[Marxism] Cat Stevens prohibited from U.S. "on national security grounds"

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

CAT STEVENS SPARKS U.S. PLANE ALERT

A security alert involving the singer who used to be known as Cat
Stevens has forced a London-to-Washington flight to be diverted to
another US airport. The plane was already in the air when US officials
identified that the singer, whose name is now Yusuf Islam, was on one
of their "watch lists".

United Airlines Flight 919 was diverted 600 miles (1000km), landing in
Maine. After an interview, the singer - who converted to Islam in 1977
- was denied entry into the US.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials said the access
was denied "on national security grounds", without giving any further
details.

Yusuf Islam is now expected to be put on a flight out of America later
on Wednesday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3678694.stm

[It is obvious that Cat Stevens is a danger to the U.S. government, if
only for such anti-U.S. government propaganda as the following
remarks:]

"What we don't want is the kind of statement made by George Bush when
he said 'you are either with us or against us'. This will cause a
polarisation of the world and will split it into religious camps.

"It is certainly not the way it should be. It should be those
right-minded people, and I think there are many who are Muslims and
non-Muslims, who are not warmongers but peace makers and want this
world to be a better place.

"We believed the unison of the voices of so many people standing
together against international terrorism is something to be valued and
something to be built upon."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3678694.stm
___________

If you google "watch lists" or "no-fly lists" and "lawsuit," you will
come across some weak-kneed action taken by the ACLU and others. Some
of the cases involve flights within the U.S. itself. None of these
suits challenges the government's right to have such a list, only that
the lists be open or publish their criteria. As important as these
points are, the cases seem to grant the government's right to gather
and utilize lists in the name of government security. To use the
language of the law, the "legal burden" of challenging anyone's right
to free transportation should be on the government, and there should be
no inherent right to gather or use such lists.

Although the major ACLU suit began in April 2003, there has been no
further publicity about it.

A month or so ago, Senator Ted Kennedy protested being delayed at
airports 4 or 5 times because he had the same name as someone on the
list. Kennedy protested for himself, but had nothing to say about the
listed Kennedy.

Brian



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