US terror watchlist 80,000 names long

[zimv20]

link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051208/pl_afp/usswedenattackstravel;_ylt=AjokIisYT5skWE7d1msffs4Xr7sF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl)


STOCKHOLM (AFP) - A watchlist of possible terror suspects distributed by the US government to airlines for pre-flight checks is now 80,000 names long, a Swedish newspaper reported, citing European air industry sources.

The classified list, which carried just 16 names before the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington had grown to 1,000 by the end of 2001, to 40,000 a year later and now stands at 80,000, Svenska Dagbladet reported.

Airlines must check each passenger flying to a US destination against the list, and contact the US Department of Homeland Security for further investigation if there is a matching name.

The list contains a strict "no fly" section, which requires airline staff to contact police, and a "selectee" section, which requires passengers to undergo further security checks.

Some 2,000 passengers checking in at Stockholm's Arlanda airport have had to be cleared with the US authorities because of name matches on the "selectee" list this year, although none was prevented from boarding, Svenska Dagbladet said.

[maestro55]

Better to be overly secure than to be risking lives? 80,000 people is a lot of people, I wonder how many of that percentage are innocent people who get placed on that list because of their name or such. I have heard that babies have been stopped because their names matched. That is crazy, and going a bit overboard. As Racial profileing was never a good idea in the first place. Just because a person is from the middle east, doesn't mean they are a terrorist. I wonder how many American citizens are on that list that have names matching.

[thedude110]

Ha. I have a friend who is in part responsible for putting together the Watch List.

He, seriously, is one of the least responsible, most mistake prone people in my life.

Don't let the numbers make you feel secure -- where there are 80,000 blacklisted people, there are a world of morons working together to build that list ...

[iGary]

I'm probably one of them.

I end up deadheading back from shoot locations all the time one-way, and ALWAYS get pulled aside for extra screening. :rolleyes:

[skunk]

At this rate, by 2010 everybody in the world will be on the watch list.

[EGT]

extra screening. :rolleyes:

*shudder*


:eek:

[pseudobrit]

I'm probably one of them.

I end up deadheading back from shoot locations all the time one-way, and ALWAYS get pulled aside for extra screening. :rolleyes:

Actually, you're on it four times. Once as you, once as you but at an old address, once with just your first initial instead of full name and once with the first and last names flipped around.

Crap. I've said too much.

[iGary]

Actually, you're on it four times. Once as you, once as you but at an old address, once with just your first initial instead of full name and once with the first and last names flipped around.

Crap. I've said too much.


:eek:

[pseudobrit]

At this rate, by 2010 everybody in the world will be on the watch list.

Consider yourself listed, you scurvy redcoat.

[skunk]

Consider yourself listed, you scurvy redcoat.Hey, not so much of the "scurvy": my Vitamin C intake is well over FDA standards.

[takao]

Consider yourself listed, you scurvy redcoat.


haha lol

i wonder if my friend who is living close to the US embassy in vienna is listed as well since who got pretty angry when US soldiers done roadblocks on austrian soil without allowance...

[rdowns]

Since 9/11, I have been pulled out of line for extra screening every time I've flown (about 30 times). Can't wait to fly to Denver on Wednesday.

[tristan]

It's too bad our government's incompetent, otherwise this list could have been really useful.

[dubbz]

I got pulled over once...

..because my bag was so full of various cables (computer stuff) that their scanner was useless :D :p

[zimv20]

i may have related this anecdote before, so excuse me if i'm repeating myself.

some years ago, i think it was '98, i flew to LA to be the sound guy on an interview for a documentary i was involved with. (the interview subject was michelle yeoh, so there was no way i was going to stay behind :-)

the director and I flew into LAX in the morning and took the red-eye back, so it was a long day. we brought all the gear from chicago. at LAX, i sent the sound bag through the x-ray and got pulled over. they had me open the bag and pull some items out.

when i got to this thing:

http://www.kenstone4.net/fcp_homepage/images_shotgun_mics/02_shotgun.jpg

...she asked me what it was. it's normally called the zeppelin, and it's for protecting the shotgun microphone. it being late, and me being tired and in LA, i used normal industry lingo and said:

"it's for the shotgun".

(pause)

"MICROPHONE! the shotgun MICROPHONE!"

i was let through.

[pseudobrit]

i may have related this anecdote before, so excuse me if i'm repeating myself.

some years ago, i think it was '98, i flew to LA to be the sound guy on an interview for a documentary i was involved with. (the interview subject was michelle yeoh, so there was no way i was going to stay behind :-)

the director and I flew into LAX in the morning and took the red-eye back, so it was a long day. we brought all the gear from chicago. at LAX, i sent the sound bag through the x-ray and got pulled over. they had me open the bag and pull some items out.

when i got to this thing:

http://www.kenstone4.net/fcp_homepage/images_shotgun_mics/02_shotgun.jpg

...she asked me what it was. it's normally called the zeppelin, and it's for protecting the shotgun microphone. it being late, and me being tired and in LA, i used normal industry lingo and said:

"it's for the shotgun".

(pause)

"MICROPHONE! the shotgun MICROPHONE!"

i was let through.

And now you're on the list, Mr. Contraband.

[takao]

I got pulled over once...

..because my bag was so full of various cables (computer stuff) that their scanner was useless :D :p


haha reminds me of our class trip to vienna, on the first day a few friends found some cheap wire (3 meters or so) lying around somewhere and fooled around with it the whole eveing.. but somehow the next day it was forgotten and on the third day when we were visiting one of the synagoges in vienna (the oldest remaining one) when getting checked with metal detectors they found the metal wire again... i stil lrember my friends face when the security guy (from the israel) pulled out the wire and asked "what is this ?"
absolutly priceless

other story: a friend who came back from holidays (where he grew a beard as well) went shopping the next day and used the tram for getting to the mall: on the way back after he entered the tram.. after a few meters the tram stopped and didn't move.. he thought something was wrong or an acident happend further along the rails so he didn't care and didn't really bother... then a police car overtakes the tram after 2 minutes with horns and flashing lights and he thinks "well looked like it was an accident"
but then the polce men enter the tram talk with the tram driver and then head straight to my friend and ask him what he has in his bag ...
yeah you guessed it.. the tram driver thought he might have a bomb in his bag and alarmed the police