ACLU Calls for Shutdown of Aviation Watch List

ACLU Calls for Shutdown of Aviation Watch List

If you where a terrorists and you wanted to recreate the horrific events of 9/11 – what one thing would most advance you cause? That would probably be the shutdown of the very list that would keep you off of the plain in the first place.

That is exactly what the ACLU is trying to do.

From the ACLU press release:

The American Civil Liberties Union called today for the government to shut down its current, fatally flawed aviation watch lists and instead focus on known threats to aviation. The call came in response to a “60 Minutes” report on the matter scheduled to be aired on CBS this Sunday.

“Aggrieved citizens have been complaining about these problems for half a decade now, and the government still has not found a way to make these lists effective and fair,” said Barry Steinhardt, Director of the ACLU’s Technology and Liberty Project. “Enough is enough. Until the government can figure out a way to create a real list of genuine terrorists, they are hurting Americans instead of protecting them.”

I agree that the list is need of a serious review and overhaul, and I feel bad for the legitimate citizens who are on the list by mistake. However, shutting down such a list is a recipe for disaster. That list is critical to ensuring known dangerous people do not get on board a plane. So what if the list has dead people on it – they should not be inconvenienced if denied boarding a plane.

“60 Minutes” actually obtained a copy of the secret aviation watch list and was able to examine it. According to a CBS written report and excerpts from the upcoming “60 Minutes” broadcast, the list:

* includes numerous names of people who are dead, in prison, or are international dignitaries, such as the president of Bolivia;
* includes numerous common names such as “Robert Johnson;”
* contains 119,000 names (44,000 on the “no-fly” list and 75,000 on a “selectee” list of people who are given extra security); and
* has resulted in many ordinary, innocent individuals being pulled aside and interrogated, sometimes for hours, nearly every time they go to the airport.

First, how did 60 Minutes obtain a copy of this secret report, and why is our government allowing secret reports to be broadcast by news outlets without severe repercussions? That 60 Minutes would continue to news medias disregard for items of national security is of little surprise, but should be dealt with severely; especially before something truly critical to national security is released.

Secondly, lets assume the data provided by 60 Minutes above is 100% correct. When comparing the 119,000 names to the 740 Million domestic passengers who, per the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, travel each year, that comes out to less that 2 tenths of one percent or 0.016% per year. That is assuming all of the 119,000 attempt to fly, and are actually law abiding citizens.

More people miss their flights each year, and over 10 times as many people have lost baggage issues.

In the light of the minimal impact, and high gain of such a list, asking for its removal is unreasonable and dangerous. The convenience gained by that 0.02% of air passengers is far, far outweighed by the increased risk and danger to the entire system.

I support the need to overhaul the list, and improve it, but not by taking it offline while we work on the problem. There is too much at stake to allow the needs of the very few to endanger so many.