Man behind White House bomb scare just wanted to chat

[dArKeR]

Carrying the remnants of the luggage that sparked the scare, Zhao said yesterday police had overreacted "a little bit but not too much, as they have suffered from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks."

Zhao said he had not enjoyed life in Australia since migrating from China in 2000 and had considered moving to the US. He said he had no job and had lost his wife.

"I always regarded the United States as the strongest military force in the world and I always believe that they regard the person with value ... not like animals," he said.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/04/17/2003250802

[NYC]

1. Thanks. I was hoping we would get an update on this.

...Zhao was deported to Australia on Friday for violating terms of his visa status, Homeland Security Department officials said...

[daleo]

2. I am just amazed he wasn't seriously injured.

Of course this account may be quite sugar coated too.

[KittyWampus]

3. Doesn't His Statement Sound Like It Was "Prepared" For Him?

not saying it was... just sounded odd to me.

[VegasWolf]

7. Exactly. It certainly does sound packaged. n/t

[Adrian Luca]

4. Look, the guy is kind of flakey...

I've seen it happen a million times...

A guy's wife has enough of him and leaves. Who does he blame? Maybe his wife at first. Then the "damn system" (i.e Australia). But never, ever himself.

Some guys end up ramming cars into family court buildings. Others go to America to chat to Bush.

[dArKeR]

5. I don't believe he had no ID as the Police said. I'm sure he had his

passport. I wish he'd clear that up.

[Adrian Luca]

6. Passports...

Passports are often held by hotels until you check out.

[dArKeR]

9. I've never heard of that! That has never happened to any of my friends

visiting America. Never. I don't think there could possibly be a law/rule as such. I'd like to see any info links you might have on it. Thanks.

[Adrian Luca]

8. I getting pretty tired of this non-story

This guy was hardly mistreated.

He wasn't even detained for very long. From what I've seen of him on tv in Australia he's not playing with a full deck, which possibly contributed to his wife leaving him and his unemployment.

Trying to turn him into some "matyr" is a bit silly.

[Streetdoc270]

10. Im pretty tired of everyone being treeted like a criminal...

This man was well within his rights to ask to talk to the president. Why was he treated as a criminal? I should have the ability to walk up to the White House and see my president any time I choose. I will grant you that this man was not an American but the basic issue here is excessive response to a simple issue. I bet that man would have just stood there all day untill he decided to go home if he had been left alone.

[underthedome]

11. He was standing their with two suitcases, what did you expect post 9/11?

It's not about your right to ask to speak to the President, it's about security. He was deemed a security risk and action had to be taken, what if the suitcases had contained a bomb?

[DulceDecorum]

12. 'Bloody 'ell ma'am, what's 'e doin' in 'ere?' said the maid.

On Friday morning, July 9, 1982, shortly after 6AM, Michael Fagan, a 31-year-old laborer and drifter woke Queen Elizabeth in her bedroom at Buckingham Palace.
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1980s/a/queensintruder.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/monarchy/story/0,2763,983416,00.html

'For goodness sake, get a bloody move on!'
The policemen who came to arrest Fagan adjusted their ties on seeing Her Majesty, before doing anything else!
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II_of_the_United_Kingdom

Those were the days, my friend.
We thought they'd never end ...

[intheflow]

13. There we go again.

Making friends all over the world. :eyes: