[Deepblue]

I'm surprised this wasn't already posted.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14099832

About a half hour before he opened fire Friday afternoon at the downtown Seattle Jewish Federation offices, Naveed Afzal Haq's white pickup truck was stopped and cited by a Seattle Police traffic officer before being let go, Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said at a press conference this afternoon. The violation was a minor one -- driving on Third Avenue during a time when only buses are allowed on the street during the closure of the Metro's bus tunnel. "There was nothing (Haq) did to arouse the officer's suspicions,' Kerlikowske said.

But within only minutes, Haq was hiding behind a large potted plant in the foyer of an organization he found on the Internet with two recently purchased semi-automatic handguns, waiting to abduct a teenager and force his way into the office.

Once inside the building, Haq, who also carried a large amount of ammunition, started shooting, wounding Dayna Klein, a pregnant woman in the arm.

On Friday, Marla Meislin-Dietrich, a database coordinator for the center, told reporters: "He said, 'I am a Muslim American, angry at Israel,' before opening fire on everyone," "He was randomly shooting at everyone."

Seems like Middle East violence is starting to spill over... Unfortunate.

[Sandwich]

It's just noise in the media frenzy over Israel's war crimes, crimes against Humanity, and atrocities.

[Deepblue]

I find it rather ironic that the UN had to have an emergency meeting over the deaths of 60 civies due to a building collapse 8 hours after it had been hit, and with video footage proving its use as a hostile base of operations for rocket attacks.

[vyper]

... yes, all the medias fault.

I find it rather ironic that the UN had to have an emergency meeting over the deaths of 60 civies due to a building collapse 8 hours after it had been hit, and with video footage proving its use as a hostile base of operations for rocket attacks.

Alright, could we back up a second here? Who in the hell has come out with conclusive proof of what happened?

[aldo_14]

AFAIK that video footage was rather old.

[Rictor]

But within only minutes, Haq was hiding behind a large potted plant in the foyer ...with two recently purchased semi-automatic handguns.

What the hell? This is the sort of thing which happens in cartoon and comedy movies. I can't believe it actually worked, that no one went "Hey, look, there' a guy trying to hide behind that plant. Maybe we should go see what he's up to."

[aldo_14]

It's just noise in the media frenzy over Israel's war crimes, crimes against Humanity, and atrocities.

Somehow I doubt a random nutcase, however reprehensible their actions, counts in the same media standing as a war.

[karajorma]

In related news Israel invades Pakistan citing Pakistani terrorism as the cause.

[Grug]

I find it ironic of the media's reactions to Israel's actions and mistakes during wartime in contrast to the war going on in Iraq. If they made such a big thing out of every incident in Iraq, there'd be no space left for Israel's screw ups...

[Sandwich]

Iraq's same-old stuff. Doesn't get good ratings. Israel's intentional massacre of Lebanese women and children via arial bombardment is nice 'n fresh... gets the juices - and the ratings - going. Likewise, since Israel's been bombarded by those same boring Kassams / Katyushas for the past year / month, it's boring news. Whereas those bloodthirsty IDF barbarians keep on changing their tactics, making things more interesting to watch from the living room across the ocean while the heart bleeds and the mouth consumes more Lemon Diet Coke.

[vyper]

... you're really like something out of a movie these days, ya know that Sarnie? Next thing you know we'll all be gay communist journalists...

[Ace]

It's just noise in the media frenzy over Israel's war crimes, crimes against Humanity, and atrocities.

You are *BOTH* committing crimes against humanity and atrocities. Neither of you are innocent, and both of you need to be stopped for your own damn good since all you've both been able to do for the last 50 years is just make things worse each time you've tried to 'solve' it by force.

Where's superman when we need him?

[Grug]

It's just noise in the media frenzy over Israel's war crimes, crimes against Humanity, and atrocities.

You are *BOTH* committing crimes against humanity and atrocities. Neither of you are innocent, and both of you need to be stopped for your own damn good since all you've both been able to do for the last 50 years is just make things worse each time you've tried to 'solve' it by force.

Where's superman when we need him?

Pfft. Where do you stand to judge other nations?
Every war has included atrocities and crimes against humanity. =/
The world media has really done a backflip over this bull**** and realistically highlighted how stupidly influenced and one-sighted the media can and will be.

Personally I respect Israel for doing what they need too and sticking to their guns, (no pun intended) just as other other nations have done, just as the US and coalition did in Iraq. I don't necessarily support the war, but how the hell people can condemn them while doing the same thing is the most highly hypocritcal thing I've seen yet.
It's why the US administration is yet to condemn them, and never will. It's because they're doing the same exact thing. "Defending themselves."

The Lebanon government really needs to gain control of its own borders. It's sad people are dead and dieing it really is. But it is happening in far many more places than just what is shown on TV.

/sorrys if that was slightly ranty

[karajorma]

You miss the point that we also condemn the US and UK for what they've done in Iraq.

[Grug]

In all honesty I was always against any wars.

But I'm starting to reach the conclusion of what else can some people do?
I'm still completely lost as to the real reason why Iraq happened at all. Yet I can see the validity of Israel's attack.

I'd say in Israel's position, they had slightly more reason to defend themselves. I support them more than the war in Iraq.

It all sucks in the end. But I honestly think Israel is in far better position for retaliation than Coalition vs Iraq ever was.
(Shouldn't you also be condemning Australia as well as the US and UK?)

[Sandwich]

You miss the point that we also condemn the US and UK for what they've done in Iraq.

Condemn away then - we're barbaric animals who need that fix of Palestinian (or just regular Arab) blood in the morning before we're really truly awake. We deserve every bit of condemnation, since we're trying to start a war, ruin the lives of millions, and - oh, hey - we prefer having mortars rain down on our towns to the obvious solution of giving them everything they claim they want, because hey, that just makes life so fun!

[Nuclear1]

... you're really like something out of a movie these days, ya know that Sarnie? Next thing you know we'll all be gay communist journalists...

No, Sandwich is just pissed the hell off because the media seems so intent on criminalizing Israel that they disregard the fact that Israelis are being killed and otherwise put in harm's way, or that the intentional murder of innocent Israelis isn't as important as the deaths of Lebanese civilians that the IDF had no knowledge of.

If the media can't catch the IDF using Israeli civilians as human shields, then I'm sure they can justify calling them war criminals bent on the cold-blooded murder of the innocent Lebanese populace.

It's just noise in the media frenzy over Israel's war crimes, crimes against Humanity, and atrocities.

You are *BOTH* committing crimes against humanity and atrocities. Neither of you are innocent, and both of you need to be stopped for your own damn good since all you've both been able to do for the last 50 years is just make things worse each time you've tried to 'solve' it by force.

Where's superman when we need him?

Pfft. Where do you stand to judge other nations?
Every war has included atrocities and crimes against humanity. =/
The world media has really done a backflip over this bull**** and realistically highlighted how stupidly influenced and one-sighted the media can and will be.

Personally I respect Israel for doing what they need too and sticking to their guns, (no pun intended) just as other other nations have done, just as the US and coalition did in Iraq. I don't necessarily support the war, but how the hell people can condemn them while doing the same thing is the most highly hypocritcal thing I've seen yet.

Finally, someone else besides Sandwich starts to make some sense in this thread.

... you're really like something out of a movie these days, ya know that Sarnie? Next thing you know we'll all be gay communist journalists...

I can't believe this. You're not seriously condemning Sandwich for having strong emotions against the media? This is the same media, mind you, that looks at the deaths of Israeli civilians and soldiers and the attacks on Israeli towns and cities and then telling members of the IDF that the blood should be on their hands.

Maybe the rest of the world should stop being so damned hypocritical and give back some of its own stolen possessions--that goes for Northern Ireland, Chechnya, Tibet, and Puerto Rico in particular. Then perhaps we'll talk MidEast politics.

[aldo_14]

You miss the point that we also condemn the US and UK for what they've done in Iraq.

Condemn away then - we're barbaric animals who need that fix of Palestinian (or just regular Arab) blood in the morning before we're really truly awake. We deserve every bit of condemnation, since we're trying to start a war, ruin the lives of millions, and - oh, hey - we prefer having mortars rain down on our towns to the obvious solution of giving them everything they claim they want, because hey, that just makes life so fun!

Way to try and create a strawman.

[Fury]

Oh god. Every bloody topic about the Israel conflict is full of hypocrisy and double-sided morale. Topics like this should be locked.

[aldo_14]

Why, what do you find double sided?