Posted on 04/22/2005 8:06:21 PM PDT by fight_truth_decay
The United States has proposed demanding passenger lists from all foreign airlines that fly over US airspace, even if they do not plan to land.
The idea has angered European, Canadian and Mexican airlines, which will be most affected.
At the moment, flights that take off or land in the US have to provide passenger lists.
The measure was introduced after September 11 to help authorities keep track of the movements of people on terrorist watch lists.
Now the Transport Security Administration is considering expanding the requirement to flights merely passing through American airspace.
It says it is talking with international airlines, but that no final decision has been made.
Foreign carriers are angry about the proposal because if they do not comply, they will be forced to alter flight routes, adding time and cost to journeys.
Remember Maher Arar, the Syrian-born Canadian citizen, who was taken into custody under suspicion of ties with al Qaeda, then pulled off his flight when changing planes in New York. Arar is still considered by many Americans and even Canadians to hold a questionable past. Under this new flight watch law, he might have avoided his NY route; and "his alleged torture scenario in Syria for terrorist information" political hubbub might never have occurred.
Back in 2001 when referencing American relations with Europe, the President said: "There are some in Europe who worry about America becoming isolationists, and I'll ease their concerns. We're an internationalist government."
Tired of war and complaining allies (?), is the public going through a phase of wanting to disengage from the world? The UN comes to mind. Some write it is as a phase of isolationism like after WWII. Close the borders, bring back "Made in America" and stay out of our airspace, if you have no business being in America. Safety and the security of Americans comes first. You could say we learned our lesson the hard way.
Just tell them it is cosmic payback for France making our bombers fly the long way around.
I don't know about other Freepers, but I am getting angrier by the day with the adminstration and Congress. Now we want the names of people FLYING OVER the USA, yet God knows what is FREELY RUNNING ACROSS OUR BORDERS AND INFESTS OUR COUNTRY ON THE GROUND and the arrogant and irresponsible Washington government SAYS NOTHING ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE?? What are their names, and where are they going, and what are they doing in OUR COUNTRY ON THE GROUND???
WTF ???
Toto, are we in Kansas yet? What planet is this ??
We should demand every passenger name of everyone going in and out of Mexico, Canada, and every country in CAFTA if that gets passed.
It's the new world order centralized police state. Big brother is here and he's retarded.
Instead of "flyover country," we'll have to start calling it "no-flyover country."
If we could just get the US to demand the names of all those crossing our borders on foot...
I hear your outrage but the two things aren't mutually exclusive. Let's hope the guy who figured out that the flying bomb out of Montreal overflying NYC might be a danger talks to his buddies who have border control responsibilities.
We don't know their names, because we don't allow them here legally. That's why, and that's why we never will know who they are.
Pretty simple really.
But maybe the lists of people where we ~do~ have names, when they're in a flying bomb, maybe it would still be a good idea to look at those.
Somebody needs to find out why those minutemen still refuse to seal the border. Seems they ain't got it to zero yet. Shameful.
BINGO! Waited for that reply. Well said.
ok.....i had no idea about any of this and had never thought about it, but it's darned scary that we have no clue who's in our airspace ...
An excellent observation. Good fences make for good neighors.
An excellent observation. Good fences make for good neighors.
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An armed and ready Border Patrol makes for VERY LAW-ABIDING AND U.S. BORDER-RESPECTING neighbors...
Gaak... I had no idea that the Border Patrol is unarmed.
What we need is a Berlin Wall on our southern border and the attitude that if we catch you here and send you home the next time you're caught you'll be here for 25 years as our guests.
I prefer a capture and release programme like you see on Wild Kingdom. Capture illegal alien, insert radio tag, and realease to the wild where you can montor them and block them before they reach the border.
Just a thought from a certified (possibly certifiable) Right Wing Conspirator
I'd like to apologize for my snippy comments upthread. Was in a foul mood. I'm feeling better now.
I'd like to apologize for my snippy comments upthread. Was in a foul mood. I'm feeling better now.
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No problem :-) I think we are all in a bad mood over what is being done to our country -- I know I am. And it does not have to be that way...that makes it worse.
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