Congress Adds Tipster Immunity to Security Bill

Congress Adds Tipster Immunity to Security Bill

www.foxnews.com

WASHINGTON — After nearly a week of intense, behind-the-scenes wrangling, congressional negotiators late Tuesday agreed to include in the pending Sept. 11 security bill sweeping liability protections for citizens who report suspicious activity they fear might be linked to terrorism.

The provision is meant to address the so-called "Flying Imams" case, wherein six Muslim clerics sued passengers aboard a Northwest flight in March who reported them to authorities, leading to their detention.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Related Abovetopsecret.com Thread:

6 Muslim Imams removed from flight.


[edit on 7/25/2007 by djohnsto77]

This is great news. It would be a shame if people became afraid to report suspicious activity out of fear of being sued by CAIR or something.

Of course the bill will not protect anyone who knowingly files a false report.

www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

While I agree that people should no be afraid to tip police on suspicious activities, it only promotes profiling.

Now if somebody doesn't like the way certain individuals look like they just call them suspicious and not retaliation will come to them.

Where is the protection for the people been falsely accuse?

Excellent news. These imams were attempting to make a sham of our legal system with their frivolous lawsuit.

Originally posted by marg6043
While I agree that people should no be afraid to tip police on suspicious activities, it only promotes profiling.

Profiling is only bad when it is abused. Sometimes it is the most prudent course of action.

Originally posted by marg6043
Where is the protection for the people been falsely accuse?

Why do they need protection if they have not been harmed?

Funny that most people profile in this country are Blacks, Spanish and anybody looking Arab.

So is OK to profile all of the above as long as is not abuse.

JS I am speechless.

Is ok for somebody to be stopped while boarding his or her plane as long as is not abuse because they are not white, they may be black, Arab or Spanish . . . this are the colors of looking Arab people.

I am still speechless.

Originally posted by marg6043
Where is the protection for the people been falsely accuse?

As I stated, this provision does nothing to protect people who knowingly give false statements about someone, just protects people who are reporting what they see as suspicious activity in good faith.

Originally posted by marg6043
Is ok for somebody to be stopped while boarding his or her plane as long as is not abuse because they are not white, they may be black, Arab or Spanish . . . this are the colors of looking Arab people.

I am still speechless.

The problem, marg, is that the 80 year old grandmother is the one being searched in the airports because security is afraid of getting sued for discrimination if they search the Arab. The system is all screwed up.

And maybe you can explain this to me: if the majority of acts of terror are carried out by people of mideastern descent, who should we be watching more closely?

Originally posted by jsobecky
The problem, marg, is that the 80 year old grandmother is the one being searched in the airports because security is afraid of getting sued for discrimination if they search the Arab. The system is all screwed up.

Reminds me of the City Councilwoman in Pittsburgh who was calling for an investigation into the City Police for racism because 80% of the people arrested in her district were Black. I about choked with laughter when the Chief of Police said that it might be because 80% of the people in her district were Black.

In our current situation, if I see a man on a prayer rug at an airport and he gets on my flight, I can guarentee that I will be keeping a close eye on him and have a plan for taking him out if it becomes necessary. I'll worry about a possible lawsuit later.