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Air Marshals Place Innocents on Secret Watch List

An anonymous reader writes "The Denver Channel 7 News reports that federal air marshals are operating under a quota for reporting a minimum number of suspicious travelers which is resulting in innocent people being placed on a secret government watch list. From the article: 'These unknowing passengers who are doing nothing wrong are landing in a secret government document called a Surveillance Detection Report, or SDR.'"

12 of 571 comments (clear)

  1. No wonder by MECC · · Score: 5, Funny

    It was posted anonymously...

    --
    "We are all geniuses when we dream"
    - E.M. Cioran
    1. Re:No wonder by MECC · · Score: 4, Funny

      Makes me wonder if that's how GWB's brain cell works.

      Spread calm, spread fear, spread calm, spread fear - oops gotta pee - spread calm, spread fear...

      --
      "We are all geniuses when we dream"
      - E.M. Cioran
    2. Re:No wonder by Andrewkov · · Score: 4, Funny

      Have you considered the fact that your dad might indeed be a terrorist??

  2. Secret government list? by Weaselmancer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, I wouldn't call it a secret anymore.

    --
    Weaselmancer
    rediculous.
  3. Good thing.. by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Good thing I'm too broke to fly.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  4. Obvious solution.... by MagicDude · · Score: 5, Funny

    The marshalls should just put everyone under the age of 5 on the "no fly" list. Marshall's meet their quota, and the flight is much more enjoyable for everyone else. Everybody wins.

    1. Re:Obvious solution.... by Dr+Tall · · Score: 4, Funny

      So 20 years from now everyone between the age of 20 and 25 will be on the watch list? You're letting the 26 year-old terrorists win.

    2. Re:Obvious solution.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Won't somebody think of the terrorist children?

  5. From the Marshall's Journal by Aqua_boy17 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just got my ass chewed out for being under quota. Gotta keep my eyes open. But look ,over there, by the window. That frail old lady kind of looks suspicious to me. Got kind of an evil look about her. And what's that in her hands? OMG - Holy crap - knitting needles!! Quick, take her down she might just be trying to knit....

    (wait for it)


    AN AFGHAN!

    --
    What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
  6. oblig. 1984 reference by cvd6262 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Innocent passengers are being entered into an international intelligence database as suspicious persons, acting in a suspicious manner on an aircraft ... and they did nothing wrong," said one federal air marshal.

    2006.07.25 DenverChannel malsaid "unorthodox" as "suspicious". rectify.

    --

    I'd rather have someone respond than be modded up.

  7. Wrong focus by Kesch · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think these guys are spending too much time looking for possible terrorists and not enough time on the real threats.

    Like snakes.

    What I'm really scared of is mothaf*cking snakes on mothaf*cking planes!

    --
    If this signature is witty enough, maybe somebody will like me.
  8. Re:IT? by StikyPad · · Score: 4, Funny

    Strategic Data Report
    26 July, 2006

    Agent: StikyPad
    Subject: mrxak

    Individual was seen on Wednesday July 26, at approximately 0619 making suspicious inquiries regarding the nature of data categorization and storage. The subject posed as a "concerned reader," and asked what appeared to be harmless questions, however informants have stated that he may, in fact, have been planning to submit his own stories to improper categories. Surveillance indicates that this is just the beginning of a massive campaign of disinformation and misinformation designed to thwart intelligence collection and law enforcement capabilities -- clearly a grave threat to national security.

    It is further believed that "mrxak" may actually be an alias, however his true identity has yet to be discovered. Subject must remain under continued observation at all times.

    NNNN


    Haha.. made quota!