Something tells me that the ACLU will be all over this one. Personally, I have no problem with this 'Terror Risk' Color Labels Coming For All US Fliers By Mary Lou Pickel The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 8-3-3 The Transportation Security Administration plans to begin testing new computerized background checks to determine which airline passengers are potential terrorists. But in response to privacy concerns, the agency no longer plans to delve into travelers' creditworthiness or medical records, the agency said Thursday. Testing will begin almost immediately, using personal information on travelers collected in airline reservation systems and commercially available databases, said Dennis Murphy, a Department of Homeland Security spokesman. "We're trying to determine if this traveler is a real person as opposed to [whether they are] making it it up," Murphy said. Information would be used to assign a risk level -- green, yellow or red -- to all travelers. Those with higher levels would get extra scrutiny at airports. Testing of the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System could last six months, if everything goes well, Murphy said. It won't be used to make security screening decisions on real passengers, but as testing progresses, "we'll get closer and closer to live tests," Murphy said. "If someone pops up who is on the terror watch list or a no-fly list, we'd probably take action," he said. The idea of an advanced passenger screening program began taking shape shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings. Earlier this year, the Transportation Security Administration and Delta Air Lines conducted a very basic test to see whether their computer systems could communicate with each other, Murphy said. The agency in March awarded a $12.8 million contract to Lockheed Martin Corp. to link commercial databases, such as a database of addresses or phone numbers, with airline travel data and government terrorist watch lists. Airline travel records contain information such as how travelers paid for their tickets, who else they may be traveling with and their itinerary. The TSA's decision to leave credit and medical records out of the system doesn't satisfy all critics, some of whom view the plan as part of a larger threat to civil liberties posed by post-Sept. 11 security initiatives. "These are potentially fundamental changes in the relationship of the individual and the government, to have the government assigning risk scores to all of us," Jay Stanley, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union, told The Associated Press. Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, remains leery. "Unless there's legal restraint, people will find other ways to use these systems," he said. "These private-sector databases are notorious for the number of errors they contain." The Homeland Security agency has hired a chief privacy officer to help address concerns. It also says airline passengers will be able to complain about incorrect information to an agency ombudsman. The TSA says it will no longer keep information on high-risk passengers for 50 years, as an earlier policy document indicated. In most cases, the risk assessment and the information used to create it will be erased after the passenger's itinerary is completed, in a set number of days, Murphy said. Airlines generally favor the use of a computer screening system because it could reduce the current reliance on physical screening at airports, which slows passenger processing.
It is amazing how far the feds and the airlines will go to stay PC and avoid doing the one thing that might actually prevent terrorist seizure of an airliner; a little "racial-profiling." That's right, take any Arab-looking passenger (or any passenger from a predominately Islamic country) out of line and rake him over the coals a lot harder than passengers of other races or national origins. El-Al, the Israeli carrier, has done this for years. They don't make any apologies. They know who their enemies are, where they are from, and what they look like. It's time we wised up and did the same thing.
As 90% of all violent crime is committed by males, I suggest interring all males, which will cut the crime rate to miniscule levels. Oh, and the terrorists are 100% male - they have not been 100% of arabic origin. That should take care of that problem as well.
There have been female homicide bombers used in attacks against Israel, so that won't work. But I surmise that you are being sarcastic.
So, Tuwho, the next time you get on a plane I'm sure you will be comforted by seeing 4 or 5 seedy looking guys in turbans sail right though security while that Grandma from Toledo is shaken down and given the 3rd degree.
Sure, just profile the Arabs. That would have missed the dirty bomber and the Beltway sniper, as well as the shoe bomber who had a good English-sounding name. But hey, no system's perfect.
Some of the other criteria they flag are stupid, too. If you buy a one-way ticket they assume you're planning on it being a one-way ticket for everyone. Paying cash is aslo suspicious. That doesn't make ANY sense. If you're going on a suicide mission, would you waste cash or use a credit card you'd never have to pay back? And wouldn't you want to take a little vacation and carry out your mission on the way back??!
Of course there are nuts from every segment and of course I realize that the 911 terrorists deliberately adopted a clean look in order to fit in and not arouse suspicsion. No matter how stringent the profiling there is always a chance of a terrorist slipping though the system but they have to start somewhere and young Arabic males are the prime candidates for extra scrutiny. Maybe the airlines should adopt the system El Al uses or at least look to them for guidance. My "seedy looking guys wearing turbans" was a bit facetious but shortly after 9-11 a guy wearing a turban carried a shotgun in a burlap sack into the New Orleans airport and started shooting until he was overpowered by some passengers waiting for or departing from their flights. If you have access to private air travel thats great for you but thats an option that is not available for the vast majority of tourists and business travelers.
