Professor who criticized Bush added to terrorist 'no-fly' list

[Stinger]

OK has everyone stopped salivating over the thought of impeaching Bush because he personally inconvenienced this professor? Have you stopped to read and analyze exactly what the renound professor is saying?

If he was on a no-flight list he would never have been sold a ticket and would not be issued a boarding pass. The professor bought a ticket and was issued a boarding pass. There are two list, the terrorist watch list, you ain't getting a ticket, and the selective screening list, you name might be the same as someone.

He claims a ticket counter person told him he was on a terrorist watch list, they would not have known.

Here are the responses from TSA and American Airlines to the incident, for which it doesn't appear the professor has filed any formal complaint, only give the story to the media.

"TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser responded to questions about the no-fly list. He did not know the details of this incident but said:

Individuals who receive a boarding pass are not on a no-fly list. (ed. note: There are two lists: no-fly and selectee. The former prohibits flying, the latter gets one extra screening. If your name is like someone's on the no-fly list, you will have big problems. If your name is on or is like one on the selectee list, you will have to go the counter every time you fly and can be inconvenienced.)
TSA doesn't have an interface at ticket counters. This would have been an airline employee who didn’t speak on behalf of the TSA.
The watchlists contain only people who are known threats to aviation. If someone is simply exercising the first Amendment rights, they will not be on the list.



I asked American Airlines what they knew about the incident. Spokesman Tim Wagner had no specifics, but the story sounded as off to them as it did to me.

First, this sound really fishy:
>>"I presented my credentials from the Marine Corps to a very polite clerk for American Airlines. One of the two people to whom I talked asked a question and offered a frightening comment: "Have you been in any peace marches? We ban a lot of people from flying because of that."<<
American Airlines does not maintain the TSA security watch lists. We don't ban people - period. In fact, the TSA doesn't even "ban" many people. Our employees don't know the criteria which TSA uses to add people to the watch lists. I can't envision one of our employees making a statement like this. It's possible that a TSA or other security employee might have.
However, when a person's name is on the watch list, there are certain extra security procedures that are initiated. Essentially, the passenger can fly after undergoing this extra screening. That's all done by the TSA, though. That appears to be what happened with Professor Murphy, but you should ask the TSA - Office of Communications.
There have been numerous, highly-publicized examples of people having to go through this extra security because someone with a similar name is on the watch list. Professor Murphy can, I believe, appeal this to the TSA. This might be something you want to ask TSA about.""



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[Sergeant Stinger1]

Small change here!!!
The big stuff that Bush does to people that want to harm his daddy is get 3,000+ of our brave Troops killed for putting a price on Daddys head.
To Bush putting someone on the terrorist list is "small change" to :toilet: Bush.:toilet:

 

[RightinNYC]

(Editor's note: The article was edited to reflect that the story is based on one person's account at the present time)

Do you believe everything you hear? Like stinger pointed out, the story has serious inconsistencies and on the whole, sounds like a load of crap.

Simply reposting every rumor that rawstory decides to print =/= quality posts.

 

[rathi]

TSA doesn't have an interface at ticket counters. This would have been an airline employee who didn’t speak on behalf of the TSA.
The watchlists contain only people who are known threats to aviation. If someone is simply exercising the first Amendment rights, they will not be on the list.

Then why the hell was he on the list?

However, when a person's name is on the watch ist, there are certain extra security procedures that are initiated. Essentially, the passenger can fly after undergoing this extra screening. That's all done by the TSA, though. That appears to be what happened with Professor Murphy, but you should ask the TSA - Office of Communications.

So we have a secret list, with a secret criteria for getting on, a secret way of getting off? Nobody is answering the question: Why was he put on the list in the first place? This is nothing but punishment without due process. Secrecy is completely unacceptable in this fashion.

 

[Ikari]

The major problem with the No Fly list is that there is no oversight, and no way to really get off the list once put on, even if put on for unjust or political reasons.

 

[RightinNYC]

This is nothing but punishment without due process.

People keep on making this claim, which makes no sense. The constitution enjoins the government from infringing on certain enumerated and unenumerated rights that people have. The right to take private air travel across the country without undergoing thorough security procedures is NOT one of those rights.

If you want to make an argument based on policy preferences, go ahead. But bringing the constitution in is pointless.