US Arrivals Fingerprinted in Brazil

[kskiska]

On Judge's Order, Americans Get Same Scrutiny Bush Sought for Brazilians

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Jan. 3 -- Gerald Lewis emerged from the international airport on Saturday curiously looking at his hands. "My first time being fingerprinted," said Lewis, 40, an electronics salesman from Houston. "You don't expect that kind of thing to happen when you step off a plane in Brazil. Maybe Eastern Europe during the Cold War."

A judge in Latin America's largest country last week ordered federal police to begin photographing and fingerprinting all American travelers when they arrive at Brazil's airports.

Judge Julier Sebastiao da Silva's ruling followed an announcement by the Bush administration last month that it would introduce similar measures Monday for people arriving in the United States from a number of countries, including Brazil. The measure is intended to identify people who have violated immigration controls, have a criminal record or are known members of what U.S. intelligence agencies consider to be terrorist organizations.

Officials at the Department of Homeland Security said at least two of the 19 hijackers in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States might have been identified and detained if such a system had been in place at the time.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52613-2004Jan3.html

[kalian]

1. What a friggin moron....

Gerald Lewis emerged from the international airport on Saturday curiously looking at his hands. "My first time being fingerprinted," said Lewis, 40, an electronics salesman from Houston. "You don't expect that kind of thing to happen when you step off a plane in Brazil. Maybe Eastern Europe during the Cold War."

I hope he gets a clue. This is the exact same treatment that
many foreigners receive when arriving to the States, thanks to the
Patriot Act II... :eyes:

[SheilaT]

2. I just hope more countries

decide to do this kind of thing.

I heard earlier today (and I'm sure it's already been posted elsewhere on DU and I just haven't seen it yet) that of the people the U.S. Govt was so concerned about on the British Airways flights, one was a five year old child and the other -- I forget exactly, but something like a postal inspector. What great intelligence!

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. I think it was the Air France flights

and the 'connection' was a similar family name as suspects. So by that standard, the English cricket captain until this year, Nasser Hussain, would have been arrested for war crimes long ago (especially since he was at school with Daniel Pearl's murderer - hey, maybe that's the best link between Saddam and al-Qaeda so far!).

[Don Claybrook]

5. Welsh insurance salesman

And we all KNOW about the longstanding ties between Welsh insurance salesmen and terrorists. :)

[mbperrin]

4. Well, now, whaddya know -

getting treated like we treat others - sorta Golden Rulish, ain't it?