US wants passenger info before overseas departures

[Judi Lynn]

US wants passenger info before overseas departures
By John Crawley
5 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Homeland security officials proposed on Wednesday making airlines transmit passenger names and other information to the government before an international departure, a change designed to keep suspected terrorists off U.S.-bound flights.

If approved, the security initiative would reverse the current policy of requiring that manifests for flights originating in foreign countries be transmitted shortly after takeoff.

The proposal seeks to improve and streamline security as well as end the inconvenient and sometimes embarrassing practice of ordering flights diverted or turned around if manifest information raises suspicion with U.S. authorities or is incomplete.

The change also should relieve airlines operating international service of having to screen their passengers against security watch lists maintained by the U.S. government, homeland security officials said.
(snip/...)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060712/ts_nm/security_airlines_dc;_ylt=A9G_RydCb7VErlkAihdZ.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

[omenapoint]

1. Good Idea.

One of the few from this administration.

[Rainscents]

2. Why is this good idea?

I could see they wanting information on someone who is criminal. They all share computer and Feds know who they are. This is just another way to build huge data base on innocent people.:eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[omenapoint]

3. Read the original post.

It will make the checks before, instead of after, take off. It will also relieve the airline of making the checks. It is wholly reasonable and logical. Read the article again before you decide you don't like it.

"The proposal seeks to improve and streamline security as well as end the inconvenient and sometimes embarrassing practice of ordering flights diverted or turned around if manifest information raises suspicion with U.S. authorities or is incomplete.

The change also should relieve airlines operating international service of having to screen their passengers against security watch lists maintained by the U.S. government, homeland security officials said."

[Solo_in_MD]

4. Canada does much the same thing when you take ferry from the US

over to Nova Scotia

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Good thing there is no such thing as a fake i.d.

This will really work! :party:

[damntexdem]

6. But only if they're flying to ...

a flea market in Indiana?

[saigon68]

7. Or flying to the Lion's Club Bean feed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

[MrPrax]

8. "sometimes embarrassing"

Though it wouldn't be embarassing for the US, upon receiving the list, to tell the flight whether it can go or not and to tell FOREIGN governments to grab FOREIGN nationals on their behalf.

The US government sure expects a lot to think that it's 'lists' dictate to other countries. The simpliest method of course would be the US to send everyone a list of ALL the people they don't want in their country, wouldn't it?