Was He, or Wasn't He?

Was He, or Wasn't He? - The big question today is: was the LAX El-Al shooter a terrorist, or just a deranged nutbar off the street?

This Israeli site quotes an Arab newspaper indicating that Hadayet had ties to Al Quaeda.

Was he a terrorist? Was it even a "hate crime"? The FBI is waffling on both. As Jack Dunphy notes, if Hadayet just felt like shooting up an airport, he could have stopped at John Wayne Airport, just a few miles from his home.

But no. He went 35 extra miles, to LAX, and (says Dunphy):

...with nine passenger terminals to choose from, he parked near the Tom Bradley International Terminal and walked inside. There are ticket counters for more than 30 airlines in the Bradley Terminal, but Hadayet found his way to El Al's, at the far northwest corner of the building, and began shooting. He killed two people and wounded five others before being shot and killed by an El Al security guard.

Is there a sentient being on earth who, when presented with these facts, would not conclude that Hadayet left home that morning with no other intent but to kill as many Jews as possible?

Depends on your definition of sentient. If it means "government bureaucrat anxious not to offend any special interest", then yes, there might be a few.

Posted by Mitch at July 8, 2002 08:57 AM