1,600 Names Suggested Daily For FBI's Watch List 168
schwit1 writes with this excerpt from the Washington Post:
"During a 12-month period ended in March this year... the US intelligence community suggested on a daily basis that 1,600 people qualified for the list because they presented a 'reasonable suspicion,' according to data provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee by the FBI in September and made public last week. ... The ever-churning list is said to contain more than 400,000 unique names and over 1 million entries. The committee was told that over that same period, officials asked each day that 600 names be removed and 4,800 records be modified. Fewer than 5 percent of the people on the list are US citizens or legal permanent residents. Nine percent of those on the terrorism list, the FBI said, are also on the government's 'no fly' list."
Can I join in? (Score:5, Funny)
Dear US Authorities,
I have heard so much about your big list of suspicious people; with so many other people being included I am beginning to feel left out. I'm not a very naughty person but sometimes I wave subversively at CCTV cameras. If it would help, I could also wear a long trenchcoat and shades and carry a briefcase. I've been practicing looking at things through narrowed eyes a lot, so I would probably be quite good at being suspicious.
If you will put me on your special suspicious list, I will return the favour by putting you on my list of suspicious countries. It currently includes every other country in the world, ever - but I'm sure it's still not as long and impressive as your list is.
Love and hugs,
Lemming Mark
Slashdot effect and the watch list (Score:5, Funny)
Okay let's test the slashdot effect.
monday: everyone reccomend sarah palin for the watch list
tuesday: everyone reccomend Nancy Pelosi
wednesday: Hannity
thursaday: Harry reid
friday: Lieberman.
either we'll slashdot the service or do the nation a favor.
Re:How do they define "reasonable suspicion"? (Score:5, Funny)
How do they define "reasonable suspicion"? I couldn't find that information in the article.
Judging by the numbers, I have a guess. If they arrest a terror suspect and search his house and find your contact information, you're on the list. Terrorists incidentally keep a LOT of contacts in things they call "Phone books," suprisingly well organized. Alphabetical and everything. Very neat handwriting as well. Business contacts are usually kept in books with yellowish pages, the significance of which is unknown. What's scary is that they have a number of contacts IN THE GOVERNMENT, on blue pages indicating they may be democrats.
Re:How do they define "reasonable suspicion"? (Score:5, Funny)
Nonsense. I'm sure that B^HTuttle is a perfectly unique name and entirely worthy of our attention.