72 Department Of Homeland Security Employees On Terrorist Watchlist!

The story at the link is long and boring with this Democratic Congressman defending his support for a bill / refugee vetting topic. The REAL information from this interview is that we currently have or had 72 DHS (probably TSA) employees that were on the damn Terrorist Watch List!

Seriously, how the hell is the DHS screening and doing background checks? How is this even possible in this day and age?


wgbhnews.org...

By Tori Bedford

Congressman Stephen Lynch joined Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on Boston Public Radio to discuss the reasoning behind his vote and other congressional matters.

Earlier this month, 47 democrats in the house of representatives defied a house veto threat by backing a GOP bill to ramp up screening requirements for Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

It’s a very simple bill, I know that it’s got subsumed within a larger discussion about immigration policy, but basically, the bill we voted on was a very short bill—four pages in length, basically, and it said that the director of national security shall review the vetting process as being conducted by both the FBI and the department of homeland security. Because of the disastrous results we’ve had so far with the screening process, especially the department of homeland security, I think it was a very good idea to have another set of eyeballs looking at that process.

Back in August, we did an investigation—the inspector General did—of the Department of Homeland Security, and they had 72 individuals that were on the terrorist watch list that were actually working at the Department of Homeland Security.

So, I saw a thread about not letting someone on a Terrorist Watch List not buy firearms... OK, I can see that if there is an expedient way to challenge and get removed from this list if you are placed on it in error.

How about we NOT let people on the Terrorist Watch List work at DHS / TSA? I consider THAT much more dangerous.

a reply to: infolurker

But maybe they are there helping with enquiries and tagged, followed?

Half a million people a year are added to that list. It requires no evidence or proof and you can be added for something as simple as a Facebook post about how you hate government. Their are a people who are on the threat list which does require actual facts and proof to get you on it. The watch list, anybody could be on and it means pretty much nothing.

a reply to: infolurker

From what I understand, it isn't all that difficult to get on that watchlist and, keep in mind, they are put on the list by humans. Errors, vengeance, misunderstandings, etc.

72 does seem to be an alarming number, though.

What does homeland security do?

i read an article that said senator ted kennedy was on the no fly list. )

a reply to: NewzNose

From what I understand, it isn't all that difficult to get on that watchlist and, keep in mind, they are put on the list by humans. Errors, vengeance, misunderstandings, etc.

Tuttle, Tuttle, Tuttle, (Buttle), Tuttle, Tuttle… --Brazil

Look up Phoenix program Vietnam, where Vietnamese were encouraged to turn each other in for being Vietcong.

It was a horrendous failure, business owners turned in their competition, wives fingered their husbands for messing around, pretty much any vendetta could be played out on neighbors out of jealousy, spite, whatever.

a reply to: infolurker

Huma Abedin's family are active members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Problem is the WH

Over the last few years, I have read various things about the large number of muslims Obama has appointed to positions in Homeland Security. It always gave me pause, but....you know....didn't want to seem Islamaphobic and all that jazz. But, if you research it, you will see. You will also see the controversial rebuttals about how muslims are just like everybody else.

originally posted by: NewzNose
a reply to: infolurker

From what I understand, it isn't all that difficult to get on that watchlist and, keep in mind, they are put on the list by humans. Errors, vengeance, misunderstandings, etc.

72 does seem to be an alarming number, though.

It's on purpose, obviously, to have a "diversity" of views....

Now days, every founding "father" would be on that list. Not to mention, every continental soldier, "MollyPitcher" and militiaman, if they could find them... Don't get bent about it. That list, doesn't do anything, but make cowards "feel" safe. There!... Now I'm on the "list". Feel better?

originally posted by: murphy22
Now days, every founding "father" would be on that list. Not to mention, every continental soldier, "MollyPitcher" and militiaman, if they could find them... Don't get bent about it. That list, doesn't do anything, but make cowards "feel" safe. There!... Now I'm on the "list". Feel better?

And probably once you're on that list, even if it is by error or misunderstanding, you will never be able to purchase a firearm again. You watch and wait. By hook or by crook.....

originally posted by: MrSpad
Half a million people a year are added to that list. It requires no evidence or proof and you can be added for something as simple as a Facebook post about how you hate government. Their are a people who are on the threat list which does require actual facts and proof to get you on it. The watch list, anybody could be on and it means pretty much nothing.

Can we please have a source on that one? Because in the thread infolurker is referring to, this were not the numbers I found.

But the watch lists have also come under fire by critics who cite their false positives, secrecy, lack of due process, costs and inefficiency in keeping some terrorists from flying.

More than 47,000 people were on the no-fly list in August 2013, including about 800 Americans, according to a leak to the Intercept news media site. “The documents also showed that in August 2013, there were 680,000 people on the government’s master terrorism watchlist,” the American Civil Liberties Union noted, and “even according to the government’s own records, 280,000 of them have no affiliation with a recognized terrorist group.” www.newsweek.com...

a reply to: infolurker

Because the to get on the watch list, the characteristics are pretty arbitrary. Ask Teikiatsu. When he went to fly to a conference for his work after 9-11, he found out he was on the flight watch list.

Do you sign your name more than one way? You could be a terrorist. It could mean that you have a formal name and nickname version of it -or- you have an alias.

Do you work somewhere that requires extra vaccines over and beyond the norm? It could mean you work with biological -or- it could mean you have had international travel or have gotten them because you into bioweapons.

Apparently both together get you in the system.

Is there no ability to challenge your name being on a list? How would you ever prove you don't belong on the list? That would be bad if you had to use air travel for your employment, travel to relatives, etc. I have heard there is no due process, but somehow if you truly not a terrorist can you request a review or investigation to resolve something that got you on the list?

Things are so ridiculous a citizen can be called out for a watch list and have no repercussions. This is like McCarthyism!

originally posted by: murphy22
Now days, every founding "father" would be on that list. Not to mention, every continental soldier, "MollyPitcher" and militiaman, if they could find them... Don't get bent about it. That list, doesn't do anything, but make cowards "feel" safe. There!... Now I'm on the "list". Feel better?

Well, it does have repercussions if you go to fly to your company headquarters for a meeting and you find yourself on a no-fly list. The other issue is what happens when down the road they pass laws about the lists like you can't posses a firearm or you can't ride public transportation. So, I would want the ability to challenge my name being added to such a list erroneously. I can see people being added by whoever adds them for political reasons like the IRS targeting conservative groups was politically motivated.

I would not dismiss too easily what the government may do in the future. For example, say terrorist attacks rise rapidly. Would a decision to round up anyone in country on a terrorist watch list and detain them indefinitely with no due process like the NDAA or Patriot Act (don't recall which one) gives them the right to do so. I would be very worried if my name appeared on a government list like that for a bogus reason. Very concerned!

You say they don't do anything. How the hell do you know that? And again, if that is true, tell that to people that went to fly and found the couldn't due to being on the no-fly list.