Question Security

Many of the one million on the TSA terrorist watch list are Americans: Is this a mistake?

raves +9   by Gramma Lil
Many of the one million on the TSA terrorist watch list are Americans:  Is this a mistake?
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raves +3   by Not Einstein

Answered TSA has gone overboard and this is why....

TSA searches, detains 5 year old because his name was on no-fly list
Posted by Cory Doctorow, January 9, 2008 1:25 PM | permalink
A five-year-old boy was taken into custody and thoroughly searched at Sea-Tac because his name is similar to a possible terrorist alias. As the Consumerist reports, "When his mother went to pick him up and hug him and comfort him during the proceedings, she was told not to touch him because he was a national security risk. They also had to frisk her again to make sure the little Dillinger hadn't passed anything dangerous weapons or materials to his mother when she hugged him."

It's a case of a mistaken identity for a 5-year-old boy from Normandy Park. He had trouble boarding a plane because someone with the same name is wanted by the federal government. Mimi Jung reports from Sea-Tac Airport.

You know, if you wanted to systematically discredit the idea of a Department of Homeland Security, if you wanted to make an utter mockery of aviation safety, you could not do a better job than this. Link (via Consumerist)
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  • raves +1   [-] by EyesofSilver

    Answered This is what I think of the TSA....

    A total failure like everything else about the Bush "Homeland Security" attempt to dismantle the Constitution and make himself king.
  • raves +1   [-] by OldManMonty

    Answered None of the above

    Considering the current state of our country ( Iraq, the economy, people losing their homes etc...) The TSA probably has too much pure power. There is not much one can do if one is determined to be a threat to the country (read: the president doesn't like you or what you have to say). I'm sure most of us have discussed or at the very least heard a discussion of displeasure about our president and the consquences of his decisions. If one were to follow the spirit of our constitution and rise against the president because they belive they are within their rights to do so, one would be on the list for what amounts to following the law. Whats even more disturbing is that one could find themselves locked up for a really long time without so much as a trial for their beliefs. So, I think there is a place for the TSA, I just don't know if I'm comfortable with who thay influence and who influences them. I have personally experienced some disturbing actions by TSA personel and I think they are a little out of control. I hope the good people at the TSA (that was a joke) don't read this. I think I feel a cavity search in my future if they do. Where is my coffee???
  • raves     [-] by Gramma Lil
    Good comment!
  • raves +1   [-] by brozak

    Answered WTF!? Americans on the Terrorist watch LIst?

    I refuse to fly. I will not be violated like that.
    They should try profiling, how about checking muslem saudi's first.
    9/11. They were all muslims, they were mostly saudi's. Just seems to make sense. If muslims are offended, sorry, perhaps you should blame your radical bretherin whom have hijacked your religion and perverted it.
    If a male mexican national firebombed a church again, should we search 75 year old white American grandmothers for lighters? I could understand if roving groups of seditious Grandmothers were instigating acts of terrorism, instead of instigating acts of cookie baking.
  • raves +1   [-] by Judi

    Answered This is what I think of the TSA....

    There certainly may be Americans who belong on the list. The list is too big however. If there are a million people who are dangerous serious threats we would already have been attacked again. Nelson Mandela was just recently taken off. And, a list that long can not possibly be managed efficiently and be accurate. It makes be think of the McCarthy days when they put so so many innocent people on the Communist danger list.
  • raves     [-] by Gramma Lil
    Exactly!
  • raves +1   [-] by Edventure

    Answered Undecided

    When Ridge left, the color code guy, I thought anybody could be better, i figured the embarrassment would be enough to look outside the bathroom for a candidate. The came Jerkhoff, i was wrong again. An invetigation is probably warranted.
  • raves +1   [-] by dragonfli

    Answered This is what I think of the TSA....

    These guys are being a bit ridiculous with my toiletries. Give me a Break! Can't they see this crap all in my hair and on my face! Do I even resemble a terrorist - LOOK at my picture!
  • raves +1   [-] by fireware0062
    and a beautiful pic!!
  • raves +1   [-] by dragonfli
    Thanks! I was on a cruise last summer! FUN!
  • raves     [-] by DrTim

    Answered TSA has gone overboard and this is why....

    Most of them are "Democrats"!
  • raves +1   [-] by Good-bye-Bush

    Answered This is what I think of the TSA....

    I can say that in my opinion the TSA has gone overboard. I have an STA ID from the TSA and can gain unescorted access to cargo; I put things on planes everyday. The TSA is now talking about putting a TSA agent in all the airline cargo facilities to watch over everything.at the different airlines. This will more than likely slow things down on having freight sent out on the airlines. Everything is scanned that goes on any flight and much of the freight is opened so there is no need to make any changes at cargo.

    When cripple elderly folks are stripped things are not being done right. When Ted Kennedy was halted from boarding a flight because someone else with the same name came up on their list, that is out of line.
  • raves +1   [-] by Foo Master~(_E=MC2_)

    Answered This is what I think of the TSA....

    It happens all the time. Those who fly on one-way tickets or book their flights at the last minute are most at risk.
    Passengers are also chosen at random by computers.
    The screening process is a bunch of BS, because you don't have to seem like a threat, you just need to fit certain, non-threatening (if you ask me) criteria, or be randomly chosen by some bogus computer program.
  • raves +1   [-] by Ripped1x

    Answered TSA has gone overboard and this is why....



    They need to get their sories straight...

    The post-9/11 airline watch list that is supposed to keep terrorists off of airplanes has swelled to more than 1 million names, including at least one investigative reporter who had been critical of the Transportation Security Agency, which maintains the watch list.

    CNN’s Drew Griffin reported on the bloating of the watch list, which an ACLU count pegged at 1,001,308 names Wednesday afternoon. Griffin’s is one of those names, he says.

    "Coincidentally, this all began in May, shortly after I began a series of investigative reports critical of the TSA. Eleven flights now since May 19. On different airlines, my name pops up forcing me to go to the counter, show my identification, sometimes the agent has to make a call before I get my ticket," Griffin reported. "What does the TSA say? Nothing, at least nothing on camera. Over the phone a public affairs worker told me again I’m not on the watch list, and don’t even think that someone in the TSA or anyone else is trying to get even."




    The TSA, which is a part of the Department of Homeland Security, said Griffin’s name wasn’t even on the watch list, and the agency blamed the airlines for the delays the reporter experienced. The airlines, on the other hand, said they were simply following a list provided by TSA.

    While it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for plenty of people to believe the TSA would exercise its revenge via watch-list meddling, an age...


    They need to get their sories straight...

    The post-9/11 airline watch list that is supposed to keep terrorists off of airplanes has swelled to more than 1 million names, including at least one investigative reporter who had been critical of the Transportation Security Agency, which maintains the watch list.

    CNN’s Drew Griffin reported on the bloating of the watch list, which an ACLU count pegged at 1,001,308 names Wednesday afternoon. Griffin’s is one of those names, he says.

    "Coincidentally, this all began in May, shortly after I began a series of investigative reports critical of the TSA. Eleven flights now since May 19. On different airlines, my name pops up forcing me to go to the counter, show my identification, sometimes the agent has to make a call before I get my ticket," Griffin reported. "What does the TSA say? Nothing, at least nothing on camera. Over the phone a public affairs worker told me again I’m not on the watch list, and don’t even think that someone in the TSA or anyone else is trying to get even."




    The TSA, which is a part of the Department of Homeland Security, said Griffin’s name wasn’t even on the watch list, and the agency blamed the airlines for the delays the reporter experienced. The airlines, on the other hand, said they were simply following a list provided by TSA.

    While it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for plenty of people to believe the TSA would exercise its revenge via watch-list meddling, an agency spokesman insists that just isn’t the case.

    "So if there’s any thought or shadow of a thought that TSA somehow put you on a watch list because of your reporting," spokesman Christopher White said, "it is absolutely fabricated."

    This video is from CNN’s American Morning, broadcast July 16, 2008.
  • raves +2   [-] by lady bear

    Answered TSA has gone overboard and this is why....

    There is no reason to be doing this in depth screening of people flying. We are really losing so many rights. They want our lives to be an open book so they can scrutinize it yet what about the morons in Congress and n DC. Why aren't they having their lives torn apart? I don't fly so it really doesn't affect me though it could have effected my hubby who was flying back and forth from Iraq about every 4 to 6 months from 2006 till late 2007. He was a contractor for the troops. Makes me wonder if he is on a list.
  • raves +2   [-] by SparkleyFlowers (LMAO WTF FTW)

    Answered WTF!? Americans on the Terrorist watch LIst?

    Your tax dollars hard at work. Aren't you proud?
  • raves +3   [-] by Not Einstein

    Answered TSA has gone overboard and this is why....

    TSA searches, detains 5 year old because his name was on no-fly list
    Posted by Cory Doctorow, January 9, 2008 1:25 PM | permalink
    A five-year-old boy was taken into custody and thoroughly searched at Sea-Tac because his name is similar to a possible terrorist alias. As the Consumerist reports, "When his mother went to pick him up and hug him and comfort him during the proceedings, she was told not to touch him because he was a national security risk. They also had to frisk her again to make sure the little Dillinger hadn't passed anything dangerous weapons or materials to his mother when she hugged him."

    It's a case of a mistaken identity for a 5-year-old boy from Normandy Park. He had trouble boarding a plane because someone with the same name is wanted by the federal government. Mimi Jung reports from Sea-Tac Airport.

    You know, if you wanted to systematically discredit the idea of a Department of Homeland Security, if you wanted to make an utter mockery of aviation safety, you could not do a better job than this. Link (via Consumerist)
  • raves +1   [-] by Gramma Lil
    Good comment!
  • raves +3   [-] by Rileymo

    Answered That's why I get checked all the time!

    I used to travel 40 weeks a year, 90% of my flights were one way, and I was always getting stopped- it got to a point where I just walked over for them to check me and they didn't even have to ask. STUPIDITY at it's finest!!!!!
  • raves +2   [-] by Good-bye-Bush
    You are so right. You can be wearing a pair of flip-flops and you have to take them off so they can make sure you do not have anything in your shoes.
  • raves +2   [-] by Republic of Honor

    Answered TSA has gone overboard and this is why....

    They know as well as I do that this is simply government control! I understand the random bag searches and checks, but just throwing someone on a list because of looks or fight plans is really BS!
    How about be a bit more worried about the people coming into the country, Yea the ones WHO ARENT AMERICAN CITIZENS!
  • raves +2   [-] by gonzo

    Answered This is what I think of the TSA....

    When you look at the people that are on this list they all seem to be people of color. I know as I am one of these people who always gets pulled for the extra look at. I am an American who served his country and has met two sitting presidents one even pinned medal on my chest for serving this country. Security is good but it is over done.
  • raves +2   [-] by Rileymo
    Uh-uh, I am a white woman- so not of color... Not a valid excuse... They are idiots- that's what's happening
  • raves +2   [-] by gonzo
    and they stop you every time? doubt that as when I am pulled in the back room every time I have never seen white women back there. Always peeps of color so there for in my opinion it is valid and I am not making excuses.