25 Reports That Can Put You on the Terror Watch List

Anonymous
Activist Post

A concerted effort has been afoot for some time to merge local police with federal authorities to respond to the implementation of citizen spy "snitch" programs. This has been best illustrated by the role of threat fusion centers, which are integrating data from public and private sources alike -- even universities.

The FBI has now made public their "Communities Against Terrorism" Suspicious Activity Reporting flyers.

I myself have seen documents like this as a former retail store owner. One day, roughly 10 years ago, I received a flyer in my mailbox informing our establishment that we were to submit a "Suspicious Activity Report" for anyone paying with large amounts of cash (I believe it was $2,000 or more at the time). I proceeded to throw it directly into the garbage where it belonged. I did inform my clients, though, rather than inform the "authorities" as I was directed. However, these SAR's have clearly become much more widespread than my tiny retail shop, infiltrating nearly every facet of life in America.

Listed below are all 25 known flyers that should be read in their entirety if one wishes to discover just how far the United States has traveled in its attempt to replicate a level of citizen snitches not seen since the Stasi of East Germany.

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Even Those Cleared of Crimes Can Stay on F.B.I.’s Watch List

New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation is permitted to include people on the government’s terrorist watch list even if they have been acquitted of terrorism-related offenses or the charges are dropped, according to newly released documents.

The files, released by the F.B.I. under the Freedom of Information Act, disclose how the police are instructed to react if they encounter a person on the list. They lay out, for the first time in public view, the legal standard that national security officials must meet in order to add a name to the list. And they shed new light on how names are vetted for possible removal from the list.

Inclusion on the watch list can keep terrorism suspects off planes, block noncitizens from entering the country and subject people to delays and greater scrutiny at airports, border crossings and traffic stops.

The database now has about 420,000 names, including about 8,000 Americans, according to the statistics released in connection with the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. About 16,000 people, including about 500 Americans, are barred from flying...[Full Article]

Terror Watchlist PDF http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/253110/terror-watch-list-foia.pdf

Privacy Groups Protest Massive DHS Database of Secret Watchlists



Network World



Homeland Security plans to operate a massive new database of names, photos, birthdays and biometrics called Watchlist Service, duplicated from the FBI's Terrorist Screening Database which has proven not to be accurate many times in the past. DHS wants to exempt the Watchlist Service from Privacy Act provisions, meaning you will never know if you are wrongfully listed. Privacy groups worried about inaccurate info and mission creep have filed a protest, arguing the Privacy Act says DHS must notify subject of government surveillance.

Homeland Security has a plan to expand its Watchlist Service by duplicating the FBI's existing system of watchlist records and then feed that info into a massive database in which more government people would have immediate access. According to the FBI, the consolidated Terrorist Watchlist is "one of the most effective counterterrorism tools for the U.S. government." But according to the ACLU, FBI spying on free speech is nearly at Cold War levels and that the FBI lied to the Justice Department about continuing improper surveillance of peace groups. So it's not some kind of conspiracy theory, it's a fact that innocent people end up on terrorist watchlists.

So now Homeland Security has proposed to exempt portions of its Use of the Terrorist Screening Database System of Records "from Privacy Act provisions because of criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement requirements." The system of records to be duplicated and expanded into the DHS Watchlist Service will include each suspected terrorists' name, place and date of birth, driver's license and passport info, photos and biometric data, and other personal info.

This newly proposed DHS Watchlist Service will combine four different DHS systems of records including the TSA-managed Transportation Security Threat Assessment System and TSA's Secure Flight Records, Treasury Enforcement Communication System (TECS) managed by Custom and Border Protection (CBP) Passenger Systems Program Office, and IDENT which is managed by the US-VISIT Program. In case you were unaware, according to the July 13th testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, the US-VISIT's IDENT is "fully interoperable" with the FBI's "10-fingerprint-based" identity system to run against the watchlist and the "FBI's entire criminal master file of over 69 million identities in near real time."...[Full Article]

FBI Checks 9/11 Responders Against Terrorist Watch List

FBI to investigate 9/11 responders for terrorism

Russia Today



A provision in a new draft of the 9/11 healthcare bill will force the FBI to investigate tens of thousands of cops, firefighters, construction workers and others for ties to terrorism by comparing names to those on the Terrorism Watch List.

Survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attack who risked their lives to help others and today face debilitating health problems are not being accused of terrorism themselves.

The new bill would require anyone interested in receiving medical care under the new law be screened. Those who refuse will not be allowed to receive care...[Full Article]

US deems 9/11 responders terrorists?

Press TV

Thousands of Americans, who risked their lives to save lives during the 9/11 terror attacks on US soil, will soon be screened by the FBI terrorism watch list.

A host of 9/11 first responders, who saved countless lives, will now have their personal data put through a government terror database and will be considered possible terrorists under a provision in James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act -- a bill named after an NYPD detective who died of 9/11 -- related illnesses, The Huffington Post reported on Thursday.

They will subsequently be denied treatment for breathing disorders and mental health problems developed in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The provision was added to the 9/11 first responders health care law last May, when Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns of Florida tabled an amendment during the intense debate over the bill in the House Energy and Commerce Committee...[Full Article]


9/11 Survivors Wanting Benefits Must Be Checked Against Terror Watch List
Responders Never Told About Florida Congressman's Provision

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — It is being taken as an outrage and an insult.

There were harsh words Friday for a little-noticed provision in the “Zadroga bill.” People who are ill because of the 9/11 terror attack won’t qualify for help until they’re checked against the terror watch list, reports CBS 2’s Tony Aiello.

They say it’s an affront to everybody who is sick and dying.

First responder John Feal, who was injured at ground zero, told Aiello it’s like a slap in the face — a letter going out to 9/11 survivors, warning them about a provision in the Zadroga bill.

“I’m gonna get a letter in the mail seeing if I’m a terrorist?” Feal said...[Full Article]

Terrorist watch list: One tip now enough to put name in database, officials say

A year after a Nigerian man allegedly tried to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner, officials say they have made it easier to add individuals' names to a terrorist watch list and improved the government's ability to thwart an attack in the United States.

The failure to put Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on the watch list last year renewed concerns that the government's system to screen out potential terrorists was flawed. Even though Abdulmutallab's father had told U.S. officials of his son's radicalization in Yemen, government rules dictated that a single-source tip was insufficient to include a person's name on the watch list.

Since then, senior counterterrorism officials say they have altered their criteria so that a single-source tip, as long as it is deemed credible, can lead to a name being placed on the watch list.

The government's master watch list is one of roughly a dozen lists, or databases, used by counterterrorism officials. Officials have periodically adjusted the criteria used to maintain it...

[Full Article]

TSA takes full control of passenger watch list checks

US Dept. of Homeland Security stated that all passengers on flights "within or bound for the United States are now being checked against government watch lists" under implementation of the Transportation Security Administration's "Secure Flight" program, which entails the agency prescreening a passenger's full name, birth date and gender prior to issuance of a boarding pass...

[Full Article]

ACLU: Flying Americans Fear Being Put On Government Watch List

TSA complaints continue to flood in, travelers afraid of government “retaliation” if they complain

Steve Watson
Prisonplanet.com
Friday, Dec 3rd, 2010

The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that it is still receiving high volumes of complaints about the new airport screening procedures, and that some travelers say they have not filed official complaints with the TSA because they are fearful of being placed on a government watch list.

Last week the ACLU revealed that it had received over 900 complaints about the naked body scanners and the new pat down measures being implemented by the TSA.

That number swelled to over 1000 before November was through, according to the privacy watchdog.

“These complaints came from men, women and children who reported feeling humiliated and traumatized by these searches, and, in some cases, comparing their psychological impact to sexual assaults.” the ACLU website noted.

Meanwhile, TSA head John Pistole says there were only 49 complaints from travelers over the Thanksgiving weekend, a figure that prompted the TSA to suggest that Americans were largely unconcerned with the new procedures, and were even appreciative of them.

The ACLU disputes this notion, however:

“The low number of complaints received by the TSA is not an endorsement of the security procedures, but rather a result of real or perceived problems with the TSA’s complaint system.” notes Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst with the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project.

“As the abundant complaints received by the ACLU illustrate, Americans do not want to be forced to choose between letting government agents touch their bodies or take naked pictures of them.” Stanley added.

The ACLU press release notes that the real reasons people have not filed official complaints with the government is because they believed they would either be totally ignored, or worse still, that their act of defiance would land them on a terror watch list.

“Some complainants reported that they had not filed a complaint with the TSA because they were afraid of being put on a watch list or otherwise retaliated against by the government. ” the ACLU press release notes.

“Large numbers of innocent Americans have been caught up by the government’s out-of-control watch list system.” it continues.

The concern is completely vindicated, following the leaking of a reported TSA memo that was circulated at the height of last month’s opt out controversy which “officially addresses those who are opposed to, or engaged in the disruption of the implementation of the enhanced airport screening procedures as ‘domestic extremists’.”

In response to the story, former Congressman Bob Barr filed a Freedom of Information Act request which demanded to know if the TSA had categorized those leading the charge against invasive security measures, namely Matt Drudge, Alex Jones, and John Tyner, via the websites drudgereport.com and prisonplanet.com, as “domestic extremists”.

The Department of Homeland Security has a history of engaging in such activity, and of course, it is well documented that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of entirely innocent Americans on the so called “no fly” list.

“The government should heed the very real complaints of countless Americans who object to the invasive new procedures and develop security measures that are safe, effective and respect civil liberties.” the ACLU’s Jay Stanley said.

“We must strive to be safe without abandoning our most sacred freedoms.” the senior analyst added.

According to the ACLU, recurring themes in the hundreds of reports they have received include:

• The searches are extremely invasive
• Many travelers are reporting intense feelings of violation and humiliation
• Some report being physically hurt by the searches
• Some feel their searches are punitive
• Reports of gawking by agents
• Reports of seemingly unnecessary repeated touching of intimate areas
• Many vow not to fly any more
• Any traveler may be forced to undergo one of these searches

This is the new America. The public fearing that they will be placed on a government database of subversives if they dare speak out over being zapped with ionizing radiation, photographed naked and aggressively groped by government agents, all in the name of protecting their liberties.

The only way such outright abuse of power will be halted is if the majority of Americans say no. A government watch list comprised of hundreds of million people is useless anyway. If the American people continue to hold their tongues, this tyranny will quickly expand beyond the airports and into everyday life.

If you have been on the receiving end of a TSA groping or have been forced through a naked body scanner, we implore you to file a complaint both with the ACLU here or here and with the TSA here.

Other ways to complain

Survey on the Spot is a third-party survey company that conducts feedback surveys for the TSA. Access the survey online or through an iPhone app. To submit a complaint, search for “TSA” in the text block. You will then select the TSA location closest to you. You will be asked, among other things, to:

• Rate the thoroughness of the passenger screening you received.
• Rate your confidence in the TSA’s ability to keep air travel secure.
• Be asked whether body-scan technology be used in passenger screening.

At the end of the survey, you will have a chance to submit a free text complaint. Note: It is unclear whether these responses are compiled with other complaints, so it is important that you fill out the TSA-designed complaint as well.

My TSA is an iPhone app produced by the Transportation Security Administration. Select “About” in the upper right-hand corner, then select “Provide Feedback to TSA.” You’ll be able to submit a free text complaint of up to 4,000 characters.

When you are at the airport, you have a right to complain to a supervisor at the security screening area. If you don’t want to speak to someone while going through security, you may also complain to one of the airport’s Customer Service Managers.

You can also submit a written complaint to:
Email: TSA.OCR-ExternalCompliance@dhs.gov

Postal mail:
Transportation Security Administration
Office of Civil Rights and Liberties (TSA-6)
External Compliance Division
601 S. 12th Street
Arlington, VA 20598

You may also submit a complaint to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
Email: civil.liberties@dhs.gov

Postal mail:
Department of Homeland Security
Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Review and Compliance
245 Murray Lane, SW
Building 410, Mail Stop #0190
Washington, DC 20528

Telephone:
Toll Free: 1-866-644-8360
Toll Free TTY: 1-866-644-8361
Fax: 202-401-4708

The Electronic Privacy Information Center is collecting incident reports about passenger experiences during airport security screening through an online form.

Let EFF Know
If you submitted a complaint to the TSA, the EFF asks that you forward a copy to to TSAComplaints@eff.org.

When you submit complaints to EFF, its lawyers will compare them to complaints EFF receives through Freedom of Information Act requests. The EFF states that it will not use a copy of your complaint for any other purpose without your prior permission. However, if you wish to allow the EFF to use your complaint for advocacy and public discussion purposes, you can give them permission when you submit the complaint.

——————————————————————

Steve Watson is the London based writer and editor at Alex Jones’ Infowars.net, and regular contributor to Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham in England.

CNN Reporter Put On Watch List After Criticizing TSA

Big Sis has a history of pursuing political witch hunts

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Friday, December 3, 2010

In light of new reports alleging that the TSA is creating a watch list of individuals who criticized the agency as a form of collective punishment, it’s revealing to note that CNN journalist Drew Griffin was also put on a TSA watch list immediately after he filed reports critical of the organization back in 2008.

As we highlighted earlier this week, a reported TSA memo was circulated at the height of last month’s opt out controversy which “officially addresses those who are opposed to, or engaged in the disruption of the implementation of the enhanced airport screening procedures as ‘domestic extremists’.”

In response to the story, former Congressman Bob Barr filed a Freedom of Information Act request which demanded to know if the TSA had categorized those leading the charge against invasive security measures, namely Matt Drudge, Alex Jones, and John Tyner, via the websites drudgereport.com and prisonplanet.com, as “domestic extremists”.

There can be no doubt whatsoever that Homeland Security has engaged in political witch hunts against Americans critical of big government. Earlier this year, Big Sis was caught spying on Tea Party groups as well as State Representative Daryl Metcalfe.

The TSA itself has also listed journalists critical of its policies as potential terrorists, ostensibly as a punishment and a warning to other reporters that if they broadcast anything negative about the agency then they will be bracketed together with Al-Qaeda members and be forced to endure copious amounts of hassle and harassment every time they wish to fly.

Shortly after he began a series of investigative reports that were critical of the TSA in May 2008, CNN journalist Drew Griffin was placed on a watch list that at the time had swelled to over a million names. TSA claimed that he was unfortunate enough to share the name with another Drew Griffin who had been legitimately placed on the list, but then denied that he was on the list altogether and blamed the airlines. The airlines responded by saying they were merely following a list provided to them by the TSA.

“Coincidentally, this all began in May, shortly after I began a series of investigative reports critical of the TSA,” said Griffin. “Eleven flights now since May 19. On different airlines, my name pops up forcing me to go to the counter, show my identification, sometimes the agent has to make a call before I get my ticket,” Griffin reported. “What does the TSA say? Nothing, at least nothing on camera. Over the phone a public affairs worker told me again I’m not on the watch list, and don’t even think that someone in the TSA or anyone else is trying to get even.”

Given the fact that the TSA has made a habit out of deceiving the American people and spinning the truth about airport security, the notion that Griffin was deliberately targeted by the TSA as a punishment for his critical reports about the agency is almost a given.

The fact that the TSA curtailed its so-called ‘imperative’ security measures for several days around Thanksgiving as a political ploy to deflate the opt out day protest shows that the agency will go to any lengths to deflect criticism.

The TSA has now announced that it will check the name of every traveler against a government watch list 72 hours before they fly, greasing the skids for “domestic extremists” who exercise their first amendment right to speak out against the TSA to be harassed and hindered.

Former Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff was later confronted on the Griffin case by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Chertoff parroted the TSA line in claiming that Griffin merely had the same name as another suspected terrorist.

The outcome of Bob Barr’s FOIA request is eagerly awaited as it will give an insight into how the TSA responded internally to the national outrage surrounding body scanners and pat downs, while also giving an indication as to whether people like Matt Drudge and Alex Jones were placed on a watch list for having the temerity to stand up to children being sexually molested by low-paid thugs in uniforms.

*********************

Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show. Watson has been interviewed by many publications and radio shows, including Vanity Fair and Coast to Coast AM, America’s most listened to late night talk show.

U.S. Government Sued By ACLU Over No Fly List

Terrorist Watch List Violates Constitutional Rights When Those Barred From Flying Are Not Told Why, Says ACLU

A former Air Force officer will be one of 10 plaintiffs included in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union today against the U.S. government challenging the country's no-fly list.

Steve Washburn, 55, an American citizen, learned he was placed on the no-fly list when he and his wife attempted to fly home to New Mexico from Dublin, Ireland.

CLICK HERE to follow the ABC News Investigative Team's coverage on Twitter.

"When we went to board the plane they told me 'I'm sorry, we can't let you get on the plane. You're on the U.S. no-fly terrorist watch list,'" said Washburn. Now Washburn – who made it home after a carefully scripted 72 hour journey through Germany, Brazil, Peru and Mexico to avoid U.S. airspace - and others are a part of the ACLU lawsuit that charges the government of violating their constitutional rights...

[Full Article]

ACLU Official Says It Is Not Realistic to Screen Air Passengers Against the Full Terror Watchlist

(CNSNews.com) – Former FBI agent Mike German, now a terrorism expert with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said that using the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) of 400,000-plus names to screen airline passengers was not realistic, and added that it was “fundamentally ridiculous” to think the list was not flawed.

German, speaking Monday at a Capitol Hill conference sponsored by the Arab American Institute to examine President Obama’s new airline screening policies, said the terrorist watch-listing system was “broken.”...