Terrorist watch lists grow; more screening on flights to U.S.

List grows so does terrorism this is what we have been watching for years.

Amen to that some14some. The difference is that it is now entirely out of control. This new doctrine effectively forces the US to isolate itself, not even according to how it is attacked, but how it is threatened. Ok. So this week it is Yemen. I have seen an official announcement by the US government stating that ALL US bound passengers can now expect "enhanced measures." Citizens. Toddlers. ALL US bound passengers.

It is over. The terrorists can stand in front of a flag and say "Mission Accomplished" because any splinter group in any country can make travel to and from the US, or commercial and diplomatic relations with the US, onerous just by making a threat and planting fireworks on a teenager en route to New Jersey. If the USA does NOT do that, it is acknowledging that this policy is mistaken. Painted into a corner, the US is now relegated to reaction, not action.

Very sad. I never thought I would see the day when my family would have to be subjected to fingerprinting, photographing, strip searching and whatever else on someone's whim just so that they can visit the original Disneyland. Did ANYONE see this coming in 2000? But here we are.

Incidentally, even VIEWING nude images of a child is against the law in many countries. Will full body scanning by non-medical personnel even be legal? I bet the answer is "Who cares."

I guess I won't be coming home any time soon. This is just so distressing. I didn't see this coming in 2000. Who would want to fly out of the U.S. anymore when you have to go through all that to get back in? Or people who just want to visit the states?

some14some: Good point. In fact, it's become so out of control, as GoSpeedracerGo points out, that pretty much the only people TRYING to go to the US will be suspected or newly recruited terrorists. Who else would want to now?

They can compile watchlists up the gazoo; as long as they grant religious visas to young muslims flying one way to paradise after madarassa training in Yemen, that is an exercise in futility.

What a joke.

hahaha... There is a Catch-22! The only people who would want to go would be the evildoers! Let's just simplify things and say that anyone who buys a plane ticket goes to Gitmo! Nicely put Smith.

Kokoro. I like your use of distressing to describe this. I recently went through the fingerprinting/photographing routine to show my family the country where I was born... land of the free and home of the brave. It is embarrassing now, frankly. The kids complain. Planning becomes difficult. We can go anywhere else in the world and not get the third degree. Commmunist countries. Islamic countries. Developing countries. I should just shut up and turn my back to this distressing trend in the US. It would not bother me so much if I could really do that.

But what a traitor I would be if I did that. Someone has to stand up and say the truth. This is a bad policy that will alienate the US. It is being undertaken because of one misguided person from Africa. It is more freedom being given up for nothing.

speedracer:

" It is being undertaken because of one misguided person from Africa. "

He was not misguided. He was well-educated in islamic schools in Yemen, and the head of the islamic society at his university in London. If anything, you could take guidance from him.

He understands his religion well, including the rewards for going on a jihad and becoming a martyr.

I say we all fly naked, period. And that is as after bending over in the security area.

Proffesor: "I say we all fly naked, period. And that is as after bending over in the security area."

Not if they're American flight attendants! JAL, ANA, Asiana... sure.

Oh I do love it when smith shows his true colors. :)

Professor:

" I say we all fly naked, period. And that is as after bending over in the security area. "

Well, we are slowly getting to that. Instead of addressing the issue, the reaction by the governments will once again be to punish the victims... us.... by making life once again even more miserable for all of us, instead of concentrating on the jihadists.

And once air travel has become absurdly slow and cumbersome for everyone, the jihadists will move on to even softer targets. Whats next? Trains, busses, ships, football stadiums... following the current logic, we all will have to undergo body search everwhere.

And thus, the terrorist achieve their goal by terrorizing us all the time.

Its too much , too soon, too fast...with this rate it seems that laws in free and democratic countries are changed to sacrifice the conveniences of billions in order to catch few possible terrorists. I can only hope the authority will distinguish between low risk and high risk people and let low risk catergory pass with ease.

tcih:

" I can only hope the authority will distinguish between low risk and high risk people "

They could and they should. However, that means profiling and is therefore politically unacceptable. So, stupidity will continue to rule.

"terrorists"

What the heck is wrong with some people?!

The US govt is being reactive not proactive.These new measures will just turn normal,decent citizens away from going to the country for a holiday,due to the hassle factors involved.

"The US govt is being reactive not proactive."

Yeah, well, whenever we get proactive, the liberals start their hollerin' 'n screamin'.

Oversensitive whiners. The lot of you.

Oversensitive whiners. The lot of you.

Exactly. Let's just all just erase the US from our travel plans and let them steam in glorious isolation. Maybe if they do it for a couple of centuries, someone'll send some black ships, or black planes or something, to force them to open up to the outside world.

Just pity the people who have to live there and put up with this cr@p.

SuperLib: "Oh I do love it when smith shows his true colors. :)"

I know... the prospect of seeing attracting naked flight attendants vs. non attractive holds no hesitancy for some. :) Of course, it's no surprise that you would misread that I was making a simple comment on the attractiveness of Asian airlines' flight attendants in general and instead take some offense at my comment. You always do, my friend -- a HUGE sign of insecurity. Can't blame you with Americans in this day and age, but I'm sorry to have offended your manhood.

Seriously, though, you should try to get over yourself and address the topic.

sarge: "Yeah, well, whenever we get proactive, the liberals start their hollerin' 'n screamin'."

sarge... 'we?' as in, you actually are for what your government is doing? By the gods, sarge agrees with Obama 100%.... funny thing is his whole 'the liberals' part, since he agrees with Obama.

I'm proud of you, sarge. Small step for Americans.

Got to live with that. International flights need more cautious screenings since most foreign airports have a different security system in comparison to the US airports.

I'd like to see special screenings done for serial killers. Let's take special care to ensure serial killers are screened for on our flights. Yep, anyone who fits the description pattern of a serial killer should be forced to go through extra screenings. It's for all our safety, you know.

Taka

"He was not misguided."

Hey WilliB. Thanks for clarifying that. Someone who tries to blow up an airliner is not misguided? Remind me to recommend you for the no-fly list.

Sarge, Nin...

Liberal whining huh? Just close your eyes and imagine what kind of search or policy would be egregious. What is it? Draw that line. Set that limit. I encourage you to do that because sooner or later, that line will be crossed and you can join me in saying enough is enough. Or will you?

Your problem is that you can't put yourself in any context but NOW, where it seems to make sense to "do a little more" to "protect loved ones from evil-doers." But that LITTLE more has gone from metal detectors to what we have now: fingerprinting, photography, secret lists, air marshals, armed troops in airports, nitrogen detectors, wave screeners, x rays, dogs, naked photography, frisking, strip searches, spot checks, psychological profiling, repeated checking of flight documentation by anyone who asks, no nail clippers, shoes off, coats off, boot up your computer if asked, plastic baggies, remove prosthetic limbs, no fluids, no locked luggage, and bend over,

and there is so much more

and there are plenty more measures planned

and

it STILL is not enough. It will never ever be enough. That should be as plain as day to you. America will be an armed camp and victory will never be declared, ever. I think you are both military, so you are ok with the routine, but the rest of us are not used to living in a military regime. Should we just shut up and get used to it?

I used to ask my great uncle "What was it like before airplanes?" He would think a little bit and say, "Well, it was different." What an understatement. My kids are going to ask me someday what America was like when it was a free country. I will tell them that most people saw things changing but just did not seem to care. I will mention Sarge and Nin by name.

"Let's just all just erase the US from our travel plans"

Ha ha ha! What! And pass up on lucrative business and a great time?

Well said, SpeedRacer. It bothers me that I'm a whiner just because I happen to find that the more security systems we put into place, the more of a burden it is. Prices have to be paid for "safety", sure, but this is getting out of control. And the more the airports focus on protocol and get into the routine of checking every man, woman, and child, the people who want to get past the systems will. Something else has to change-- more guns and high tech machinery and secret lists are not going to fix anything on their own.

Fine, so you've described the horrific slippery slope dramatically enough. Then what's your solution? Any suggestions? Just Say No to terrorism?