What's Happening with the Click here for introduction UPDATE As you know, I was put on the Federal No Fly Watch List in June. That's a list of persons "who pose, or are suspected of posing, a threat to civil aviation or national security" and it was created to help keep terrorists off airplanes. My name was put on that List with no explanation and no avenue for getting off. I'm allowed to fly, but must receive special permission every time. In early July I wrote an article, "Who's Watching the Watch List," on my situation, and that story was picked up by print publications, TV and radio all over the country. It appeared on over 25,000 websites and blogs. Most recently, Reuters called to say they were including my situation in a story they’re syndicating. Last month I finally received a reply from the Transportation Security Administration, in response to the pile of notarized documents I mailed them in July, as per their instructions for what to do if you think you don't belong on the List. The TSA reply was an insult to intelligence. It told me they had "verified my identity," whatever that meant, and it did not remove my name from the List. Every time I go to the airport, I am still told that I am on the Watch List and then subjected to extra screening and delays. So I sent their letter back to the TSA, demanding again that their abusive procedures be changed, not just for me but also for the thousands of other innocent Americans stuck on this List. No reply yet--and I’m not holding my breath. |
I spent two full days in Washington DC in October lobbying Senate and House offices. I now have a half a dozen allies in the Congress who know my face and my story. I also met at length with the ACLU, and am steadily coordinating legislative and legal strategies with them. A local Republican friend has offered to get me a hearing at the libertarian Cato Institute. That's important because this is one of the few genuine cross-over issues in the country and it’s important to rally everyone who values the personal liberties that go with being an American. This week, I am pressing key Senators from both side of the aisle (Feingold. Craig, Sununu, Murkowski, Durbin, Salazar and Leahy) to filibuster to block the extension of the Patriot Act. My pro bono lawyer in San Diego says he’ll be ready to launch a civil lawsuit against the government in January. I still have to decide whether that is the best tactic. I worked for over fifteen years on national security affairs and I know it's important to stop truly dangerous people from getting on planes. But the TSA Watch List and its potential successor, the "Secure Flight" program, with their total disregard of due process, are an intolerable abuse of my civil liberties and those of thousands of others. Surely we can create an air traffic protection program that uses our tax dollars to stop the people who actually pose a genuine threat. Your thoughts on all this are always welcome. John Graham graham@giraffe.org |
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