmarks and nobody stops them to inquire. Surely, Tom Ridge ain't this incompetent.

[LikeLight]

This seems to be an improvement over the usual protocol of just letting the guy go, no questions asked. Now this is getting interesting . . . if they copied his videotape I would imagine they tailed him (or are tailing him) also . . . wonder where his path leads?

[amom]

How did they get the tape if they didn't catch the guy??

very, very, surreptitiously???

;-)

[Frohickey]

Pacing off measurements and video taping is grounds for stopping and questioning?

[~Peter]

I think that should be ...
"Stalking' and not 'Staking' arouses terror suspicions...

[~Peter]

My bad ... it is indeed staking.

Who'd have thunk it?

[hangin' chad]

yes

[Frohickey]

Pacing off measurements and video taping is grounds for stopping and questioning?

yes So, should groups of tourists be stopped and questioned when they 'pace off' distances from one Washington DC landmark to another, and if some of them have video tape recorders?

[hangin' chad]

U.S. national security agencies are on alert for a terrorist attack after the discovery that a Middle Eastern man carried out suspicious surveillance of the Washington Monument, the Pentagon and other buildings in the area. The man in question videotaped the Washington Monument on the Mall on Sept. 1 and paced off several distances around the monument, according to U.S. intelligence officials.

So this guy just seems like your average guy with a Japanese tour group....okey dokey. By the way, I was pulled over last Saturday night at a police road block. They checked my documents, and inquired about my evening...but you don't think a Middle Eastern looking person pacing off distances around the Washington Monument just before 9/11 should be questioned...got it. Thanks for your input.

[Frohickey]

By the way, I was pulled over last Saturday night at a police road block. They checked my documents, and inquired about my evening

Veer ar ur paperz?

[Axenolith]

How did they get the tape if they didn't catch the guy??

Maybe via intercept of their TV emanations while they were watching it?

[hangin' chad]

Let's see...a Middle Eastern looking fellow comes into a flight school and wants to learn to fly 747's...just fly...not take offs, no landings. Mr. Frohickey says give him the lessons, no questions asked...no crime has been committed. Got it.

[Frohickey]

Let's see...a Middle Eastern looking fellow comes into a flight school and wants to learn to fly 747's...just fly...not take offs, no landings. Mr. Frohickey says give him the lessons, no questions asked...no crime has been committed. Got it.

Let's see... a Middle Eastern looking fellow is videotaping his American vacation, going from one DC landmark to another, eating popcorn or a chocolate drumstick. Mr. hangin' chad wants him stopped and questioned, maybe even arrested and interrogated. Possible crime to be committed. Got it.

[piasa]

I notice the people complaining most about incidents like this where the suspect isn't grabbed and interrogated ... are the very same people who gripe about the violation of their civil liberties when they get pulled over by the cops.

They want people to be arrested for things that aren't illegal... but are they willing to make it illegal to photograph landmarks in order to give the police the legal tool neccessary to detain someone? If so then I guess they're honest. Or is it more likely they would instead scream bloody murder and curse Ashcroft or Ridge if such a proposal was even made? Just curious.

[hangin' chad]

and paced off several distances around the monument, according to U.S. intelligence officials.

You forgot the pacing off distances around a national monument...not the average tourist thing to do. He should have been questioned...just as I was questioned at a police road block last Saturday night for doing nothing more than driving my car. But, I understand your position that we should wait until he blows up the Washington Monument and then question him...makes sense to me.(sarcasm off)

[Frohickey]

I think you are right.

We should question the pacing tourist.
We should also question everyone at the police roadblock.
Heck, we should question everyone buying a gun, and/or ammo.
Food can be a weapon too, as a Somalian warlord used once. We should question everyone buying groceries too. (sarcasm off)