TERRORISM: Congress Expands Use of Terrorist Lists

One of the changes included in the intelligence bill passed by Congress this week includes the identity checking of all airport and cruise ship workers. These names will be checked against two government lists, one for people suspected of terrorism, the other for people the government says require additional scrutiny for some other reason.




While this is a step in the right direction, it is still flawed as pointed out above with Sen. Kennedy. One may ask if it is alright to be questioned and thus putting a burden on your plans, I say Yes. If you do not have anything to hide, then this bothersome time may be another chance at life, so to speak. The problem here is being able to detain the "Right" people, even when "Wrong" ones are being questioned, which I think will be put to the test. This information comes on the heels of a British report earlier this week claiming Al-Qaeda could be looking at a Sea Attack. While this bill may stop people from getting on these ships and planes, what is being done to protect "outside" attacks?

A problem that many people have brought up in relation to this bill, is the lack of "Border Security". This is still a huge problem that seriously needs to be addressed with earnestness. Hundreds of thousands of people come in through our borders a year. While 9-11 has said to be in the works for at least 19 years, what has already come in, and what will be done to stop it? Leaving these doors open only leads to more of a chance of something occurring on US soil again.



[edit on 10-12-2004 by TrickmastertricK]

Sometimes I wonder if Kennedy wasn't put on that list by accident. I got a chuckle when I heard he was at one time denied flying back to Washington because he could be a threat to the nation and put on the no fly list.

More seriously though, more secrecy in the lists and what makes people go on the lists certainly does not help the public avoid alot of confusion. I suppose the secrecy may be an indication that someone thinks terrorists could avoid being put on the list if they knew what to avoid. What if the terrorists already know what to avoid? There is a level of safety you can go up to before it kills the whole business (flying that is).

And all it will take is one upset neighbor who makes a phone call to TIPS and your name is on the list, it took Kennedy three weeks I believe to get his name off the list or so I have read, just imaging how long it would take for Joe Six-pack. You won�t be going anywhere unless you drive.

[edit on 11/12/2004 by Sauron]

haha, yeah watch lists are to stop terrorists when we have a border to the south with so many holes it would take billions to fix it! Travel restrictions on legal US citizens? I thought we had the right to pursue happiness or whatever that crap is. The government isn't even pretending to care about our rights now, THIS WILL NOT STOP TERRORISM all it does is make americans have to jump through more hoops. The tips line reminds me alot of programs in communist nations... "Now kids if mommy or daddy does something that is not being a good citizen what do we do?"
This is something we allowed to happen to ourselves, and it has creeped up slowly on us, but now that it's here I don't see there is much we can do about it. At least not if you want to fly or leave the country anytime soon, haha we're screwed!!

Everybody crack a beer and watch what was the great experiment in democracy circle the toilet bowl