FBI Leaves Cleared Names On Terrorist Watch List 181
x_IamSpartacus_x writes "According to a recent FOIA request the FBI doesn't always take names off of the Terrorist Watch List even when those people have been cleared of charges or had charges dropped. 'If an individual is acquitted or charges are dismissed for a crime related to terrorism, the individual must still meet the reasonable suspicion standard in order to remain on, or be subsequently nominated to, the terrorist watch list,' the once-classified memorandum says. The New York Times is running a story about it as well, saying the data is even used by local police officers to check names during traffic stops."
IOW: used to harass people (Score:5, Interesting)
This just confirms the fears of such a list at the time it was created.
We have a police state.
If you don't have a badge, you have no rights.
Re:Eternally marked until forgiven by God--ie neve (Score:4, Interesting)
No, actually, guilty until finally proven guilty.
Justice will never give up. There's no escaping. Since there's no accusation that doesn't have some grain of truth, the accusation is enough to prove guilt. Besides, prosecuting and tracking innocent people would be unfair, so everyone we track and prosecute must be guilty; surely you don't think we're anything other than unscrupulously fair, right? I mean, thinking like that is a sure sign of disloyalty and latent terroristic intent.
Absolutely nothing new, unfortunately. (Score:4, Interesting)
My Discovery of America [wikimedia.org] is probably my favourite story of this persistent debacle-- and its events occurred in 1985, not 2011!