Terror watch list swells to more than 755,000 names

[sabra]

Source: USA Today

WASHINGTON — The government's terrorist watch list has swelled to more than 755,000 names, according to a new government report that has raised worries about the list's effectiveness.

The size of the list, typically used to check people entering the country through land border crossings, airports and sea ports, has been growing by 200,000 names a year since 2004. Some lawmakers, security experts and civil rights advocates warn that it will become useless if it includes too many people.

"It undermines the authority of the list," says Lisa Graves of the Center for National Security Studies. "There's just no rational, reasonable estimate that there's anywhere close to that many suspected terrorists."

The exact number of people on the list, compiled after 9/11 to help government agents keep terrorists out of the country, is unclear, according to the report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Some people may be on the list more than once because they are listed under multiple spellings.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-10-23-Watchlist_N.htm

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The number of terror watch-list records <1> more than quadrupled over roughly a three-year period:

June 2004 158,374
May 2005 287,982
June 2006 515,906
May 2007 754,960

<1>: One record reflects one name but not necessarily one person.

Source: Julie Snider, USA TODAY; Government Accountability Office

[Newsjock]

1. I look forward to flying again someday

Apparently on the watch list since 2004, when I was an editor at a newspaper that broke a front-page story highly embarrassing to the Defense Department. After my father (who shares my name) was hauled into the windowless room when he tried to fly, I learned that I won't be going anywhere until this regime is gone.

I weep for America.

[independentpiney]

2. That's awful. I wonder how many more on the list are like you n/t

[Vincardog]

22. I know I am on it. After standing with Cindy and marshalling for UFPJ

I get a hand job every time I fly.

[AnneD]

33. I hope....

it's as good for you as it is for them :smoke::evilgrin:

[AntiFascist]

23. Naomi Wolf claims that she is on the list...

is it fascism yet?

[Blaze Diem]

3. Me Too. Don't know if I am on the list. kinda afraid to book a flight

for Thanksgiving, 10 hour drive to my daughter's and too far for a couple days. Oh well I can make my own dinner I suppose.
They should have a site where you can find out if your name is listed. Lots of Bob Smiths out there.
You know, until I seee this Govt. taking serious the "come & go as you pleas" Southern border situation, I cannot take serious their terrorist threats.
I believe it is al part of McCarthy-izing the USA.

Anti-Bush activists, and Dems are the new Jews.

[kestrel91316]

8. You are right about this:

"Dems are the new Jews..."

Not a few on the right have advocated rounding us up and even killing us. I say just let them try. I'm itching for a fight.

[OnyxCollie]

4. "There's just no rational, reasonable estimate

that there's anywhere close to that many suspected terrorists."

Suspected terrorists = Democrats

[High Plains]

5. Damn, that's a buttload of terrorists!

...or dissidents

...or people whose names resemble those of terrorists

...or typos

[coalition_unwilling]

18. We have met the enemy and he is . . . us (Pogo) -n/t

[Ilsa]

6. 109,000 of those are registrants on DU, I bet, given the way DHS works now. nt

[endarkenment]

25. Well on the upside that would mean 20,000 freeptoid trolls

are on the list too. Always look on the bright side of life.

[saigon68]

37. Ah yes freeptoid trolls there are fewer this year so far

However, as the election heats up, more will float like "bloated corpses", to the surface.

[Progressive Friend]

38. Yes, when they said that "pseudonyms" were included in the list I immediately thought of DU

Also, anyone who they say is "aiding terrorists" is also on the list. That, according to the Bush regime, would be anyone opposed to the Iraq War (i.e. 65% of the population).

[sakabatou]

7. How many are ordinary citizens?

Who haven't done a damn thing?

[MGKrebs]

9. Either way that's a serious mess.

If the number is correct, it means we seem to be creating new terrorists faster than we can keep up with.

If the number is false, it means there's a lot of people on there who are on there for some OTHER reason than terrorism.


I have this fantasy of going to France for a vacation and then they won't let me back into the US, so I have to stay there.

[Blaze Diem]

10. Go for vacation..Stay for a lifetime. I think France would be a

fine place to go. Depends on their political refugee status.
You know there will come a day, if BUsh continues as he is, where no one will be allowed to LEAVE the USA without preapproved permission, and proper documentation. And providing you're not on "the list".
Blackwater will surround the US border with razor wire. But I bet they've already got this on their to-do-someday list.

[Newsjock]

11. Just try getting into Canada now

And providing you're not on "the list".
Blackwater will surround the US border with razor wire. But I bet they've already got this on their to-do-someday list.

We're already there. Read Medea Benjamin's comment about being barred from entering Canada because of her anti-war activities:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071024.wcomment1024/BNStory/National/home

[HuffleClaw]

12. ok, that is just plain silly

and i can just imagine what sort of people are on that list too.

[Fresh_Start]

13. I thought they put all Bush Critics on the list

I guess they must be exhibiting their normal effectiveness.
The list ought to be about 100 times as big if they want to make Bush critics miserable

[Doctor_J]

14. If you're not on the list, you're not trying hard enough.

Especially swarthy radicals like me.

[coalition_unwilling]

19. I'd take my membership on said list as a badge of honor. But I have

refused to fly commerical airlines ever since they started their insane police-state policies.

[0007]

31. Agent Mike is doing a wonderful job, 'eh?

[Hawkowl]

15. 98% Democrats

This is simply the 21st Century version of Nixon's enemies list. Zeig Heil to the shrub! Fucking Nazi rethuglican traitors.

[JDPriestly]

16. This is sheer insanity.

755,000 terrorists in America? How in heavens name are they defining terrorist? Does this include all active members of the Democratic Party? What are they requiring to put someone on this list? This list is a completely, totally antiAmerican invention. We are supposed to innocent until proven guilty. What is with a list of 755,000 names. I can't believe this. Surely this is not true.

[ronatchig]

17. Given time

everyone but the paranoid psychopaths who have come up with the list to start with will be on the list.
Maybe they will give you a terrorist score and charge you a premium.

kind of like a sub prime terrerier rate to get on sky gods chariot. :silly: :sarcasm:

[coalition_unwilling]

20. Your post reminds me of the famous (or infamous) 'loyalty oath'

scenes from Heller's "Catch-22" (required reading for every DU member, imho). You had to sign a loyalty oath in order to sign THE loyalty oath. One of the more hilarious send-ups in Heller's work.

[Pastiche423]

21. In case you missed it

60 Minutes did a segment on the terrorist list:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/05/60minutes/main2066624.shtml

Disgusting!

[gateley]

27. Wow. I'm speechless. I feel like I can't breathe. Thanks for the link. nt

[Pastiche423]

28. What wasn't included in the article

but was in the aired segment, was the total ignorance of the woman speaking for the list. She could not even answer the simpliest of questions.

No wonder she no longer works there. She made the creators of the list look stupid. (Which they are.)

[progressoid]

24. Well that makes me feel safe.

[Hydra]

26. Funny thing about these lists

Since the terrorists probably work for us(their timing is always impeccable, don't you think?), this is the list of people who are DEFINITELY NOT terrorists.

I wonder if I qualify for that status?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

29. until it his 30,000,000 the list is meaningless.

you really can't instill fear and loathing nationally unless and until at least one out of ten people on the street are suspects. Only then will we be safe.

[OneBlueSky]

30. don't know whether to laugh or cry . . .

laugh because of the absurdity of it all . . . can we start a pool on the date that the number of names on the list exceeds those not on the list? . . .

cry because the answer to the question "Is it fascism yet?" is a resounding "Damn straight it is!" . . .

[Massachusetts]

32. "Our" Country

FUBAR! Oh, yes the People will wake up one day and then.....

[Barrett808]

34. Can we sue to have the list made public?

At least, after the Democrats take over in 2008?

[ProfessorPlum]

35. Papers? Papers, please.

[ryanmuegge]

36. I hope none of y'all plan on flying.