Seattle Washington - FBI Searching For Suspicious Ferry Passengers
August 20, 2007
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The FBI is asking for the public’s help to identify two men who have been seen acting strangely aboard Washington State ferries recently.
According to federal agents, passengers have seen the men on several occasions exhibiting unusual behavior. The FBI did not say precisely what that unusual behavior entailed.
FBI spokeswoman Robbie Burroughs said the men have been reported by by passengers on several ferry runs and, while the behavior may have been innocuous, investigators would like to talk to the men.
Burroughs said the men appeared to be taking an unusual interest in the workings of the boat, but she would not elaborate.
Passengers and crew members on different runs on separate dates reported the men to authorities.
Anyone who knows the men or there whereabouts are asked to call the FBI at (206) 622-0460.
Additional
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Earlier this month, Washington state ferry employees were told to watch for suspicious passengers after an incident in which someone took some out-of-the-ordinary photos.
Washington State Patrol spokesman Bob Calkins in Olympia said the incident took place last month and he can’t disclose details because it’s still under investigation. He says it led to an internal memo to ferry employees asking them to be more alert.
Calkins says the photo-takers drew attention because they were behaving a little differently than commuters or tourists. He says no officer was available at the time to check them out, so the memo was sent. He says it’s not a warning.
Calkins says the patrol and Coast Guard already provide security for state ferries because they could be a target for terrorism.
More
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The Seattle PI decided not to publish pictures of the two men the FBI is looking for. Here is an excerpt from the editor exlaining why.
“What’s an editor to do?
Ferry security is hugely important.
So are civil liberties and privacy.
The P-I last year reported that according to a Justice Department inspector general’s assessment, Puget Sound’s ferries were the nation’s No. 1 target for maritime terrorism.
This may well be a case of alert citizens spotting a very real threat.
But running a photograph of two men who may as easily be tourists from Texas as terrorists from the Mideast with a story that makes them out to be persons of interest in a terrorism investigation seems problematic, to say the least.
The P-I ran a story about the FBI’s alert, but did not run the photographs, because we didn’t have enough information to warrant it. I hope that today we are able to get more information on this story, if it exists, from the FBI that would give us a clearer idea of the background behind their request.
Based on what we have, it seemed newsworthy that the FBI was trying to find these guys but it did not seem appropriate to run their photographs.
The Seattle Times ran neither the photographs nor a story”.
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Comments
13 Responses to “Seattle Washington - FBI Searching For Suspicious Ferry Passengers”
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It is refreshing to see people
(transportation employees) paying attention to community security and noting and reporting such oddities as they did here-as well as refreshing to read that that information is being listened to (considered) and followed up on.
It’s important that when running stories about possible terrorists and their identities that the press not run their photos, or the story, so that their rights can be protected and they can go about whatever it is they are doing (or not). They the press can scream about “connecting the dots” when the scat hits the fan, and blame it on Bush. By the way, I believe I read this in the Seattle PI: “the Seattle Police Department issued a directive in June telling officers that officers should not ask about a person’s immigration status.”
It is a very good thing that alert citizens are noticing unusual behavior, however, the decision of the editor of the Seattle PI not to publish the photos is horrible. If these men are doing nothing wrong, then they have nothing to fear. I wouldnt make a big deal about being questioned about an innocent ferry ride, it is all in the interest of our security and defeating people trying to kill us. If it turns out these men do harm to innocent people, that editor has blood on his hands.
Shame on the Seattle P-I to do the “Politically Correct” thing. If, God Forbid, anything happen to one fo these ferries, the editorial staff of the P-I will have blood on their hands. Hopefully it won’t come to that.
[...] unusual: it was so concerned by two men who seemed to be casing the Seattle Ferry system that it asked for the public’s assistance. To that end, it asked the media to publish a picture taken, not by covert FBI surveillance, but by [...]
Aren’t these the same editors who cheered when they heard that Karl Rove will resign? I guess we know which side they are on!
What is wrong with the news media? Anyone suspected as interest in an investigation by the FBI and any other part of Homeland Security should be honored. The people in Seattle deserve its newspaper to report this story. After all terrorism is real. As it is people wanting to kill Americans. We need to be aware “YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU SAY SOMETHING”. Would he had reacted differently? If these two suspects had been in the bath room where he reports the news.
Hey, I live in the northwest and use the seattle ferries quite frequently. Does this scare me at all? no, it doesn’t. Maybe if the FBI shed some light on their behavior people might actually be able to make a judgement call on wether they should be worried or not. The P-I would have no “blood on their hands” if anything was to happen. There are plenty of other papers in the seattle area, and not to mention this was the first story on all the local news for the past few days. If people didn’t see these photos then, them being in the P-I wouldn’t have done anything. WHy is that part about the P-I in their anyway? doesn’t make much sense to me.
Seems to me this isa bit of fear mongering. For crying out loud the first time I rode on the ferry I was interested in how it worked, how it docked, the massive size of the boat, if these were a couple of white people i’m sure it wouldn’t have been suspicious, and honestly, I’m not the type of person that plays the race card!
Even if they are innocent this could be considered (in any other situation) libel, but like many of the rights we have in this country for the sake of “national security” we give them up. Even when NO other terrorist attacks have happened since 9/11. If we live in fear and give up our rights because of that fear, the terrorist have already won.
Paul seems to be the typically blind and ignorant Washington state liberal. Shut the hell up Paul or better yet get out of our country and go live in blissful ignorance with the Islamo-freaks in France!
>If we live in fear and give up our rights because of that fear, the terrorists have already won.
Hmm, Let me look at all the terrorist attacks, lets see, islamic, from the middle east, dark complexion.
If it looks like a cat, smells like a cat, and meows like a cat, its a cat, call it like you see, and if they don’t like, head back to the middle east, my patience is over and so is my sensitivity to other cultures.
Does anyone have updated status on the FBI photographs? What makes this scary is the lack of communication between FBI and media. In order to print or post photograghs of two unknowns you must provide the public/media with details of the “unknown’s” behavior. I don’t like that I can find no other info on this investigation. CNN covered the story ,very briefly,the same night that President Bush visited the troops. Hmmmmmm?
If anyone knows more can you post.
So…..?
Have they found these guys yet??