Yup, they are very careful with the Alabama hostage

[nadinbrzezinski]

situation. MSNBC just had little coverage. Yup, all are concerned for the kid.

[sasha031]

1. we are all hoping this poor child is released.

it's going on 5 days now.... truly a terrifying sad situation.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. If they do it, will take a while.

The gentleman in question has supplies.

[mainer]

3. Hostage taker has tv and media access

This could explain minimal coverage. Hostage negotiators are doing it right. Take your time and wait it out lessens chance of violent end.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. I know. Several of us have tried to explain this

To other DU'ers.

[mzteris]

4. maybe the guy has a tv

and they don't want him to get the airtime or the info??

Could be.

"FBI officials have declined to comment, referring calls to local authorities who have been extremely tight-lipped, providing few official updates on the situation."

ah - here it is...

He offered no further comment but one law enforcement source, explaining perhaps why so little information is being shared with reporters, told Reuters that Dykes has access to television news inside his bunker.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Yup, some of us have tried to explain this

[mzteris]

11. oh. sorry.

Thought you were being sarcastically critical.

If you read my posts from today elsewhere on DU - you'll know why. I have teenagers. That should explain it all. lol

[nick of time]

6. Sounds like they are handling

it correctly. Hope this ends soon in the positive, this poor child is going to need psychological help when this is all over.

[TeamPooka]

8. Day 6, you'd think this guy has to sleep sometime....

[bluedigger]

9. And then what, send in the ninjas?

Thermal imagery is probably the best possible intelligence they can have on what is going on in the bunker. That isn't going to help much to determine his state of awareness in such cramped circumstances. The best odds for a peaceful resolution remain in continued negotiation and hoping for surrender barring any change in the situation. I think those odds would decline rapidly if the authorities attempted to force the outcome.

[bigwillq]

10. To me it's not a national news story

Most stories aren't, they get turned into a national story for whatever reason.
I hope the kid is ok, but there's no need for it to be on the news 24/7. There's really no need for any story to be on every channel all the time.

[FarCenter]

12. If they get a clean head shot, they should take it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. They don't. He's inside a well fortified position.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

14. If we aren't going to put psychos in mental institutions, at least deprive them of notoriety

when society lets them kill innocent people.

Too bad for the kid, but let this guy be forgotten.

Lots of psychos would trade a trip to the electric chair for years of notoriety.