Posted on 01/07/2010 4:25:44 AM PST by marktwain
Michael Yon is an author and has been a combat journalist for over five years, spending time as an embedded reporter in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Philippines. Yon is also a former Green Beret, making him an ideal liaison between the needs of both military and journalism when reporting in war zones. According to Yon, on January he was returning from Afghanistan via Hong Kong, landing in Seattle. He carried with him nothing more extraordinary than his camera equipment. He didn’t tell them his profession, but said, “They started figuring it out when they found my press credentials from Iraq and Afghanistan.” Customs agents asked him how much money he made, and Yon refused to answer. Agents then asked him more questions, such as who he worked for, which Yon also refused to answer. At this point, they handcuffed Yon and took him into custody, and called the Port Authority police. Yon said that since “there is nothing illegal about not answering questions about income and employment,” the police “took me away from Customs” and released him without further incident.
According to Perry Cooper of the Port of Seattle Police Department, officers were alerted by Customs personnel of Yon’s detention. Cooper said, “When Customs looks for support they contact us, and our job is to make sure nothing escalates further. We stand by to ensure the peace.” After evaluating the situation, police issued no citations and let Yon go, finding no reason to take him into custody.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
I’ve learned first hand that there is nothing a person in authority hates more than when you choose to exercise your right to remain silent.
It’s like waving a red flag in their face challenging them to prove they have control over you no matter what the circumstances are.
Michael Yon is the best journalist concerning our military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan that I’ve read. I’d encourage folks to read his dispatches and send some $$ his way.
In the tradition Ernie Pyle and other greats of that lost profession, you feel like you’re witnessing what he is writing about.
Yon was the first to warn that al-Queda was winning in Western Iraq. The first to witness the success of the surge and has now said we are losing Ahganistan.
His name has been red flagged in the computer, hence forth, his customs inspection will be hell....
Especially a few days after someone tries to blow up an airplane, and everybody is citing lax security.
But if you have a couple of hours to kill, by all means refuse to answer questions. Eventually, you will be let go, because it is not required that you answer the questions.
I usually put myself in the shoes of whoever it is that’s asking and the reason they are. If I believe they’re trying to get me to incriminate myself and are just fishing for me to do it then I would clam up too.
If it pertains to their job and the situation at hand then I don’t have a problem with it, if I had been this guy I would have just answered them and been on my way.
If I get pulled over on I-10 for changing lanes without using my turn signal or speeding and they start in with the questions then that’s a different story altogether.
...and how does what he makes pertain to the job at hand of welcoming back an American to Seattle???? The IRS has that info, I'd tell the clown to pound sand too and be ready to sue if that was the basis of detention... damn jack booted thug soviet minded stooges. Customs clearing isn't an IRS interview, but with cameras in hand I would have said yes, my profession is journalist.
Welcome to the USSA... may the chains rest lightly... ymmv
It has nothing to do with it, in fact the answer is probably meaningless to the guy asking it. It wasn't the answer he wanted, but HOW the person answers it.
Next time you go through customs watch the inspectors closely. They are looking for tells on whoever they are inspecting, even if you can't tell they are, which is a sign of a good inspector.
The guy probably has a dozen off the cuff questions he asks people like this - "How much do you make?" question just to illicit a response to categorize his next question. You tell him to go to hell he won't get mad, but it will tell him something about you. Answer too fast with a large number it tells him something else, or if question him as to why he asks it another, and so on. Was the guy a jerk for doing it? Probably, if he actually asked while cocking his head to the side like he was genuinely interested in the answer and didn't use his business tone of voice the guy might have just answered him strait up, I don't know.
Everyone seems to think that some questions are asked just to be a-holes, but they spend a whole lot of time learning to read the responses to them, which is what they really want to do.
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