NationStates Jolt Archive

This is insane and people on here say we don't profile arabs at airports

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/911-detainee-released-after-nearly-five/20060813130409990006?ncid=NWS00010000000001

About a week before, Canadian officials had stopped Benatta as he entered the country from Buffalo to seek political asylum. On that Sept. 11, he was quietly transferred to a U.S. immigration lockup where a day passed before sullen FBI agents told him what the rest of the world already knew: terrorists had attacked the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

It slowly dawned on Benatta that his pedigree - a Muslim man with a military background - made him a target in the frenzied national dragnet that soon followed.

What do you think? were his human rights violated?

Hell yes they were.

What do you think? were his civil rights violated?
Leaving aside the word "civil rights" (because it's going to be used by people to justify this because he was not a citizen)...his human rights were violated, and he should certainly sue everyone involved for millions and millions of dollars.

What happened to that poor man is just one of the many new shit stains on the U.S. Constitution to appear in recent years. :(

Why are we defending the country if we aren't defending the reason why we ARE a country? :(

Leaving aside the word "civil rights" (because it's going to be used by people to justify this because he was not a citizen)...his human rights were violated, and he should certainly sue everyone involved for millions and millions of dollars.

And I hope he wins. My only regret is that I don't see how he can get criminal charges filed against his captors. :(

On a less serious note; Doesn't Kafka sound like a brand of decaffeinated coffee?

On a less serious note; Doesn't Kafka sound like a brand of decaffeinated coffee?

he was a german writer, Franz Kafka he wrote The Trial where a guy gets tried and convicted of a crime, without being told what his crime was

he was a german writer, Franz Kafka he wrote The Trial where a guy gets tried and convicted of a crime, without being told what his crime was

Exactly! You win the prize! *hands you a life-sized replica of Dick Cheney's privates* :D

I knew I woke up feeling a bit more like a cockroach today...

I knew I woke up feeling a bit more like a cockroach today...


:D :D

Brace for it...

"National Security."

"Case Dismissed. And the Plaintiff is sentenced to indefinite detention at Guantanamo for being a Muslim man with a militay background."

THUNK.

While I still say arabs and anyone else suspect of pulling off a terrorist attack should be searched, in this time, his rights were violated. However it is intresting to note that he deserted the militatry and basically was an illegal immigrant in Canada when he was arrested.

While I still say arabs and anyone else suspect of pulling off a terrorist attack should be searched, in this time, his rights were violated. However it is intresting to note that he deserted the militatry and basically was an illegal immigrant in Canada when he was arrested.

I don't recall the punishment for desertion was 5 years in jail in canada

Those man's rights were most definitely violated, no matter the circumstances. I really hope he will receive some sort of compensation, if not an honest apology to begin with. Both very unlikely to happen. "So... about the prison-thing... you know, sorry 'bout that!". Pffft.

"Case Dismissed. And the Plaintiff is sentenced to indefinite detention at Guantanamo for being a Muslim man with a militay background."
THUNK.

Isn't there a muslim in the British Admiralty?

So very wrong.

I was hoping someone turned into a beetle.

it bugs me that people on here are complaining about not enough racial profiling at airports while we are throwing arab men in jail for Half a decade just for being in the army and of middle eastern descent.

We've always had racial profiling, too much racial profiling

he was a german writer, Franz Kafka he wrote The Trial where a guy gets tried and convicted of a crime, without being told what his crime was

hmm Yes he wrote in German but was not himself German. He was born in Prague....

And there are Muslims serving in both the US and UK militaries.

it bugs me that people on here are complaining about not enough racial profiling at airports while we are throwing arab men in jail for Half a decade just for being in the army and of middle eastern descent.

We've always had racial profiling, too much racial profiling
He was thrown in jail not because he was profiled, but because of a legal screw-up, it would seem. Make the connection.

I was hoping someone turned into a beetle.

I also share your dissappointment.

He was thrown in jail not because he was profiled, but because of a legal screw-up, it would seem. Make the connection.

sure:rolleyes:

it took the NSA and the FBI half a decade to do a background check, something that takes Walmart a week to accomplish

Profiling young arabs and males in particular is one of the few things that we can do to keep the skies safe from terrorism. If it was old irish ladies with red hair I would be saying the same thing. This one alleged mistake does not change that fact. Isolated incidents do not descredit broader concepts.

While I still say arabs...should be searched, in this time, his rights were violated.

the one necessarily leads to the other

the one necessarily leads to the other

Well are you denying that an arab statisticly poses a greater risk to an american airliner, for example, than does a European, a black, or a jew?

What happened to that poor man is just one of the many new shit stains on the U.S. Constitution to appear in recent years. :(

Why are we defending the country if we aren't defending the reason why we ARE a country? :(

Why do you complain? The majority of the US seems to want it that way. Otherwise Bush would not be president.

Why do you complain? The majority of the US seems to want it that way. Otherwise Bush would not be president.

The constitution can not be changed simply because the majority of the people want it to. Regardless of what the majority want, the constitution is the constitution, and exists as supreme law of the land.

Profiling young arabs and males in particular is one of the few things that we can do to keep the skies safe from terrorism. If it was old irish ladies with red hair I would be saying the same thing. This one alleged mistake does not change that fact. Isolated incidents do not descredit broader concepts.

Even if that were true, in this case he was there for FIVE YEARS. This goes beyond a simple "woops, guess you're not a terrorist" detention, five years.

Well are you denying that an arab statisticly poses a greater risk to an american airliner, for example, than does a European, a black, or a jew?

if it were relevant, yes, certainly. but that has nothing to do with the fact that declaring that all people of ethnic/religious/national/racial group x are to be treated as suspected enemies entirely on the basis of being a member of that group necessarily leads to violations of human rights.

Profiling young arabs and males in particular is one of the few things that we can do to keep the skies safe from terrorism. If it was old irish ladies with red hair I would be saying the same thing. This one alleged mistake does not change that fact. Isolated incidents do not descredit broader concepts.

So why arent we profiling white christian republicans, since two of them bombed a building in Oklahoma city?

So why arent we profiling white christian republicans, since two of them bombed a building in Oklahoma city?

Why are we allowing Neo-Nazis to run terrorist training camps on U.S. soil?

Exactly! You win the prize! *hands you a life-sized replica of Dick Cheney's privates* :D
Where? I can't... oh there they are! Lemme get my mangifying glass...

The constitution can not be changed simply because the majority of the people want it to. Regardless of what the majority want, the constitution is the constitution, and exists as supreme law of the land.

Never heard of a constitutional amendment, I gather? :p

Yes, a majority can change the constitution. Just thought I'd nitpick, sorry.

Also, racial profiling, right or wrong, is a reason for detaining somone... not very much in line with Kafka.. even a misguided reason is still a reason.

Kakfa... was thinking more on transformation... but this is interesting.

Thing is... why can you sue for millions in 'emotional damages' and 'infringed rights' when its all you ever need in your life to have just $1 mil. o.o? Extorting money for inconviences it seems pathetic.

Profiling young arabs and males in particular is one of the few things that we can do to keep the skies safe from terrorism. If it was old irish ladies with red hair I would be saying the same thing. This one alleged mistake does not change that fact. Isolated incidents do not descredit broader concepts.

How about we search everybody who gets on a plane and stop homegrown nuts like the unibomber instead of just focusing on one race?

<Yes I know the unibomber didn't blow up airplanes, but a home grown nut LIKE him might try to, and sneak by because the screaners are too busy searching the inocent Arab just because of his race.>

How about we search everybody who gets on a plane and stop homegrown nuts like the unibomber instead of just focusing on one race?

<Yes I know the unibomber didn't blow up airplanes, but a home grown nut LIKE him might try to, and sneak by because the screaners are too busy searching the inocent Arab just because of his race.>

True... but wouldn't it be easier to screen people and put them on a higher priority if they have been to Afghanistan (not as military), but have a flight history or records putting them at a terrorist training ground or in that area?

What would be even better if they stopped the War on Terrorism or had it changed to war against Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is a belief, not a organization anymore.

Eraclea']True... but wouldn't it be easier to screen people and put them on a higher priority if they have been to Afghanistan (not as military), but have a flight history or records putting them at a terrorist training ground or in that area?

But this also does nothing about the home grown nuts like Mcveigh or however the fuck you spell his name.