Hawk, I don't think you disagree. I agree with what you wrote. All I meant was that Saudis, even if Canadian or Kiwi citizens, should be circumspect about traveling to the USA. As a Saudi, I would have to have serious business there to visit now. I wouldn't just go for my normal jaunt, look around, visit a few people etc.
You think they should just carry on and visit as usual? Maybe their trip would be easy, but from what I've read about all the travel hassles, it wouldn't be worth it on a casual basis. If one gets the short straw, it could mean quite a lot of hassle, delay, failed intent and cost, such as Saddam's stepson suffered. I would have advised him not to go and perhaps to seek simulator training somewhere else. I would have been right.
However, I wonder if there wasn't more to it in Saddam's stepson's instance, such as a plan to get him into the USA so he could be interviewed without risk to his family still stuck in Iraq. From what I read of his background, I would not be too disconcerted if Saddam was to be turned into cat food if I was him. But as with people with family left in the clutches of vicious thugs, it doesn't pay to be seen to give a hint of opposition even if seemingly safely out of the country.
I would be doing profiling!! But I'd also be looking for people who might be used as terrorists because they don't match the profile. Such as John Walker Linde for example. Sure, there have been a few females, but they are mostly around age 20 [I guess]. There aren't many grandmother terrorists.
I'm not sure that the exit tax is a good idea. I'd be inclined to have an arrival tax - guaranteed collection without the need to incur the cost of punishing people who try to exit without the exit tax.
It would be nice to be able to identify Moslems with a star or something sewed to their clothes, required to be visible at all times. Oh, hang on, they shouldn't wear a star. It should be a crescent or something.
Mqurice |
