Cyrian space
08-05-2006, 07:00
Yes, I am talking about the suspected terrorist watchlist. I was going to post this a while ago, but I just havent found myself in the proper state of outrage until tonight. I am talking about the no fly list, on which the names of Cat Stevens, Senator Ted Kennedy, and 325,000 other American citizens names appear. The criteria for the list is "Being in some way associated with terrorism" which means that you can get put on it for going to the same mosque as a suspected terrorist, joining the same book club, attending the same classes, purchasing a one way ticket, or any other reason. I could get on the list for posting this thread, if someone in the CIA, FBI, or NSA descided that I should. Ted Kennedy is still the only person known to have had his name removed from the list.
If you get put on the list, it means that they won't let you fly on a plane in America. It also means that if you get arrested for anything, you might be detained for months. This whole topic was spurred because while I was in florida, I read a local newspaper that discussed an egyptian club owner who was put on the list, arrested on charges that were lated dropped due to complete lack of evidence, and then detained for eight months while his business floundered, and bills piled up. He was financially ruined by the US govt. and they have the power to do this to anyone.
If your name is similer to that of a suspected terrorist, you are effectively on the list. If you have had any "Suspicious" financial activity, you could be on the list. If you are from, or have ever visited, or have family in, any middle eastern country you could be on the list. You won't know 'til they stop you, and possibly detain you for months.
Also, according to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-fly_list) there have already been numerous abuses. * In August 2004, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) revealed to a Senate Judiciary Committee discussing the no-fly list that he had appeared on the list and had been repeatedly delayed at airports. He said it had taken him three weeks of appeals directly to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to have him removed from the list of potential terrorists. Kennedy said that he was eventually told that the name "T Kennedy" was once used as an alias of a suspected terrorist and thus the name was added to the list. There are estimated to be around 7,000 American men called T Kennedy. Recognising that as a senator he was in a privileged position in being able to contact Ridge, Kennedy said of "ordinary citizens", "How are they going to be able to get to be treated fairly and not have their rights abused?"
* Jesselyn Radack, a former DoJ ethics advisor who argued that John Walker Lindh was entitled to an attorney, was placed on the no-fly list as part of what many believe to be a reprisal for her whistleblowing.
* James Moore, an Emmy-winning television news correspondent, co-author of Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential, political activist, and outspoken critic of the Bush Administration, was placed on the no-fly list. [3]
* US Representative John Lewis (D-GA), widely known for his civil rights advocacy, has been stopped many times [4]
* In September 2004, former pop singer Cat Stevens (who converted to Islam and changed his name to "Yusuf Islam" in 1978) was denied entry into the U.S. after his name was found on the list. [5]
* US Representative Don Young (R-AK), the 3rd most senior Republican in the House, was flagged in 2004 after he was mistaken by a computer for a "Donald Lee Young" [6]
* Several children, too young to be seriously considered as terrorists, have generated false positives. Among them are a four year old [7] and a 9 month old [8].
* Dr. Robert Johnson, a surgeon and a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, was told in 2006 that he was on the list, although he had had no problem in flying the month before. Johnson was running as a Democrat against U.S. Representative John McHugh, a Republican. Johnson wondered whether he was on the list because of his opposition to the Iraq War. He stated, "This could just be a government screw-up, but I don't know, and they won't tell me." [9]
* James W. Walter and William Rodriguez claim to be on the list [10]. The two are campaigners for a new independent investigation into the events of September 11, 2001, saying the original commission was a cover up.
So I say down with the watchlist, and somebody damn well better start watching the watchmen.
If you get put on the list, it means that they won't let you fly on a plane in America. It also means that if you get arrested for anything, you might be detained for months. This whole topic was spurred because while I was in florida, I read a local newspaper that discussed an egyptian club owner who was put on the list, arrested on charges that were lated dropped due to complete lack of evidence, and then detained for eight months while his business floundered, and bills piled up. He was financially ruined by the US govt. and they have the power to do this to anyone.
If your name is similer to that of a suspected terrorist, you are effectively on the list. If you have had any "Suspicious" financial activity, you could be on the list. If you are from, or have ever visited, or have family in, any middle eastern country you could be on the list. You won't know 'til they stop you, and possibly detain you for months.
Also, according to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-fly_list) there have already been numerous abuses. * In August 2004, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) revealed to a Senate Judiciary Committee discussing the no-fly list that he had appeared on the list and had been repeatedly delayed at airports. He said it had taken him three weeks of appeals directly to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to have him removed from the list of potential terrorists. Kennedy said that he was eventually told that the name "T Kennedy" was once used as an alias of a suspected terrorist and thus the name was added to the list. There are estimated to be around 7,000 American men called T Kennedy. Recognising that as a senator he was in a privileged position in being able to contact Ridge, Kennedy said of "ordinary citizens", "How are they going to be able to get to be treated fairly and not have their rights abused?"
* Jesselyn Radack, a former DoJ ethics advisor who argued that John Walker Lindh was entitled to an attorney, was placed on the no-fly list as part of what many believe to be a reprisal for her whistleblowing.
* James Moore, an Emmy-winning television news correspondent, co-author of Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential, political activist, and outspoken critic of the Bush Administration, was placed on the no-fly list. [3]
* US Representative John Lewis (D-GA), widely known for his civil rights advocacy, has been stopped many times [4]
* In September 2004, former pop singer Cat Stevens (who converted to Islam and changed his name to "Yusuf Islam" in 1978) was denied entry into the U.S. after his name was found on the list. [5]
* US Representative Don Young (R-AK), the 3rd most senior Republican in the House, was flagged in 2004 after he was mistaken by a computer for a "Donald Lee Young" [6]
* Several children, too young to be seriously considered as terrorists, have generated false positives. Among them are a four year old [7] and a 9 month old [8].
* Dr. Robert Johnson, a surgeon and a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, was told in 2006 that he was on the list, although he had had no problem in flying the month before. Johnson was running as a Democrat against U.S. Representative John McHugh, a Republican. Johnson wondered whether he was on the list because of his opposition to the Iraq War. He stated, "This could just be a government screw-up, but I don't know, and they won't tell me." [9]
* James W. Walter and William Rodriguez claim to be on the list [10]. The two are campaigners for a new independent investigation into the events of September 11, 2001, saying the original commission was a cover up.
So I say down with the watchlist, and somebody damn well better start watching the watchmen.