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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (447901)	8/26/2003 4:35:38 AM
From: Raymond Duray	Respond to of 769667

GEORGE BUSH FINDS NEW WAY TO ALIENATE VOTERS: airdisaster.com Critics say newest U.S. airline screening plan intrusive. Reuters A passenger places his personal belongings back in his jacket after going through the security checkpoint at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport, in Arlington, Virginia, August 5, 2003. (File Photo/Reuters) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Advocacy groups from across the political spectrum blasted the U.S. government's proposed air passenger screening program on Monday, calling it a "quantum leap" in surveillance that violates privacy and civil rights. Groups as diverse as the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Conservative Union criticized the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, known as CAPPS II, which was announced in July as part of an effort to improve passenger security. Under the plan, the government will take basic information of all potential airline passengers -- name, date of birth, address and phone number -- as they book their ticket. It will run that information through a commercial data service to confirm the passenger's identity. It was not immediately clear how the government will collect this information from airlines or whether the rules would apply to foreign airlines as well. The program will also search watch lists and other national security information to determine if a passenger has any links to al Qaeda or other militant groups, or even if they are a violent criminal with a warrant out for their arrest. Critics said the plan was using the national security threat to infringe on basic civil rights. "This system will affect every single person who gets on an airplane in the United States," said Laura Murphy, director of the ACLU's Washington office, who called it a "quantum leap in government surveillance." The latest accusations of government intrusion on civil rights comes as Attorney General John Ashcroft continues a monthlong, nationwide tour to defend a different, sweeping anti-terrorism law adopted after Sept. 11, 2001, which has also been criticized for violating civil rights. "MISSION CREEP" Some critics accused the government of "mission creep" with CAPPS II, saying what began as an effort to ensure aircraft safety and national security has been broadened too much. David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, criticized the government for using the screening program to ferret out common criminals. "It's clear that CAPPS II will be used for far more than the safety of air travelers," he said. "Is there evidence that somebody who has mistreated their spouse is liable ... to seize an aircraft? I don't know how these two are connected." The Department of Homeland Security has said its main aim is to prevent another Sept. 11-style hijacking attack, but that officials also hope to pick up criminals accused of violent crime who might pose a threat. It has also defended the latest version of CAPPS II, which is a reworked version of its original program that drew fire from business travelers and civil liberties advocates who said it gave the government too much license to pry. Bob Barr, a former Republican congressman from Georgia, said that power to screen for passengers who might have a warrant out for their arrest is one of the "many troubling aspects" of CAPPS II. He and others were concerned about the secrecy of the "rating system" the government use for each passenger. Since the data will be classified as secret a passenger rated as a possible terrorist threat may never find out why or be able to correct a possible error in identification. The screening system could also expose passengers to unwanted marketing efforts, said Bill Scannell, whose Web site boycottdelta.org has served as a focal point for criticism. He said airline reservation systems that collect passenger information may share it with affiliates which could range from car-rental firms, hotels or travel related businesses.

To: American Spirit who wrote (447901)	8/26/2003 6:43:11 AM
From: Raymond Duray	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769667

LITTLE KING GEORGE IS WATCHING HIS HOUSE FALL DOWN Liar, Liar Pants Afire: Tony Bliar's PR whiz caught in a lie sundayherald.com The controversy over the "sexed up" dossier is going to get very interesting this week. Alistair Campbell, Blair's PR man, lied to the Hutton Inquiry last week. Quote: Campbell wrote: “I had many discussions with the chairman of the JIC on presentational issues arising from the dossier and, in common with other officials, made drafting suggestions as the document evolved through various drafts.” That contradicts the evidence he gave to the inquiry last week, when Campbell had been at pains to play down the role he and other officials played in compiling the dossier, Continues........