The US administration is pressing the 27 governments of the European Union to sign up for a range of new security measures for transatlantic travel, including allowing armed guards on all flights from Europe to America by US airlines. The demand to put armed air marshals on to the flights is part of a travel clampdown by the Bush administration that officials in Brussels described as “blackmail” and “troublesome”, and could see west Europeans and Britons required to have US visas if their governments balk at Washington’s requirements.
According to a US document being circulated for signature in European capitals, EU states would also need to supply personal data on all air passengers overflying but not landing in the US in order to gain or retain visa-free travel to America, senior EU officials said. And within months the US department of homeland security is to impose a new permit system for Europeans flying to the US, compelling all travellers to apply online for permission to enter the country before booking or buying a ticket, a procedure that will take several days. Washington is also asking European airlines to provide personal data on non-travellers – for example family members – who are allowed beyond departure barriers to help elderly, young or ill passengers to board aircraft flying to America, a demand the airlines reject as “absurd”. As part of a controversial passenger data exchange programme allegedly aimed at combating terrorism, the EU has for the past few months been supplying the American authorities with 19 items of information on every traveller flying from the EU to the US.
Brussels is pressing European governments not to sign the bilateral deals with the Americans to avoid weakening the EU bargaining position. To European ears, the US demands sound draconian. “This would oblige the European countries to allow US air marshals on US flights. It’s controversial and difficult,” an EU official said. At the moment the use of air marshals is discretionary for European states and airlines. The US Transport Security Administration has also asked the European airlines to supply personal data on “certain non-travelling members of the public requesting access to areas beyond the screening checkpoint”.The AEA said this was “absurd” because the airlines neither obtain nor can obtain such information. The request was “fully unjustified”.
Are they out of their minds? Do they really think the EU would be OK with something like this?
For some reason he wants to destroy the US’s tourism industry. This certainly will accomplish it.
#2, as if the crazy rules haven’t already flushed it far enough down the toilet.
They’ll probably have to go aboard barefoot like the rest of the traveling crowd.
As a (1) godless foreigner to most Americans (yes I’m Canadian and hell bent on forcing the metric system down Americans throats) and a (2) technology guy who travels to the US a lot I can tell you that it’s becoming a pain in the ass to travel to the US. From my own personal experience I have to agree with #1 that it’s hard on tourism.
My wife and I were tentatively thinking about Oregon for our summer vacation but have opted for the Canadian Gulf Islands for simplicity’s sake. It’s just not worth the 1/2 day out of a 1 week vacation to get in and out of the US.
This is just the beginning. Wait ’till we need permission to LEAVE the US. That’s coming next.
Maybe then the sheeple will wake up.
I doubt it, Americans are way too stupid.
baaah.
#6: If Clinton or Obama get elected that is the next obvious step… Democrats are the side wanting more control in Govt. hands…
This would be easier to ingest if not for the fact that the flights from Saudi Arabia are still exempt of providing any info about the passengers (even the names)…
And everyone thinks “Fortress Amerika” is designed to keep the bad guys out.
Hah!
343 days…
#8, Dusan,
Sheet, just what we need here. Another troll.
Open your ears. ALL the Republican Presidential candidates have been trying to one-up the other as being strong on National Security. The Democrats have been pointing out how farcical all this crap is.
Here is the creepy part — you’ll need the government’s permission to return TO YOUR OWN COUNTRY.
I know this sound like tinfoil hat stuff, but I looked into it and this is a serious effort by the Bush administration.
You’ll show up at the airport and the attendent will say, “Sorry, You’re name is on a no fly list.”
You’ll demand to know why!
They’ll answer: “We can’t tell you. We don’t even know why you’re on the list. It’s classified.”
You’re totally screwed.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-wolf/a-paper-coup-and-black_b_71067.html
Another online piece reports that Blackwater is setting up operations along the US/Mexico border and an insightful post on Daily Kos describes how the TSA list will revert from the airlines to the management of the Department of Homeland Security shortly and that by February we may well face the need to apply to the State for permission to travel. If this proposed regulation goes through, we will move from 1931 to about 1934–when the borders started to close– with the stroke of a pen. Jews in America have hardwired into their DNA a sense of the distinction between those who got out before the borders closed and those who waited a moment too long.
What would the American founding fathers have thought about this?
The Bush government sure knows how to keep the American tradition alive …yea right 😉
Lets try and keep it that way!
Cheers
nomadwolf said
baaah.
—–
Hmmm… a wolf in sheeple clothing?
The government’s psychotic. We need to restrain it.
Why not read what Bush has to say about these sorts of things?
And what have we been warned about?
Damn! Whats more to be said? Americans voted for him, not once but twice!
Cheers
pedro, sometimes you can be a real butt-fart, other times I kinda like what you say..
Our system is, as has been said in here before,a two humped camel and guess who’s been getting humped ?
And no one comments on sheeple fk’ng..sad.
Meanwhile people are pouring across the US Mexico border and that’s OK!
Between general political correctness and the liberal application of constitutional rights, and the incompetency of the Bush Administration==its hard to deny the insights of post #1 and not be shocked at post #8, while the general disgust that post #20 just about shows it all.
We’re screwed—on purpose—by Bush and the co-enabling self promoting Congress. Sad because “we could’ve been a contender!”
Speaking as a Brit, on the outside looking in: I thought it was representation OF the sheeple, FOR the sheeple, BY the sheeple. Just like over here however, you seem to get offered only limited choice when it comes to the “BY the sheeple” part. Bit by bit, all our freedoms seem to be eroded by those who proport to represent the sheeple, but are really just the shepherds for narrow interest groups. Record numbers of Brits are leaving these shores for foreign climes, and we are replacing them with peoples from all over the world. It seems funny how the UK is managing to embrace immigration and diversity in spite of the threat of terror, whilst the US – land of the free, home of the brave, seems determined to imprison its people, build higher and higher walls and isolate its way to safety. Good luck America. A parting thought, is Star Wars as a metaphor for where we are headed (?), and if so, will you guys choose rebellion khaki or imperial white?
John C Dvorak said
Meanwhile people are pouring across the US Mexico border and that’s OK!
—–
Well of course, that’s the biggest irony of all. But then again, gotta reward those generous corporate donors with cheap labor.
It’s going to take years to recover from the damage W has done.
#20 John C Dvorak
John, thats why they aren’t flying, but if they start, hoo boy, we’re ready for ’em, you’d see, oh yeah! 😉
Cheers
It’s becoming more and more difficult to see who the terrorists really are.
Why bother clamping down on international flights when the 9/11 terrorist attacks were domestic flights? They planed it that way so that the jets had full tanks of gas to make a bigger explosion.
Why is the US government running around psychotic like ants getting stomped on an ant trail?
#28 When weren’t they?
Cheers
#11,
NOT all Republicans! Ron Paul has been very vocal about ending our involvement in Iraq. He’s been very critical about “national defense” as we’ve been on offense and lite on any sort of real defense.
#22,
That’s a funny observation.
I thought it was more like “a government off the people(off to Gitmo with you), poor the people(sub-prime lending crash), and buy the people(tax deductions and tax refunds).” Keeping ’em too scared and entertained to complain and make trouble.
#22,
That’s a funny observation.
I thought it was more like “a government off the people(off to Gitmo with you), poor the people(sub-prime lending crash), and buy the people(tax deductions and tax refunds).” Keeping ’em too scared and entertained to complain and make trouble, guv’nor.