The moment they take up arms and start taking hostages and killing innocent people they go from extremist to terrorist.
In any hostage situation the aim is to resolve the incident peacefully through negotiation, intervention takes place only when life is at risk. The intervention plan would have considered everything that would keep the hostages safe and take out the perpetrator as quickly as possible. From what I have read, the intervention became necessary when the coffee shop manager was shot trying to disarm the perpetrator who then began shooting other hostages. Gas is only effective in a confined space, the 'flash bang' grenades are much more effective in a relatively open building like a coffee shop.
I always like reading your opinions Monty, some of what you write goes over my head, in a good way of course. It's usually your good self who manages to concentrate everybody's rants into a precision sentence we all understand and relate to
Not yet clarified yet how the other hostages were shot. Crossfire is also mentioned but obviously what followed the shooting of the cafe owner will soon be confirmed. I was in central Sydney around the time the incident was initially reported about a mile or so away. Out of interest the worst shooting in a cafe in Aus. came in 1996 near Hobart when on a Sunday lunchtime at a popular tourist spot a guy had a meal on the decking outside then went into the crowded cafe and began shooting. 20 people were killed in there and other people had been killed before he had his meal. He continued his rampage as he left and the final death toll was 35. My wife and I had gone to Hobart for a wedding and we had a meal at the cafe, the day before what is now called "The Port Arthur Massacre". The perpetrator is currently in prison.
Yes mate, it's wrong to speculate, the truth will out in the post incident investigation. I only mentioned what I have read in the media over here, but crossfire would surprise me because Special Forces rarely fire indiscriminately. What is the mood of the general public over there?
