Comments on: No Simple Profile for Terrorists

By: Bithead

Bithead — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:05:40 +0000

The report probably has some merit if they are lumping 70's/80's IRA attacks with todays AQ attacks. But I suspect that at least the public portion is doing a little PC ignoring of inconvenient facts.

And there it is.... exactly so, YAJ.
What we're seeing here is the normal habit of allowing political goals to over-rule reality.

By: fredw

fredw — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:26:31 +0000

All the more reason we have to watch everything everyone does ALL of the time. We can whine about freedom after we are all safe.

By: spencer

spencer — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:31:17 +0000

If we had set up profiles to capture people like Timothy McVeigh would it have prevented 9/11 ?

By: yetanotherjohn

yetanotherjohn — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:09:06 +0000

Hah. The report missed the obvious connection of Anglicans and the 7/11 attacks.

The report probably has some merit if they are lumping 70's/80's IRA attacks with todays AQ attacks. But I suspect that at least the public portion is doing a little PC ignoring of inconvenient facts.

By: just me

just me — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:53:14 +0000

I think the problem is if you profile a certain group, and that makes you feel secure, then those who would seek to harm through terrorism will exploit the profile by seeking people who do not fit the profile to do the work.

By: Wayne

Wayne — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:42:01 +0000

The British has to deal with fragments of the IRA and other internal groups. So I wouldn’t draw to many comparisons with the U.S. That said, I never been a big fan of trying to “profile” a very large group. Some large groups share common characteristics but often have about as many exceptions as not. For example, 70% could share characteristics of a,b,or c but very few share a,b, and c. Profiling is more useful when done with a smaller group such as Al-Qaida. Profiling can be useful but should be use with caution and understand it is more of an art than a science.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:02:57 +0000

Hopefully governments realize this is the case and stop violating the Constitutional and Human Rights of their citizens. In America, technology and commerce are being abused so that governments can peak into the lives of whomever they wish.