Air Marshals Place Innocents on Secret Watch List

An anonymous reader writes "The Denver Channel 7 News reports that federal air marshals are operating under a quota for reporting a minimum number of suspicious travelers which is resulting in innocent people being placed on a secret government watch list. From the article: 'These unknowing passengers who are doing nothing wrong are landing in a secret government document called a Surveillance Detection Report, or SDR.'"

No wonder

[MECC]

It was posted anonymously...

Secret government list?

[Weaselmancer]

Well, I wouldn't call it a secret anymore.

Good thing..

[ackthpt]

Good thing I'm too broke to fly.

Obvious solution....

[MagicDude]

The marshalls should just put everyone under the age of 5 on the "no fly" list. Marshall's meet their quota, and the flight is much more enjoyable for everyone else. Everybody wins.

Re:IT?

[idontgno]

YRO would be too suspicious. Let's not make their jobs easier, eh?

From the Marshall's Journal

[Aqua_boy17]

Just got my ass chewed out for being under quota. Gotta keep my eyes open. But look ,over there, by the window. That frail old lady kind of looks suspicious to me. Got kind of an evil look about her. And what's that in her hands? OMG - Holy crap - knitting needles!! Quick, take her down she might just be trying to knit....

(wait for it)


AN AFGHAN!

Re:WTF

[rumblin'rabbit]

So the Denver news is now a reliable source of information?

Indeed, perhaps the Denver 7 news reporter was under a deadline, and just made stuff up.

oblig. 1984 reference

[cvd6262]

"Innocent passengers are being entered into an international intelligence database as suspicious persons, acting in a suspicious manner on an aircraft ... and they did nothing wrong," said one federal air marshal.

2006.07.25 DenverChannel malsaid "unorthodox" as "suspicious". rectify.

Re:Obvious solution....

[Dr Tall]

So 20 years from now everyone between the age of 20 and 25 will be on the watch list? You're letting the 26 year-old terrorists win.

Re:WTF

[Anonymous Coward]

What is truly remarkable that the article uses the word suspicious, the summary uses the word suspicious and yet you still spell it suspitious more than once.

Please stop showing the world how lousy our public school system is. I thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Wrong focus

[Kesch]

I think these guys are spending too much time looking for possible terrorists and not enough time on the real threats.

Like snakes.

What I'm really scared of is mothaf*cking snakes on mothaf*cking planes!

Re:I'd rather be safe than free

[Amouth]

Bush that you???

Re:WTF

[butterwise]

Yeah, them damn hicks out west don't know squat.

Excuse me, but we "hicks" are in the south, not west, thank you very much.

Re:Obvious solution....

[cashman73]

Put everyone with a cell phone on the secret watch list, too. That should put just about,... everyone,... on the list. ;-)

Re:Obvious solution....

[Anonymous Coward]

Won't somebody think of the terrorist children?

MOS: 31V

[Tony]

But seriously, could being in the US Army qualify? You have training which might be considered threatening? Maybe not, might depend on what you did in the Army. Demo expert? Hand to hand combat? Maybe your are considered an asset to the bad guys?

I was a 31V, cross-trained as a 31C. That is, I field-serviced two-way radios, and I did a little training as a RATT operator (radio teletype, for long-range communication). If the bad guys need a handset on a PRC-77 or their RC-524 replaced, I could do it. Not that I would.

Re:MOS: 31V

[Anonymous Coward]

"If the bad guys need a handset on a PRC-77 or their RC-524 replaced, I could do it. Not that I would."

Hang on a second - I thought you did do it. You did say you worked for the US Army, didn't you?

Re:Bullshit

[Anonymous Coward]

He should be on the list. Just yesterday he threw his ball into my yard and WALKED ON MY GRASS TO GET IT! Then HE DID IT AGAIN!!!!

Re:The gov't ruining innocent peoples lives

[soft_guy]

I have a relatively common anglo name (like John Doe)

Were you in the band X?

Re:Guy I know is on the list

[nasch]

LOL a pilot on the no-fly list! That is so rich!

Re:IT?

[StikyPad]

Strategic Data Report
26 July, 2006

Agent: StikyPad
Subject: mrxak

Individual was seen on Wednesday July 26, at approximately 0619 making suspicious inquiries regarding the nature of data categorization and storage. The subject posed as a "concerned reader," and asked what appeared to be harmless questions, however informants have stated that he may, in fact, have been planning to submit his own stories to improper categories. Surveillance indicates that this is just the beginning of a massive campaign of disinformation and misinformation designed to thwart intelligence collection and law enforcement capabilities -- clearly a grave threat to national security.

It is further believed that "mrxak" may actually be an alias, however his true identity has yet to be discovered. Subject must remain under continued observation at all times.

NNNN


Haha.. made quota!

Re:The gov't ruining innocent peoples lives

[Potor]

I didn't know that Anonymous Coward was a relatively common anglo name. Clearly, though, with a name like that, the cowboys will hate you.

Re:It's not so bad...

[BalanceOfJudgement]

Maybe somebody ought to crack the lottery and share the money with those burned for trying to save the world?

If I came into that kind of money, I would buy 10,000 acres in the middle of nowhere, build my own little town/city and invite everyone who wants to live free, to live there.

Oh, and build a secret army while I'm at it for when the Feds come accusing me of voluntarily leaving paradise, because NOBODY leaves paradise. Everyone should be a happy little Borg.

Re:Fahrenheit 451

[ultramk]

Obviously this does not apply to an Air Marshall who gets drunk and falls asleep on the plane but is the guy on the De Moines to Bend Oregon run going to find as many suspicious people as the guy on the NY to Boston run?

Sorry, but having stayed in both cities, I can categorically state there there is no valid earthly reason to be in either Des Moines, IA or Bend, OR. Obviously there's something truly fishy going on.

m-

Re:No wonder

[MECC]

Makes me wonder if that's how GWB's brain cell works.

Spread calm, spread fear, spread calm, spread fear - oops gotta pee - spread calm, spread fear...

Re:Easy Solution

[Peyna]

It's not their fault there's so many people named Anonymous Coward. You could just login.

all relative

[elmurado]

I'm glad I live in China...

You must love the terrorists

[Ohreally_factor]

Anyone who opposes these watch list quotas hates freedom and productivity!

Re:No wonder

[Andrewkov]

Have you considered the fact that your dad might indeed be a terrorist??