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CNN reporter criticizes TSA, finds self on terror watch list

rawstory.com — 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...

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  • principle, on 07/16/2008, -8/+219For now, the watch list is only used for annoying people. However, we all know that this isn’t going to last. That eventually it will be twisted into the blacklist of the McCarthy era.
    • austang, on 07/17/2008, -0/+66hello patriot act...

      ....goodbye constituion/freedom/speech

      at least we'll get those "Terrorists" with "weapons of mass destruction" though.
      • HMMcKamikaze, on 07/17/2008, -0/+11Hello Big Brother.

        Oh my, how prophetic George Orwell was.
    • rpgmaker, on 07/17/2008, -2/+16I feel safer now...
    • ethos101, on 07/17/2008, -13/+1http://www.tsa.dhs.gov/approach/mythbusters/tsa_wa ...

      There is no "watch list."
      • Hangly, on 07/17/2008, -1/+16Hogwash. TSA tells you when you're on the list. I know several people who have been so informed.
      • kholburn, on 07/17/2008, -0/+9That's only the list that they tell you you're on. There's another list which is much too secret to talk about at all.
      • niczar, on 07/17/2008, -1/+16Who should we believe? The Bush administration, or our lying eyes?
      • bluezinc, on 07/17/2008, -0/+11Wow, you didn't even bother to read your own source thoroughly. WOW. That's an entirely new level of idiocy.
      • RealmDown, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8No it's not. I see that level of idiocy all the time.
      • seltaeb4, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5Question for ethos:

        Whether it's the TSA or the FBI which maintains "the list..."

        ...does it make the knife at your throat any less sharp?
      • ethos101, on 07/17/2008, -2/+1Nope. But the thing is... the knife isn't at my throat. Or yours for that matter. It's more like a threat to slap you on the hand.
    • Hangly, on 07/17/2008, -2/+19Joe McCarthy's blacklist had just over 50 names on it.
      • seltaeb4, on 07/17/2008, -0/+7Really? I thought it had just over 200; or as he claimed, "over 200 known Communists working in the State Department..." in that typed document he was constantly flailing over his head.


      • DCGaymer, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1Hyperbole
    • spyd3rweb, on 07/17/2008, -0/+11The list should only be for people wanted for a crime that has already been committed, you know people with arrest warrants and such. This 'suspected' terrorist ***** has to go.
      • blqysmg, on 07/17/2008, -0/+6I'm okay with a suspected terrorist list, as long as there's enough evidence that a reasonable person would conclude that the suspect is doing something wrong. The problem with the existing list is that every alias every terrorist has ever used, every person the CIA or NSA or FBI has ever investigated, and everyone who is critical of the government (in public, where people would reasonably listen to them) seem to be on the list.

        It's crap, and is used to silence dissent. The same rules that kept police from collecting the names of blacks who marched on Washington in the 60s should apply now. Proof, or no entry on the list. If proof, give the accused notice and the opportunity to counter the accusation. It's written in that "goddamn piece of paper" for God's sake!
    • nick1971, on 07/17/2008, -0/+11It also adds to the whole tourist experience which we now have when visiting the US. After passing through the list and the questions you have the honor of standing in a line for a good part of an hour to arrive at a desk where you are photographed and fingerprinted.Bar-coding on the arm doesn't happen yet but....
      Makes you feel real welcome.
    • ybfree, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6I think you are right. I do not think many of these "rules" will last through the next administration (hopefully).
    • alecks, on 07/17/2008, -7/+2WTF? Did I miss something, or did the article clearly state that he was NOT on the list, he simply suspects it.
      • FlaG8r, on 07/17/2008, -0/+7The TSA is claiming he's not on the list, but he clearly is.
    • DoctuhJason, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4Just to let you know, all of you are also on that list now.
    • williamalyssa30, on 07/24/2008, -0/+0Dugg for MisterHorrible ! Thanks !
      http://www.smiletravelvietnam.com/travelvietnam/vi ...
    • scoobygeorge, on 08/12/2008, -0/+0Hooray, I am almost certain Delta Airlines added me to the list. Can that happen?

      August 2007 I pitched a fit about them giving away my seat on a plane because THEY claimed I was not at the terminal in time. I was forced to pay $50.00 to take a later flight. I maintained that it was Delta's fault not having enough staff at the check in desk to deal with the huge line I was in. I disputed the $50.00 charge with VISA and got a refund. That day I pitched a fit I have been 'selected' for 'random' searches each and every time I fly. Never got this treatment before the dispute.

      Nice.
  • incongruity, on 07/16/2008, -4/+223Seriously. This has to stop.

    The problem here is that without transparency in government and law enforcement, it's absolutely impossible to tell if the TSA is telling the truth or not. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I find it really hard to do so when there's no way to back up that initial gift of faith... To quote the late President Reagan, "trust, but verify".

    That verification is critical for an open society -- we need to have faith in our government. If the people don't trust the government, that government becomes less and less efficient and effective and will likely turn more and more authoritarian in order to make up for that lost efficacy... and down we all go.
    • ethos101, on 07/17/2008, -20/+2The funny thing is, there is no such thing as a "watch list." There is a "no fly list," and obviously the guy isn't on it. He's just one of those people who get upset at the tiniest little annoyances like taking your shoes off at the checkpoint. If he's referring to the "selectee list," that's an AIRLINE decision based on whether he made a last minute cash flight purchase among dozens of other similar reasons.

      Besides that, the TSA doesn't even have access to modify, add or delete names from any "list," it's the airlines themselves along with the FAA that control the "lists."

      But like with anything else TSA gets the blame. That's what they're there for, to cover for the airlines and FAA, etc...

      Nonetheless I agree with you about the transparency ideas.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -1/+14You are either misinformed, or trying to twist words to support your presupposed reality.

        http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/04/06/no.fly.lawsuit/

        "Administered by airlines since November 2001, the "no-fly" list has resulted in routine stops of passengers without terrorist ties who "have no meaningful opportunity to clear their names," said the complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union." -- which means it is up to the Airlines to ACT upon the list, by denying people the right to fly.

        HOWEVER....

        "The TSA compiles the list with data supplied by the FBI, CIA and the government's terrorist screening center.

        The "no-fly" list is one of two the TSA maintains. The other is the "selectee" list. Those on the "no-fly" list are not allowed to board a commercial aircraft. Those on the "selectee" list must go through more extensive screening before boarding." -- If the TSA compiles the list, I'm pretty sure they have access to modify, add or delete names.

        But if it helps you to sleep at night by thinking it is those big bad evil airlines or whatever, so be it. We can't reason with everybody.



      • haydesigner, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6"Besides that, the TSA doesn't even have access to modify, add or delete names from any "list," it's the airlines themselves along with the FAA that control the "lists.""

        I find that *super* hard to believe. Citations, please?
      • ethos101, on 07/17/2008, -7/+2OK, sorry it was the FBI. The "selectee list" is still a result of how your travel is arranged, etc... generated by the computers inside the ticket counter where your ticked is printed out. Sure, I'll go with you, there's a midgit TSA guy under stamping selectee markers on your boarding passes... lol

        http://www.tsa.dhs.gov/approach/mythbusters/tsa_wa ...

        "First, TSA doesn't have a watch list. TSA is a customer of the Terrorist Screening Center, a component of the FBI that is responsible for maintaining the consolidated terrorist watch list. The center has said publicly that there are less than 400,000 individuals on the overall consolidated watch list, 95 percent of whom are not U.S. persons and the vast majority of whom are not even in the U.S.

        TSA uses two subsets of this list, the no-fly and selectee lists. These small subsets of the overall list are reserved for known or suspected terrorists that reach a threshold where they should not be allowed to fly, or should get additional scrutiny. "
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -1/+7ethos, TSA maintains both the no-fly and selectee lists.

        What you are talking about is yet another trigger for further screening. If you paid cash, or booked or changed your flight within 24 hours or whatever, you can be marked for further screening.

        I'm not on the selectee list (or the no-fly list), but 4 years ago, I was flying with my family from Tulsa to Dulles, through O'Hare. The flight was cancelled due to storms around Chicago. We rebooked a flight that went through Atlanta, and even though they were all booked under my father's United 1K account, when we got to the security lines, we had to be hand searched.

        I've never before or since been hand searched. The TSA was still involved with that decision, since our tickets did not get flagged by the airlines due to any list. The TSA, at the security checkpoint, on the local level, decided that the manner of our booking merited a further security screening.

        You really should learn more about your world than what you hear on Fox News and conservative talk radio. The real world is much different from the beliefs-based delusions of ideologues and pollyannas.
      • ethos101, on 07/17/2008, -5/+1I don't watch fox news and am not conservative. I do know the TSA at the LOCAL level doesn't know HOW you booked your current boarding pass. There are markings printed on your boarding pass that are recognized by the TSA screener at the checkpoint who is trained to locate the hidden markings put there by the airlines computer. You get put on the "selectee" list when your boarding pass is printed. You don't stay on it, when you're a selectee it's for that particular leg of the trip.

        You never know who I am, I may or may not have been directly in the position of the topic at hand personally for a number of years. I certainly know enough to see through this and I'm a borderline-liberal so I'm actually on your side when it comes to government.

        TSA of course gets all the blame. It's a dog and pony show, that's what they're there for. I don't expect anybody to believe what I'm saying anyways but the FBI is in charge of the "no fly list," the airlines and the midget stamping secret codes on your boarding pass when it's printed out is in charge of the "selectee" list, and of course the "watch list" is a myth. I'll put my tin foil hat on with you now. :D
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -1/+5ethos,

        I'm not a borderline anything. I am a full fledged conservative. What the neocons now call a "paleoconservative".

        Maybe in today's world of divisive politics, I might be called a libertarian, but I still consider myself a TRUE conservative, and I consider neocons to be neofascists.

        The FBI is not in charge of the no-fly list. "The TSA compiles the list with data supplied by the FBI, CIA and the government's terrorist screening center." -- The TSA is the agency that gathers and coordinates reports from the FBI, CIA and the terrorist screening center. Those other agencies publish information with little concern for what impact it has. TSA acts upon those published reports, and adds or (rarely) removes people from their no-fly list at their whim, based on how they choose to interpret that data.

        But, even if you're a "borderline liberal" and I'm a self-proclaimed true conservative, perhaps we really do share an opinion about government. Who knows.
      • feignNU, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2Ethos, your position is directly contradicted by the TSA link you presented. You said:

        "The funny thing is, there is no such thing as a "watch list." There is a "no fly list," and obviously the guy isn't on it. He's just one of those people who get upset at the tiniest little annoyances like taking your shoes off at the checkpoint. If he's referring to the "selectee list," that's an AIRLINE decision based on whether he made a last minute cash flight purchase among dozens of other similar reasons."

        But the TSA source you provided clearly states:

        "The center has said publicly that there are less than 400,000 individuals on the overall consolidated watch list, 95 percent of whom are not U.S. persons and the vast majority of whom are not even in the U.S. TSA uses two subsets of this list, the no-fly and selectee lists."

        The no-fly list and the selectee list are merely subsets of the "overall consolidated watch list". There are 400,000 individuals on that list, but because it includes aliases, the total number of names on the list is actually around 1 million. It's silly to claim that there is no TSA watch list on the basis that the data comes from the FBI or some other governmental organization. Nobody gives a rat's ass if the list is maintained by the TSA or not, we're upset that there is even such a list, that it is maintained by the government, that its contents are not public, and that it effects normal people when they try to fly.
      • ethos101, on 07/17/2008, -3/+1Re-read it until you understand it then. You're contradicting yourself. I'm done with this.
      • feignNU, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2Uh...man that's mighty convenient. Just when someone points out a direct contradiction in the things you've said, you merely assert that in fact the opposite is the case (but you don't bother to point out where or how), and then quickly bow out of the discussion.

        I'm kind of an idiot and I never really learned to read, so maybe you could help me see how I am actually the one who is being contradictory here. Seriously, I'd like to know.
      • ethos101, on 07/18/2008, -1/+0Ok, I'm not really done then.

        You never pointed out MY supposed contradiction in the first place. You just said: "Nobody gives a rat's ass if the list is maintained by the TSA or not, we're upset that there is even such a list, that it is maintained by the government, that its contents are not public, and that it effects normal people when they try to fly."

        And I agree with that point.

        Nobody at the passenger checkpoint can add or modify any names on the selectee list. Nobody directly involved in the passenger screening process even knows what your name is unless they read it on your boarding pass and your ID. The list is held within a database in the airlines kiosk and tags are printed on your boarding pass. The idea that a screener at the checkpoint even remotely has anything to do with any of these lists is absurd. All they can possibly do is tell if your boarding pass has the selectee marking or not. And the marking is there for that particular leg of the trip only. You may get SELECTED (which is where the term "selectee" comes from) every time you fly, could be any number of reasons not just cash or last minute purchases.

        If you're on the no-fly list, you're not even getting a boarding pass.

        Do you see anyone at the checkpoint comparing names to databases? No, it's done before you get there. TSA isn't taking your names, doesn't care what your name is, doesn't want anything but to earn a paycheck by doing a job that most people would not like to do for this very reason. You have to be able to take a lot of crap for 8 to 10 hours a day.

        The funny thing to me is people believe this fallacy made up by an angry journalist. I don't think I would even call this guy a credible journalist anymore. Much less any journalist these days (fox and cnn). But this is nothing new...
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/18/2008, -0/+2ethos, you are still not getting any part of this story.

        Nobody thinks that a guy on the line at the security checkpoint is comparing names to databases. He is simply looking for flags. Those flags may be the easily discernible factors of how the ticket was booked, or they might be based on the ticket, which might have information on it that tells him to look closer.

        What you fail to understand is that if you are on the no-fly list, you won't even be issued a ticket.

        I get the feeling that you work for the TSA on a line job. You want to not be the evil guy preventing people from flying. Don't worry, we know you are just an hourly wage employee getting whatever paycheck he can get. TSA employees are not evil. There are single mothers, laid off factory workers, and such, and they are just doing what they can to survive.

        I don't think anyone faults the people at the security checkpoints for doing their jobs (unless they act like total dicks and think they have all this power over travellers)... they realize that no matter how legal the laws are, or how much they really protect us, the people in the white shirts and dark blue pants are just doing their jobs.

        This story isn't about the line workers. It is about high level government policies and practices, that maybe you might need to act on, but the fault lies at the top. If you're a grunt, and you have to hand search someone, don't worry, people understand that *****. We're discussing the greater loss of freedoms by people much higher up than you, probably not even within your own agency.
      • feignNU, on 07/18/2008, -0/+2"You never pointed out MY supposed contradiction in the first place."

        I most certainly did. You have asserted multiple times that "there is no watch list," but the very TSA link you posted in an attempt to back up that assertion *plainly states* that there is an "overall consolidated watch list" which contains the names of "less than 400,000 individuals." They then go on to clarify that the "no fly" list and the "selectee" list are merely subsets of this larger, "overall consolidated watch list". Even the diagram which is presented on the TSA webpage you linked to makes this clear. You can clearly see that the selectee list (the yellow circle) and the no fly list (the red circle) are both contained in a larger green circle which is labeled "Less than 400,000 consolidated terror watch list."

        As for everything else you said...I don't know how you came to think that this discussion was about TSA employees. I don't think anyone thinks that the random grunt on the floor searching through bags has anything to do with the watch lists. That's never been what we're saying. Everything PhilLesh said above pretty much covers what more I could say on this subject though, so I'll just be done.
      • ethos101, on 07/19/2008, -1/+1"If you're on the no-fly list, you're not even getting a boarding pass."

        That's what I said.

        Ok, an overall consolidated watch-list is different from a "TSA compiled watch list."

        Thanks
    • dagnome1984, on 07/17/2008, -1/+11"we need to have faith in our government"

      Government seems to have become the new religion for people :P
      • bluezinc, on 07/17/2008, -2/+12And how did they get there? Religion! It's a nice circle, isn't it?
    • jjmckay, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8I sympathize. Its too late. The momentum is too great. Its out of control. If you think the populace has a good chance to stop it, you are in denial. Power is an end unto itself, and they have lots of it. Good luck.
    • forgottenhope, on 07/17/2008, -0/+15always question the government. always.
    • oldgal, on 07/17/2008, -0/+6It is hard to trust an organization that puts together a list without explaining criteria and provides no recourse for being removed from the list. Since one must provide identification before boarding a plane, it seems that maybe identification numbers instead of or along with names should be used. But there still needs to be a method for removal.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/18/2008, -1/+1Part of the problem with the lists is that they don't always know about social security or other identification numbers.

        A lot of the people on the list are there because their name "sounds like" or is spelled similarly to someone known to be a terrorist, or based on vague rumors (so they might hear that a "John Smith" is a member of an anarchist group in San Fran, so they just flag all John Smiths, and maybe even John Smithson, J Smith, etc,)
    • PraetorJoseph, on 07/17/2008, -10/+0Really? What do you expect? Nobody abridged his freedom to make fun of the government, and he published information on CNN, to the public, about why he doesn't like the TSA. Common sense to me, TSA says, "you don't trust us, well we don't trust you."

      Give me a break.
      • yakski, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1You are a MORON... the fact that a million plus people are on the list is absolutely ABSURD!!!! It also shows the list is politically driven and NOT about terrorism!!!
    • scoottie, on 07/17/2008, -2/+2the TSA does not maintain the terror watch list like this story said. The list is maintained by The Terrorist Screening Center, which is mainly run by the FBI with help from other agencies.

      http://www.fbi.gov/terrorinfo/counterrorism/tsc.ht ...

      http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?story ...
  • qdkk, on 07/16/2008, -5/+66So another witch hunt begins under Bush and republican nurturing. Soon this little presidential policy will be all grown up into a full fledged fascism.
    • FlyingPhotog, on 07/17/2008, -12/+5I thought Congress was currently under Democrat control, no?
      • Dumbledorito, on 07/17/2008, -1/+16They can overturn a Bush veto without some of the loyal Bushies actually turning on their dear leder?

        Nope.
      • macweirdo42, on 07/17/2008, -2/+14Eh, it just confirms that the old stereotypes are just as true as they ever were - the Republicans are evil, and the Democrats are mind-bogglingly incompetent. When it all comes down to it, it's basically down to who would you rather have in power, Darth Vader or Jar Jar Binks?
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+9Congress has a very slim majority. But you wouldn't know that if you watched Fox News, you'd be led to believe they are a super majority and can pass any law they desired, and could override vetoes, and so forth, because that way, those 28% who still support Bush can place blame on the democrats instead of on the people creating all the problems.
      • bluezinc, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6True, this congress is the worst the country has ever seen. At least, that's what the approval ratings suggest.

        The Democrats are just as bad as the Republicans, we've been sold out by both parties.

        Seriously, they haven't made any progress on anything even remotely heading in a new direction. It's hopelessly corrupt and they're practically rubbing our faces in it. It's like congress was told it has 30 days to live and said, "well, ***** it!!" but has ceased to actually die.
      • crazy0, on 07/17/2008, -4/+2they're all white sellouts to me repu or demo they dont represent anyone but themselves
      • qdkk, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2@FlyingPhotg

        Congress in under Democrat control by a very small margin. Republicans have enough power now to stop most of Democratic actions.
    • PopcornDave, on 07/17/2008, -4/+11And where are the Democrats trying to make it all more transparent? Oh that right, they want a turn at ***** with their perceived enemies as well. Things like that make me sleep oh so much better at night.
    • Hangly, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1For there to be a witch hunt people have to be actually afraid of the people on the list.
      This is more of a joke.

      Like the Terror Threat Level Color Chart. Anyone remember that? How long has it been since they gave up on that one?
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+7Just after Bush won reelection in 2004.

      • bluezinc, on 07/17/2008, -1/+3Bush "won" in 2004, just as he "won" in 2000. Apparently a number of counties had a lot of dead people show up to vote republican last election cycle.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1BatMissile, I think hangly and bohica work together.
    • nick1971, on 07/17/2008, -0/+18You almost have adolescent fascism. Germany needed a terrorist act, a set of laws similar to the patriot act to allow the 1st concentration camp to be build at Dachau. This was a prison where "suspected terrorists" could be held without trial for an unlimited period of time.
      1st it was the communists (they were the terrorists)
      then the political dissidents
      then the political opposition.
      then why do you need elections when there is only one party
      the rest of the shameful story you know.
      "Luckily" you are only at the stage of sticking suspected terrorists (nice broad definition) without due process in a concentration camp for an unlimited amount of time.
      God I hope you turn back.
  • ordig, on 07/17/2008, -1/+77Wow. I can't believe they can get away with that. It's so transparently corrupt.
    • WoollyMittens, on 07/17/2008, -0/+9Only 50% of the people have to believe it. They usually seem to pick the 50% of people with below average IQ as their target audience.
      • bluezinc, on 07/17/2008, -1/+8Not even. Bush hasn't gotten 50% of anybody to agree with anything, however he had Rove on his side to scare the ***** out of white voters, confuse and mislead black voters, and convince latinos that the other candidate will have them all murdered.

        And if anybody in politics wished to speak out against it, Rove undid his jacket and put his hand at his hip to reveal his holstered desert eagle. Then he pulled out a picture of their kids and silently mouthed, "dead".

        Ok, so maybe not ALL of that is true, but it's believable, and that's sad.
      • EnnuiStudent, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5Dugg for creativity bluezinc.
    • starmanjones, on 07/17/2008, -2/+2during the last election when ohio was looking a little iffy... they used the homeland security act to close down a precinct during the vote count... ran out all the press... locked the doors and bush won. he got away with that. things like that happened all across the country and he gottaway with it.
      • sodade, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8Interesting. Source?
      • starmanjones, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1>Interesting. Source?

        i didn''t have time to look it up but its googlable. it was in the election coverage at the time... which would be CNN and or its stringers. also the GAO and other government reports. i don't have time or even like the partisan web sites. so its pretty easy to say where. :D
    • wphj, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4Not just corrupt, but stupid too. My younger bother was on that list, apparently he shard his name with some terrorist, and my family got stopped every time we flew. We had to wait in the line, and then the agent would have to make a phone call before letting us through. Oh yeah, and he was 7 years old.
  • FlyingPhotog, on 07/17/2008, -24/+12Funny... I've sat in an airport lobby with my laptop for the last 3 days, 9 hours each day. Today they finally came and asked what I was doing there. Once I explained that I worked for the airline which I was near, and showed my ID badge, they left me alone.
    • 2bsbc, on 07/17/2008, -1/+11***** stud!

      /
    • rearlgrant, on 07/17/2008, -1/+8I'm not sure why you are getting dug down. The arbitrariness of it is most of the problem.
  • lquid, on 07/17/2008, -23/+8Lmfao - First Amendment what? Right? LMFAO - U SO FUNNY!!!!111!!!one!!1
  • MrWhite7, on 07/17/2008, -18/+1Drew Griffin isn't exactly a unique name. Correlation does not equal causation.
    • JFetch, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8They use the middle name also.
    • MrWhite7, on 07/17/2008, -9/+1Drew (insert anglo-saxon name) Griffin is not a unique name.
    • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3I guess Senator Edward Kennedy is also not exactly a unique name???

      http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A170 ...

      • uptown, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2The middle and last names are pretty common, but Senator is definitely a pretty uncommon first name.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1uptown, to be fair, I don't know that you can book a flight as "Senator ... " but still, what kind of ticket agent does it take not to recognize him?
  • 8347, on 07/17/2008, -1/+104I'd like to say that the TSA is completely corrupt and incompetent. But I don't want to be put on the no fly list. So I won't.
    • sturmgiest, on 07/17/2008, -1/+2I wish I could dig you up twice for ingenuity.
    • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+10If they were smart enough, you'd be on the list for your sarcastic comment.

      But they aren't. So just take off your shoes, and make sure to take your laptop out of your bag before putting it on the conveyor belt, and enjoy your flight ;)
    • Zarokima, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5***** THE TSA!
      • lithera, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8Ah, another fan of the old bus and train method of transport.
  • laubscher, on 07/17/2008, -2/+147Balls to the watchlist, just put him in jail. He's obviously guilty of thoughtcrime.
    • Myonosken, on 07/17/2008, -8/+2Um....If they considered criticism a crime, its not a thoughtcrime he has committed now is it? It'd just be crime as he vocalised it ;).
      • Myonosken, on 07/19/2008, -0/+1I was buried....Oh lord what is with the ***** kneejerkers. I WAS AGREEING YOU MORONS, JUST MAKING A POINT OVER HIS CHOICE OF WORDS.
    • Cretius0, on 07/17/2008, -0/+7He must learn doublethink, that will set him straight
    • MrLawliet, on 07/17/2008, -5/+21984.
    • bhamster, on 07/17/2008, -1/+2I sleep better at night knowing cat stevens is being monitored.
  • NomortaL1, on 07/17/2008, -4/+17can i see the actual list? does anyone have the link?
    • crapmatic, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2600000001 Gilbert Gottfried
      00000002 MC Hammer
      00000003 Kevin Ros^H^H$(#(

      Hang on, I'm having trouble reading the file... let me buff the CD and I'll try reposting.
      • WoollyMittens, on 07/17/2008, -0/+18Halt! Hammerzeit!
      • uptown, on 07/17/2008, -0/+23When asked to comply with a physical search, all MC Hammer would said was "You can't touch this".
        Landed him right on the list.
    • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+14The government barely even acknowledges that it exists.

      They certainly are not going to publish it anywhere.


      I can only guess one of the rallying cries in neocon circles is "BOO sunshine laws! Screw democracy!"
      • PopcornDave, on 07/17/2008, -0/+9Oh just wait. Some govtard will leave their laptop with the list somewhere in the near future and then we'll see it.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4Maybe, PopcornDave.

        Maybe the TSA being such a new agency means they were able to organize themselves in such a way as to be good with handling data security.

        Oh, no. I forgot, they are just a "new agency" cobbled together by combining a handfull of existing, megalithic government agencies.
      • forgottenhope, on 07/17/2008, -0/+6its a secret, just like how they pick the president. keep it secret, keep it safe.
  • rinote, on 07/17/2008, -7/+15And so it begins.
    • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+18begins?

      Try continues, advances, marches on.
    • cyclades, on 07/17/2008, -0/+13It began a long freakin' time ago.
  • NotDennis, on 07/17/2008, -1/+49Nice to see the gestapo in action.
    • Hangly, on 07/17/2008, -0/+12At least the Gestapo was physically fit and wore snappy uniforms.
      • bluezinc, on 07/17/2008, -0/+10And were efficient. I can tell you, they didn't buy their toilet paper from Halliburton for $500 a roll.
  • 2bsbc, on 07/17/2008, -2/+20"Gulag Archipelago"

    Inform yourself.
    • foofightrs777, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6Great book. Terrible event in history.
    • minox, on 07/17/2008, -1/+5I think the comparison is a bit hyperbolic. Perhaps if a quarter of the population of New York City found itself in Guantanamo, it might be a more valid comparison.
      • WoollyMittens, on 07/17/2008, -2/+9Maybe we should act BEFORE a quarter of the population of New York City found itself in Guantanamo.
      • Myonosken, on 07/17/2008, -4/+2@woolymittens: And your evidence for the possibility of that happening is....?
      • lithera, on 07/17/2008, -1/+6@Myonosken
        The events in the past 8 years perhaps?
      • feignNU, on 07/17/2008, -1/+0Trying to argue that what's going on in the US right now isn't as serious as past atrocities because we've only shat on the rights of a handful of people is silly. The fact is that the machinery has been put in place which allows the president to do heinous things, and that is enough.
      • Myonosken, on 07/19/2008, -0/+1At what ***** events in the US in the past 8 years are anywhere near comparable to the ***** Gulag Archipelago?

        Stop lessening the significance of past horrors for your own ends.
  • koft, on 07/17/2008, -6/+38Where can I sign up to get on the list? I'll take a short cut, parse this string NSA: "I WANT TO KILL THE PRESIDENT"
    • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -4/+12Really bad idea.

      When the Secret Service knocks on your door, maybe you can try to tell them that you only meant that you wanted to kill the president of the starfleet alliance, or something. Maybe dress up as a star trek or star wars character, to bolster your argument.

      I doubt they'll buy that, though. They act on every threat against the president, serious or not.
      • Hangly, on 07/17/2008, -7/+7The secret service has better things to do than track down a million internet posters and knock on their doors.

        Actually I don't think they give a *****.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -1/+17Hangly, believe me, they really do give a ***** about EVERY threat against the President.

        I see Uniformed Secret Service officers parked in front of high level government officials' and diplomats' homes all around Mclean. Up until about 2006, they had a guy sitting in a car on every street corner for several blocks surrounding the white house.

        They have the manpower. And they are charged with the President's safety.

        *****, a guy in Sacramento CA was indicted for sending an email that said "187 for George Bush" (187 being the CA penal code section for murder)

        http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae/press_releases/docs/ ...
      • koft, on 07/17/2008, -6/+5There always has to be some ***** that thinks every time somebody cracks a joke there's going to secret service dudes knocking on the door. Sending emails to authorities about killing the president isn't the same as making a joke where you haven't actually threatened anybody. Elite security forces guarding the white house has nothing to do with posts on digg.com.

        Calm down there buddy. This isn't nazi Germany(yet). Who's knocking at my door at 4:00am? oh shi

        NO CARRIER
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -1/+7koft, funny comment. However, I would not so easily dismiss how seriously the Secret Service takes threats or presumed threats against the president.

        They've even visited grade school kids, teenagers, etc.

        http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15258484/

        or...

        http://www.electronic-school.com/0697ewir.html (you have to scroll down about halfway.)

        "Just in jest, but nobody's laughing
        Two Massachusetts high school students have learned a sobering lesson about cyberspace: Joke on-line about killing the president, and you'll get a visit from the Secret Service.

        Federal agents paid a call to Marshfield High School after two students left a death threat against President Clinton on the Internet. The students sent the threat, signed under the name of Marshfield High School Principal Peter Deftos, as a joke during computer class.

        "Kill Bill, signed Mr. Deftos," the message said.

        The students were suspended for five days.

        The Secret Service also investigated similar errors or pranks at five North Dakota High Schools. At Hazen High School in Hazen, N.D., one student wrote an e-mail threat and another sent it to the White House via the Internet, says Hazen Superintendent Jerry Enget. The students went to their teacher as soon as they realized what had happened. They weren't suspended, but their Internet privileges were revoked for six weeks.

        A real threat to the president is a federal offense and carries a penalty of a five-year prison sentence.

        "It was good they turned themselves in right away, but it's still a foolish thing to do," Enget says. "There's a lesson to be learned here."

        One lesson, says Secret Service Agent Richard Oliver, is that schools need to do a better job of preparing students to use computers. "In most cases," he says, "the kids don't fully appreciate or respect the capabilities of the technology they're using.""

        And if you want to feel comfortable by saying "but those were sent to prosecutors or to the white house, don't forget, I could copy your comment and a link to this digg story, and forward it to the secret service, and you WILL GET A VISIT.

        Once it has been brought to their atttention, they would be irresponsible to not follow up on it.
      • koft, on 07/17/2008, -4/+7*yawn*

        oh, and ***** you. Nobody likes busybodies. Get over it already. Please copy my post to the SS.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -5/+3I won't bother. I can tell you're just a hotheaded blowhard.

        However, if someone else does, you can be assured that you will get a visit.

      • koft, on 07/17/2008, -3/+8I'm not hotheaded, I just can't stand weenies who threaten to goto authorities over trivial *****, and in this case, ***** that hasn't violated any law. Believe it or not, in the US we can actually write and say things that might get people riled up and it's totally legal. Too many people bend over in our society and we're seeing the consequences. We really are a nation of pussies. "OMG he said what? I could report you and some MIBs will be knocking on your door." Weenie.
      • namezod, on 07/17/2008, -3/+2oh noes, PhilLesh69 is gonna report us!!!!!
      • Vietrmx, on 07/17/2008, -2/+2He never said he was going to report anyone, idiots.
      • elhaf, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3http://www.danbrown.com/secrets/digital_fortress/s ...
        True story which inspired Digital Fortress, a story about the NSA written long before 9/11.
    • yodacallmesome, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3Send that string encrypted -- that should get you on the list for sure.
    • jerryterhorst, on 07/17/2008, -3/+2@phillesh: that guy sent "numerous" texts and emails threatening the life of the president. and the one that got him caught was sent to a freakin' DA. he is obviously the exact kind of person they SHOULD pursue in these cases. they are not going to track down every guy who says it on the internet.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1That is just one example. That guy is actually being charged.

        However, for every person charged with making a threat against the president, the secret service probably follows up on a dozen, maybe even hundreds of alleged threats that they eventually dismiss as meaningless.

        However, they cannot guess which ones are real and which ones are just stupid mistakes or misguided jokes. You see the same thing with school shooting stuff. Any kid who says he's pissed at people at his school and wants them dead, or whatever is scrutinized. Some get charged, others get a short suspension, others are just looked and and dismissed as bluster. But they have to address every single one of them

        I wouldn't want the inconvenience of having the Secret Service taking my computer, all my electronic communication devices and a search of my home just because I thought I was being funny and said something even remotely threatening towards the president.

        I never said everyone goes to jail. I said that they have to, by policy, track down every threat against the president they become aware of, and investigate. They would be negligent if they didn't.
    • granolajoe, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4People might laugh about the idea of making a threat online and seeing the secret service at your door shortly after that. Well, I can vouch for the fact that IT DOES HAPPEN.

      In 2000, my mother's ex-husband thought he was badass (well, he was bi-polar and manic, too) and made comments on some crappy forum that were interpreted as threatening to the president by authorities.

      I was surprised to find a black SUV with two guys dressed in black suits and black ties coming up to our door, wanting information of his whereabouts. They visited his work, had a chat with him, and the thing seemingly blew over.

      They may not catch everything, but if he got noticed posting on an obscure forum online and had a visit paid to him, it's not a stretch to think they monitor this site as well.

      Is it really worth testing the system and possibly being entered into a record just trying to prove a point? It's probably best to avoid being a smartass and avoid trouble.
      • caseycoold, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1It really isn't worth it to let your government role over you.
        "Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die."
        ~Dwight D. Eisenhower
      • koft, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1But, like, nobody in this thread ever threatened the president. Have fun being a lemming.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/18/2008, -0/+2koft, I can scroll right up to the OP of this thread and right next to NSA:, you stated that you want to kill the president.
  • gofalcons, on 07/17/2008, -3/+27So it can now just be used as a ***** list by TSA employees? "What did you say about us!? Oh you are so on the list buddy!". Gotta love Washington *republicans and democrats* saving us all one wasteful government program at a time!
  • phillykid162, on 07/17/2008, -3/+44Guess who's not on it? Osama
    • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -1/+13Well, we don't actually know. He might be.

      But we do know that on the FBI's most wanted list, he isn't even accused of 9/11 for some reason.

      http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/terrorists/terbinladen.h ...

      "Usama Bin Laden is wanted in connection with the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. These attacks killed over 200 people. In addition, Bin Laden is a suspect in other terrorist attacks throughout the world."
    • WoollyMittens, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8I have a feeling that real terrorists are smart enough not to fly US Airways. They just send naive brainwash victims to die for their cause.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1They can also get the Saudi Government to make up real, government issued IDs and Passports that are clean.
      • Hangly, on 07/17/2008, -1/+2The Saudi government treats Islamists far more harshly than even the US does.

        Or, wait. Were you suggesting the house of Saud might be complicit?
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1Yes, Hangly. Saudi Arabia is a terrorist state. That is exactly what I was suggesting.

        http://books.google.com/books?id=kSjgflRJPQoC&dq=H ...

        "Dore Gold, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. and internationally known Middle East expert, uses previously unpublished intelligence documents to piece together the links between the current wave of global terrorism-from the World Trade Center to Bali, Indonesia-and the ideology of hatred taught in the schools and mosques of Saudi Arabia."

        Yes, the house of Saud, who shares power with the Wahhabist clerics, is VERY MUCH COMPLICIT.

    • Hangly, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8That's because dead men don't fly.

      ...yet.
      • Izult, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3Yet ironically the dead hijackers are on the list so i guess dead men do fly?
    • vermax, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1YET.
    • jeffhansen, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3I don't believe he's openly criticized the TSA.
    • DeskFlyer, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1There's about a bazillion Osamas Usamas etc on there.
  • noamchomskeet, on 07/17/2008, -0/+24I like all those people who say, well it's great to have a list for people to watch out for, if you are innocent you have nothing to worry about. Well what will they say when there is a list for people who can live in cities, or a list for people who can own computers, or go on the internet, or check out books. What will they fear then? None of this ***** makes us safer, it just makes us for fearful and conforming.
    • CherryTop, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1We're definitely being split up into groups. Without rent control Santa Monica is turning into an area where only really wealthy people live.

      In Hollywood where I live, the apartment right next to ours is going for 3x as much as ours, as the city continues to find new and inventive ways to take even more money from our pockets; to slowly squeeze the average guy out -- away, someplace else.

      Think about it in the most extreme sense. Who in their right mind would pay $3,000 a MONTH for 660 sq. ft. of apartment space? Someone who's got a lot of money to waste -- local government considers that the "ideal citizen." Why? because THAT person's not gonna give a ***** about a $50 parking ticket which is what the city's counting on: Fifty dollars is NOTHING to that person, so they pay it. THAT person won't complain even when the city raises the fine to say, $100.00. THOSE people -- the "if you're innocent, you have nothing to worry about" people -- have been conditioned at this point to comply.

      Instead of protesting or going to a city council meeting, they'll kick themselves for being "so irresponsible." They "deserve" the $100 fine because they were 3 minutes late this morning moving their car by the 9:00 a.m. deadline posted on the sign for street cleaning. (Street cleaning that happens two hours LATER around 11:00 a.m.-- if it happens at all. And no, of course the ticket isn't forgiven if the street cleaning machine doesn't come by that day. "Those are the rules.")

      Look around, American soil is being divided everyday, segmented a little bit more. It's just a more efficient way of making money.

      I'm gonna go take my medication now. In about 20 minutes, life will be great again.
  • mCanada, on 07/17/2008, -1/+52250 million / 1 million = 1 in 250 people in the USA are now terrorists! My god they're everywhere! If only the government could now find a way to jail ~1% of the population!! - oh wait, they already have :(
    • enclaved, on 07/17/2008, -4/+5United States — Population: 301,139,947 (July 2007 est.)
      According to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world ...
    • nosecohn, on 07/17/2008, -1/+11It's an international watchlist... not just Americans. Still, there should reasonably be a maximum of a couple hundred people on it.
    • teddyrux, on 07/17/2008, -4/+1Not to be overly critical m, but this is the internet...It's not too hard to do a fact check before you fabricate statistics. And what about all of the non-Americans on the list? Or is this list just of American-born terrorists? Otherwise, you're looking at 1 million in 6.7 billion. In other words, 1/6700 people being a terrorist.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4That's still pretty high.
      • WoollyMittens, on 07/17/2008, -0/+8I don't think the billions of people making no more that a dollar a day will fly very often.
      • mCanada, on 07/17/2008, -2/+3Well ***** teddy, I guess my comment will get into "pointed sarcasm weekly" instead of "peer reviewed anal retentive" monthly.
      • Merendino, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Woolly, they wouldn't be flying on their money anyhow... they'd be flying on TERRORIST MONEY!!!!
  • DalamarArgent, on 07/17/2008, -9/+17Stories like this make me happy to be not American so as I watch this I can chant, "USA USA USA" and have myself a good laugh afterwords.
    • WoollyMittens, on 07/17/2008, -1/+13Let's see if you'll be laughing when the USA forces the European union and Canada to adopt their insane rules and lists.
      • ChayD, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1Can't see that happening, being the EU, it would take centuries to get ratified, what with all that red tape, by which time everyone will have supersonic flying cars.
      • b0gus2008, on 07/17/2008, -2/+1Okay, when the USA "forces" my country....oh, wait....***** Canadian DMCA! Damn you, America!! Damn you!!!!!!!!
  • RedCt, on 07/17/2008, -1/+45I'd like to point out that this is the same list that Ted Kennedy (the senator!) got on and it took him THREE WEEKS to get off of it, even after directly talking to the head of Homeland Security. And they expect us to be able to do something about it?
    • KelticKal, on 07/18/2008, -0/+0Part of the deal to get the Limeys on board for Iraq was to go after Irish nationalist supporters in this country but keeping us from flying is not that big of a deal. Rest assured that the nationalists will win in the end and Ulster will be part of a united Ireland.

      TIOCFAIDH AR LA
  • variablek, on 07/17/2008, -1/+42Over one million possible terrorists flying on our airlines? Give me a ***** break. That list has gotten so bloated, the chances for keeping an eye on any real threat just keeps getting slimmer. Good job bureaucrats, you never cease to amaze.
    • crapmatic, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5I guess we should contract for Saudi Air and Syrian Arab Airlines to run some of the domestic operations here and fly all these people around. Hell, I'd book a flight... it would beat flying United.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -1/+2Nah, the Saudis, especially Bin Laden family members get to fly FBI chartered flights, even when the rest of the nation is not allowed to fly, like on the day after 9/11.
  • digggggggggg, on 07/17/2008, -1/+20This is probably the most naive system I have ever seen. From what I hear, it basically matches the names of the travelers to the names in their list, because we all know how foolproof _names_ can be.

    This completely fails to account for the number of weak links there are. Is it completely unthinkable for someone to use, oh I dunno, a fake ID? Or, how about those workers who match ID's with tickets before you go into the line? What if they mess up? Finally, what about all those people with the same names? According to the phone book, in my city alone, there are 8 people with the exact same name as me. I can only hope that none of them do anything to get themselves flagged.

    The whole jumbled mess is just mind boggling.
    • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+4A few years ago, some reporter tested out a way to use an e-ticket to bypass the watch list.

      http://www.slate.com/id/2113157/fr/rss/
    • JoeVet, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1You really think Osama would use a fake name? Wow, they are tricky aren't they! /s
    • Nescirian, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1A little while back there was a news article where a kid (around 6 iirc) was taken into custody at an airport because he had the same name as someone on the list.
  • battleangel7, on 07/17/2008, -17/+2Rawstory.com=*****.
  • JeremyK684, on 07/17/2008, -3/+16***** the TSA.
    (i hope this comment won't make them add me on the list lol)
    • Bilabrin, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1In fact, Just to cover their bases, All persons with the first name Jeremy and a last name starting with K have just been added to the list.
  • Xill, on 07/17/2008, -3/+8Now that they got the oil market under control, they are turning their aim for the opium and heroin in Afghanistan for the D.U.M.B. (deep military underground bases) black budget. I'm sure they have plans for more false flags, let's hope they dont dare.
  • eelojaan, on 07/17/2008, -1/+19Nelson Mandela was apparently on the list. Ridiculous.
    • ordig, on 07/17/2008, -1/+7so are a couple of US congress men who where civil rights leaders in the 60's
    • synik, on 07/17/2008, -2/+4yes but Nelson Mandela actually was a terrorist at one point.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -2/+2Not exactly. He was a member of the ANC, but on the political side.

        That is like saying the US Congress is a terrorist organization because in 1776, they advocated the overthrow of the colonial government in the Americas.
      • niczar, on 07/17/2008, -1/+5@Phil: that makes them terrorists. I have a distant relative who was a officially a terrorist, back in 1943. He shot at nazi occupiers.
      • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -1/+5niczar,

        I guess considering that the Bush Family are Nazi Sympathizers (google "Prescott Bush trading with the enemy act"), as long as a Bush is in office, your distant relative will be considered a terrorist. But prior to GW's term, he would have been lauded in the media as an underground freedom fighter who was just as much of a hero as the American WWII veterans.

        Here, I'll google it for you:

        http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Prescott+Bush ...
      • feignNU, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1niczar: How exactly do you mean the word "terrorist", cause it sounds like you're talking about anyone who fights against a government/armed force without fighting for the official armed forces of any particular country. If that is more or less how you mean the word, then I think it is totally emptied of any meaning at all. I mean, sure, the Americans won the revolution, and so you might argue that because of this, we don't refer to the American revolutionaries as "terrorists", but I would argue that there is a very definite qualitative difference between the "terrorism" that was perpetrated by American revolutionaries and the terrorism that is perpetrated by suicide bombers in the middle east. Being a revolutionary does not make one a terrorist.
    • sumeetg, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Bush had him removed from the list.
  • toetagger, on 07/17/2008, -1/+9If people just stop flying, they'll stop using the transportation system as a beta for a police state.
    • PhilLesh69, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3Great, then they'll turn to the grocery stores, or something.
    • greenvortex, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2Just wait. Several U.S. airlines will go under soon if gas prices don't miraculously drop suddenly. Southwest was smart enough to buy cheap oil futures years ago, so they'll be OK for at least another year, until those run out. The rest are already up s**t creek.
  • rationalbeats, on 07/17/2008, -2/+32I just downloaded and watched the History Channels feature on the American Revolution from iTunes. I went on to re-read the Declaration of Independence, and what is most horrifying is that our country is now implementing laws that we based our Independence against Great Briton.

    *****.
  • wilywondr, on 07/17/2008, -1/+10Anyone else remember the "dry runs" that the "terrorists" were doing with hunks of cheese? That was a classic bush scare story.

    OLBERMANN DEBUNKS LATEST TERROR OOGA BOOGA *THE CHEESE BOMB!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baIr7genvAc

    Then after it comes out about how stupid it was the TSA makes this ***** up:
    http://www.tsa.gov/approach/mythbusters/tig_securi ...

    I would not trust these people to make a PB&J sandwich.
    • ethos101, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3You get what you pay for, lol

      Mostly high school dropouts and retired folks work there for barely over minimum wage.

      I have actually even seen some mentally handicapped working there.
  • Olfster, on 07/17/2008, -1/+7Half of the digg users are already on that list by now. Lookout for the undercovers at the meetups and townhalls. They will be the people wearing the dark glasses and taking names.
  • XanderDee, on 07/17/2008, -2/+12Hitler did this. Put people on a list. Well see you in REX 84 in a few months.
  • sgtiger, on 07/17/2008, -2/+1And what were folks saying about that "RIGHT" to fly? Hah!
  • Xizer, on 07/17/2008, -6/+3Jar Jar Binks.
  • Xizer, on 07/17/2008, -2/+11***** the government, ***** Bush, and ***** the TSA. They are all corrupt as *****, and Bush and everyone involved with the Bush administration, including the spineless assholes in Congress who refuse to take action against this blatantly corrupt and vile administration should all be executed for treason.

    I now look forward to being added to this "terror watch list." It's a great way of identifying who the true Americans are.
  • WoollyMittens, on 07/17/2008, -0/+71 million names? You'd think that would cover just about everyone in the world, considering the amount of people with similar names. There must be several 100 million people named Mohammed alone.

    Oh and how I feel for any Indonesians who make it onto that list. There's no last name in their culture. (>.>)
  • captainmage1966, on 07/17/2008, -6/+3Ok did understand the TSA , you should not think this is because of political reason ? It is so nice for them to tell what the reporter should be think .
  • ethos101, on 07/17/2008, -10/+1There is no TSA watch list!!! Haha, this is CNN? Too funny. You can't trust anybody but Stewart and Colbert these days.

    http://www.tsa.dhs.gov/approach/mythbusters/tsa_wa ...

    Enough of the paranoia. It's working just too good. lol
  • Hangly, on 07/17/2008, -1/+12This weekend there's a terror watch list party. There will be beer and strippers. Gore Vidal, Ron Paul and zombie George Carlin will be attending.

    If you're not on the list yet, you're not cool enough to come.
  • Hangly, on 07/17/2008, -1/+3I know this is meant to intimidate me. Why do I find it so funny?
    • TheDeepFriar, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2...because the TSA is extremely lame
  • blacklilyninja, on 07/17/2008, -1/+4it's finally happened.

    I'm in verhoven starship trooper movie
  • mondrus, on 07/17/2008, -1/+9PUBLISH THE LIST!
    The people who are on the list know they're on the list. The secrecy is irrelevant!
    PUBLISH THE LIST!
  • palewook, on 07/17/2008, -0/+12eventually the whole country will be on the list.
    • RDinSB, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2No - Just not the Neo-cons and ultra-right wingers. They (clearly) will be spared - since they made the list. I mean, of ALL the people that have had to endure the hassle of getting pulled for being on a terror watch list, how many have been Republicans?? I can guess the number will be less than 1%.... and those would be accidents (if there are any).
  • Sunnygurm, on 07/17/2008, -1/+7I really hope Canada doesn't follow suit with this ridiculous paranoia in the US.

    Join us up north guys...nothing to be afraid of here.
    • sb66, on 07/17/2008, -2/+1Yeah america is really out of control these days. If they re-elect republicans we may as well just give up on them and build a wall to keep out the 'freedombacks' escaping their police state :)
      • personalj, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2There is no police state, the TSA is glorified mall security. Most of the low level screeners have no law enforcement or military background.
  • bigp3rm, on 07/17/2008, -4/+6I will be flying at the end of the month. And I am curious if I am on the list for for stories I support on dig. Wish me luck!
    • stealthc, on 07/17/2008, -1/+5Just wear a t-shirt with an American flag on it that says NEVER FORGET and they'll pass you right on through.
    • vexingmodstwo, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5You vastly overestimate your importance and Digg's relevance.
  • algaeturd, on 07/17/2008, -0/+3Your opinions are irrelevant in the entire matter. Your representatives don't care and the administration put it in place to piss people like us off so we're basically pissing on each others' legs here. I'm down for a good old fashioned gripe just like the rest of you but there's not a single thing that you or I or anyone can do against this regime. You know that to be true. That's what's so scary.
  • Don_Gero, on 07/17/2008, -9/+1You suckers complain now but when Al Quaeda hijacks a plain and smuggles nuclear weapons on board I hope they drop it right over your city!
    • tgunner, on 07/17/2008, -1/+1wat
    • greenvortex, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Hopefully not the Great Plains. They'd need all one million terrorists to hold such a large area hostage.

      At least you spelled "nuclear" right.
    • BlacklabelSAR, on 07/17/2008, -0/+2I will not give up my freedom because of cowards like you.
  • stealthc, on 07/17/2008, -1/+4Thousands Standing Around
  • Grumps, on 07/17/2008, -1/+111. In TSA's view, all Americans are terrorist
    2. Real Terrorist remains free
  • havokdu, on 07/17/2008, -1/+3I wonder if M. Night Shyamalan is on the list.
    He kinda looks like a terrorist according to stupid TSA's stereotypes.
  • Cryoniq, on 07/17/2008, -11/+6I cannot but laugh my fracking a$$ of at this circus. Seriously americans, I feel so sorry for you.. bwahahahahahaha!
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