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.” 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.”
Yeah, right. Make that 1,001,309.
This is what happens when you have a police state. Every bureaucrat becomes a petty tin horn dictator. Remember the good old days when the government and its lackeys were afraid of the public and the press?
This is just like why racial profiling fails.
When you profile TOO MANY FRIGGIN’ PEOPLE, the criminals just slip through.
I am a believer! I thought all these guys did was feel up pretty young girls and let all the nasty looking old men just slip by without a second look!
“Our tax dollars at work” This is what you get from the low bidder!
At least they also harass politicians they do not like. http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/20/lewis.watchlist/
I am so glad we live in a free and open society where you are guilty until proven innocent.
Thank you – our “elected” politicians that look after our best interest. Isn’t it great having a government, at all levels, that takes care of you.
That guy looks Talebanish to me. No wonder he gets hassled all the time. If he doesn’t like it he shouldn’t dress that way.
Anyone wearing a shirt like that should be detained.
This is precisely the reason we should be racial profiling, and not just putting a bunch of random names on some stupid list and saying we will all be safe now.
If the million people are on this stupid list, why are they not being arrested and thrown in jail? What if someone on the stupid list goes out and gets a fake ID like any teenager in this country does if they want a drink?
The whole “NO FLY” list is asinine.
Looks like John and Don are getting added to the list now.
Don
The problem with profiling is that if the bad guys know what you are looking for then they know what to do not to be seen.
Which is exactly the point I made. If the terrorists know their name is on “THE LIST”, they will not use that name. But, the 911 terrorists were all of middle eastern descent. If they had been “RACIAL PROFILING” middle eastern men carrying box cutters, they “MIGHT” have caught them. Probably not, because box cutters were legal on planes back then, and are to this day.
But they did make test flights on the routes they used on 911, and if their names had caused problems on the test flights, they would have changed identities or changed out the players involved.
The “NO FLY” list is a joke. If they are so dangerous that they cannot be allowed on a comercial flight, why are they walking free in this country? Even more important, why are there 1 million dangerous people walking free in this country?
I just don’t get it.
Don
It would be easy, but expensive, if he took the TSA to court for violating the First Amendment. Then TSA and the airlines would be forced to demonstrate one way or another that he is or is not on the list. The airlines would be forced to show why he needed special consideration every time when other passengers did not.
#11 Mr. ConFusion – It’s the shirt.