WTF? Govt wants to background EVERY airline passenger.
 

I can see this for foreigners flying into the US. But to start requiring a government database check on every American citizen that buys an airline ticket really does move this nation into a police state. This is going way too overboard.


Airline Passenger Screening to Be Tested

WASHINGTON - The Homeland Security Department will begin testing a program to classify all airline passengers according to their security risk.

Privacy advocates have criticized the passenger screening effort, fearing it could lead to unconstitutional invasions of privacy and database mix-ups that could brand innocent people as potential terrorists.

Nuala O'Connor Kelly, Homeland Security's chief privacy officer, said the program has been reworked so less personal information will be checked. And people will be able to write or call to find out what's in the database about them, Kelly said. That was not the case under the original plan.

The program will be tested for several months at a secure government location. No date for implementation has been announced.

The Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System was ordered by Congress after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It originally was conceived as a nationwide computer system that would compare passenger names with those on government watch lists and check such things as a traveler's credit report and consumer transactions.

Amid outcries from privacy advocates, the government reworked the plan to eliminate some of the information-gathering. For example, the test program won't use credit histories and specifically rules out medical information, Kelly said.

Privacy advocates remain leery, particularly because the government says the database could be used for other purposes. For example, information obtained about airline passengers could be used to arrest criminals, said David Sobel, spokesman for the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

"It's certainly an improvement in some ways, but opening the door to uses beyond aviation security certainly raises some serious concerns," Sobel said.

Under the program, an airline passenger would be required to provide name, birthday, address and phone number. That information would then be checked against the government database and, through a private company, publicly available commercial databases to determine a security threat level.

Congress recently expressed skepticism about whether the program will actually work and whether citizens' privacy would be adequately protected. House and Senate negotiators last week agreed to require the Homeland Security Department to first demonstrate the program meets requirements of due process, accuracy and privacy before it can be launched.

Separately, the Bush administration plans to reduce funding for another aviation security program ? air marshals ? was pilloried by Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Democratic senators on Wednesday denounced the plan as "crazy" and "mindboggling" in light of a new warning that al-Qaida may try more suicide hijackings.

That warning prompted an order from the Transportation Security Administration directing U.S. airlines to immediately begin more intensive screening of travelers flying out of a foreign airport into the United States, then connecting to another foreign destination.

As for the marshals program, a key Republican said he was adamantly opposed to any effort to shift money away from it.

"It is foolish to even consider cutting back the number of air marshals on commercial flights," said Rep. Harold Rogers (news, bio, voting record), R-Ky., chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that handles the Homeland Security Department's budget.

The Transportation Security Administration asked Congress last Friday for permission to cut $104 million, or about 20 percent, of the funding for the air marshals program to help offset the agency's $900 million budget deficit.

The next day, Homeland Security, the TSA's parent agency, sent an advisory to airlines and law enforcement agencies warning that al-Qaida may try more suicide hijackings.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., and other lawmakers also were upset by reports that air marshals had received a directive saying they would no longer be allowed to fly missions requiring overnight stays to save money on hotel bills. Such a move would reduce the number of cross-country and international flights with marshals on board.

Asa Hutchison, undersecretary for border and transportation security, sent a memo on Wednesday authorizing other federal law enforcement agencies to augment the air marshals.

Still, Democrats accused the administration of scrimping on resources needed to defend Americans against terrorists.

"They don't have enough money to do the job for homeland security," Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., said. "This sorry episode won't be the last. Every time there's a problem in one place they pull money out of another."

I cant read that much yo

Wonder who is gonna make the chips they put in our necks?

where did you take that from

Sheesh.. it get worse!! :uhoh

There saying now even Americans will have to submit to a government background check before you can buy an airline ticket.

That is fucked up intrusive. What's next a background check at every toll booth on the highways?

Geeezzz.

USA ... world of freedom :1orglaugh

:ugone2far

It just hit the Associated Press about 1 hour ago.

At least one good thing today they canned Poindexter from running that intrusive DARPA program for coming up with that stupid ass terrorist betting program that was in the news yesterday.

"Land of the Free"

LOL, keep voting Republican you retards.

Fucking right. Bring back Slick Willy and his Monica cigars. :)

:eek7

They need to do credit checks for airline passengers why?

Yep, put that list together with the list of books you take out from the library and the websites you surf. That's one sweet database. I wish I had that much information on my members. But wait, I can't! It's ILLEGAL.

Damn straight.

If only Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, and Poindexter would get a sloppy wet blowjob once in a while, this shit wouldn't be happening.

They'd be like, "Fuck it".

the Ashhahahahahaization of the USA....

he and his sinner buddy GW are some of the most anti-American fucks I've ever seen...

I don't think a communist would do this much damage to the US

Turn up the Van Halen boys it's 1984!

hahaha

What the hell is wrong with you people.

They've been doing this in Israel for years...they know exactly who you are before you even get to the fucking gate.

As far as America is concerned you have rights to privacy, but you do not have a right to fly.

You do not have a right to cut your travel time down from what could be days to just hours.

You do not even have a right to drive.

Those are all privileges. And with those privileges and hell even with rights there are costs.

But when it comes to being able to cross this country in a matter of hours that cost just went up.

Live with it...it's not the camel nose in the tent.

You actually want to make America more like Israel?

The goal for most Israeli's I've talked to is for Israel to be more like the U.S. (less terrorism, more freedom, less extremists), not for the U.S. to become more like Israel.

Go read the US Constitution. Specifically, the 9th and 10th Amendments.

It's not the government's job to dole out "privileges" as it sees fit.

Okay here goes the time to twist words instead of just sticking to the real argument.

No we don't want to become more like Israel, but the simple fact is we will when it comes to terrorism.

Isn't that what you guys all warned us about when attacking Afghanistan and Iraq that we would have increased terrorist attacks here? LOL

But the point of the argument is this. Flying is a privilege. Not a right.

The government can ask anything it wishes of you in order to benefit from this privilege, just as it does with driving.

When you want to drive you have to give all this information, including your thumbprint so they now have a record of you.

Show up at the DMV to apply for a licennse with a warrant out in that state...you get arrested because they can easily check their DB while you're there.

And while using this license they can easily check your information from a state db, as well as a national db to see if you're a wanted criminal. Does this violate my rights?

Hell no.

if "WE" are the fucking government then "WE" have a fucking right to make whatever the fuck we FEEL like making a RIGHT...


alright!?


;-)

Not the way it works here...sorry don't live on your planet.

There is a process and if you think a majority of America believes the way you believe you're sadly mistaken.

And for those of you concerned with this being a violation of your civil rights this is why we have a system of checks and balances.

It'll all get worked out in one way or another in the end.

I could live with the new security stuff, if it made it safe.
But even after all the new stuff, those news shows still get
illegal things on board all the time.

What does credit have to do with being a terrorist tho???????? TONS of normal people have bad credit and late payments, I know I have late payments and some bad credit. I thought that a lot of the people that fund terrorists like Bin Laden have millions of dollars so they probably don't have bad credit. But almost everyone I know has bad credit!

Also, do you think it will show up in the database that you sell porn??? :helpme

And also what does your "medical background" have to do with being a terrorist?? ARe you more likely to be a terrorist if you are healthy (so you have a lot of strength to commit terrorist acts), or if if you have a fatal disease (so you have nothing to live for?)
:helpme

Tell that to the state governments that license you for driving.

I never knew people were born to have "privileges" - I ain't got any of them. I do have "rights" tho to do whatever I fucking want as long as this does not harm others or do damage.

DUH? What privacy?? Only communist countries have the same high level as "privacy" as the US. :Graucho

Right wingers are now the party of big government. Isn't it ironic.

You are born with rights, you earn privileges.

Any child who comes from parent's with decent parenting skills would have learned this at an early age.

Once again. You have the right to move freely about this country, you just don't have the right to do it by plane.

To travel on a federally regulated craft, that operates from a federally regulated business while flying through federally regulated air space opens you up to playing by their federally regulated rules

I've got better things to do cya :)

Bingo Jimmy!!! Great statement. Its We The People not We The Government running this country.

Power mongering egos in Washington seemed to have forgotten an event called the American Revolution back in 1776.

KRL:

I always thought the government suppose to *serve* the people - that is a word that seems to have avoided some :)

O'h well, it doesn't apply to me anyways, I don't fly because I'm too scared of dying in a plane because of a crash or terrorist attack so I don't fly. Yes, I know chances are better of dying in a car accident, that's why I barely drive (only when I have to, like once a week to buy food) and avoid the freeways of course.

Nothing can happen to me because I always stay at home
and don't go anywhere :thumbsup (knock on wood)

Looks like its time to signup for Sentient.

http://www.sentient.com

:winkwink:

That's how I meet my hub.. I was at Roundtable pizza standing at the jukebox and he said " PLAY VAN HALEN "


:1orglaugh