“US Anti-War Activists Hit by Secret Airport Ban” by Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
The list had been kept secret until its disclosure last week by the new US agency in charge of aviation safety, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). And it is entirely separate from the relatively well-publicized “no-fly” list, which covers about 1,000 people believed to have criminal or terrorist ties that could endanger the safety of their fellow passengers.
The strong suspicion of such groups as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is suing the government to try to learn more, is that the second list has been used to target political activists who challenge the government in entirely legal ways. The TSA acknowledged the existence of the list in response to a Freedom of Information Act request concerning two anti-war activists from San Francisco who were stopped and briefly detained at the airport last autumn and told they were on an FBI no-fly list.
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Lest you think this is a problem only to use wrong-headed Lefties, I’d like to point out that the article also states:
It is not just left-wingers who feel unfairly targeted. Right-wing civil libertarians have spoken out against the secret list, and at least one conservative organization, the Eagle Forum, says its members have been interrogated by security staff.
(this story originally appeared in the Guardian).
In happier news, the finches who hang out in my back yard are exceptionally happy with their new finch feeder (which, unfortunately also doubles as a hawk feeder). Wild finch frenzies are incredibly amusing, and relaxing, to sit and watch while drinking tea and pretending that Martin Sheen really is the President. Try it. Trust me, you’ll feel better.