<p>Three have escaped. </p>
<p>It’s CNN. We’ll hear about this until February if the recent past is any predictor. </p>
<p><a href=“http://news.yahoo.com/major-police-operation-unfolding-sydney-235744145.html”>http://news.yahoo.com/major-police-operation-unfolding-sydney-235744145.html</a></p>
<p>This report describes what seems to be a black flag with white lettering in Arabic containing the word “Muhammad”.</p>
<p>I feel pretty sure that this hostage-taking is being done in the name of radical Islam.</p>
<p>Or it could be a crazy person craving attention.</p>
<p>Again, I’ll wait rather than speculate. Right now I care far more about the people with a lunatic gunman than the person’s hypothetical motivations. </p>
<p>It’s highly unlikely that the ISIS flag in the window is a coincidence.</p>
<p>I was talking to my sister today, she works in Sydney downtown. It was one hour into the situation. We asked if she was being affected, she said no and the conversation moved on.</p>
<p>It appears to be only one gunman. The news media seem to be able to get a camera shot of him, so why don’t the police just take him out w a sniper?</p>
<p>Seems to me they do things a bit differently in Oz then here. Maybe they believe not killing the gunman will assist in giving them more information in the long run. It also seems to me they have an excellent handle on the situation so far. </p>
<p>CNN is reporting his name, and the fact that he has a long criminal record and that he is an individual that is ‘known’ to police and authorities both in Australia and in the U.S.</p>
<p>@romanigypsyeyes I’m confused. How was what I posted speculation? Generally it seems that people who commit terrorist acts in the name of Muhammad want to be sure you attribute their acts to the correct organization. If that sign was in the window, there’s nothing hypothetical about it.</p>
<p>I’m very glad some of the hostages have escaped and really hope this situation ends without anyone being injured any further.</p>
<p>Why is everyone so afraid to say it has something to do with isis, and islam? They’re lunatics and it’s time to stop pussyfooting around saying we’re not fighting a religious war. Is the world so PC that we can’t even utter the words that the middle east is producing some pretty radical and dangerous groups? Does anyone even suspect someone else when we hear of beheadings, bombs, hostages?</p>
<p>“It’s highly unlikely that the ISIS flag in the window is a coincidence.”</p>
<p>I don’t believe it is the ISIS flag in the window. </p>
<p>Article in SMH explaining the flags. The hostage taker is also asking for an ISIS flag as one of his demands - which also leads me to believe the flag in the window isn’t an ISIS flag. </p>
<p>That is not to say the hostage taker isn’t a sympathizer with ISIS or any of the other radical Islamic groups. </p>
<p><a href=“Flag being held by Lindt Chocolat Cafe hostages is not an Islamic State flag”>http://www.smh.com.au/national/flag-being-held-by-lindt-chocolat-cafe-hostages-is-not-an-islamic-state-flag-20141215-1279s0.html</a></p>
<p>Wow! Gripping news footage of gunfire and fleeing hostages! I pray none of them are seriously injured. </p>
<p>Three or four people have been taken away by ambulances. Apparently, the nutjob was corralling the hostages in one corner, and some of them bolted out if the door. CNN now reports 7 stretchers. :(</p>
<p>He apparently is wanted for trying to murder his ex-wife and 40 counts of sexual assault (and related incidents). </p>
<p>Why was he not locked up? </p>
<p>He’s obviously an extremely disturbed individual. Yes, it does appear that he was radicalized but it seems like he would’ve latched on to any kind of extremist movement. </p>
<p>There have been extremely sad stories coming out of men and women removing their religious garb in Australia because of fear of retaliation. </p>
<p>Two people dead, 3 serious condition, unsure of who. </p>
<p>According to the ABC network in Australia the siege is over. </p>
<p>Is the gunman dead? </p>
<p>What were his demands besides the ISIS flag?</p>
<p>One was for the Prime Minister to call him. </p>
<p>BBC reporting that gunman was some nutty Iranian cleric w long criminal record. Begs the question why the Aussies hadn’t deported him.</p>
<p>The first flag was a homemade ISIS flag. He requested a real one.</p>
<p>It has been reported that one of the dead is the gunman.</p>
<p>This guy was not just a criminal before this, but was out on bail for murder. In our country, would someone with a lengthy criminal past be out on bail for accused murder of their ex-wife? </p>