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Federal Government Removes 7 Americans From No-Fly List
An anonymous reader writes: In response to a district judge ruling that declared the Department of Homeland Security's Traveler Redress Inquiry Program unconstitutional, the federal government has annouced its removal of seven Americans from its no-fly list (PDF). The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is representing a total of 13 people suing to get off that list, and the government has until January of this year to deal with remaining six in that group. "Federal agencies have nominated more than 1.5 million names to terrorist watch lists over the past five years alone. Yet being a terrorist isn't a condition of getting on a roster that, until now, has been virtually impossible to be removed from..." One of the seven removed from the list is Marine Corps veteran and dog trainer Ibraheim Mashal of Illinois. The others had similarly Middle-Eastern-sounding names.
1.5 million names on, 7 names off...
Which of those two statistics says that it's no longer "virtually impossible" to get off the list?
Stupid question, but it pertains at least a bit...
If one flies with no ID, which is legal though a PITA, and one's ticket doesn't match any no-fly list, then how exactly is the TSA or anyone else supposed to stop one from flying? Admittedly one will probably get the worst treatment at the TSA checkpoint, and may get asked a lot of questions in advance of being allowed through security, but if one can fly without ID, then how can a no-fly list actually stop anyone?
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
... the government has until January of this year to deal with remaining six in that group.
I guess they're a little late then :)
I say don't drink and drive, you might spill your drink. Before you get behind the wheel just stop and think.
Just needs to go the fuck away! The Patriot Act is mostly a failure and we're no safer and have significantly less liberties. Another tragic knee-jerk reaction by government results in an abysmal travesty of justice.
Because our freedom limits their control.
What exactly is the point of this odd half-assed sort of category, a "no-fly list"? If the federal government suspects a citizen or resident might be a terrorist, OK, then get a friggin' warrant and bug their phone and search their house and get some real evidence. Since terrorists can do a lot more than hijack airplanes, what's the message here? "We want to prevent you from hijacking an airliner, but a bus is OK?" Either treat them like a suspected terrorist, or just stop hassling them.
Q: What does the "B." in Benoit B. Mandelbrot stand for? A: Benoit B. Mandelbrot
The summary mixes and matches some very different lists. The "no fly list" consists of about 13 people resident in the US and a few hundred who live in other countries and these people aren't allowed to fly into or out of the US - they are to be detained at the border. This suit was about the no-fly list.
Next up, we have the terrorism watch list. This is a mich larger list, too large in my opinion. This is a list of people authorities might look at if something happens, similar to the sex offender registry except it's not public. For example, if someone were to plant a bomb at UCLA, they would check to see of any UCLA students or staff were on the terrorism watch list. If so, authorities would ask those people where they were at the time of the bombing and check those alibis. So it kind of serves as a starting point - these are people who have advocated violence or whatever, so when something happens in their neighborhood it might be worth checking them out.
TFA says "lists", so they may also have in mind other lists such as:
People who have exercised their second amendment rights (instant background check system)
People licensed to buy and use explosives, such as for road construction or professional fireworks
People who have taken courses in cybersecurity, which are federally subsidized
I'm on the last three lists.