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Local man caught in passenger-watch list web
By: EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer
Retired airline pilot, military officer tries to clear his name | ∞
Carlsbad resident John Lynn, a retired pilot and Navy lieutenant commander, has had no luck in finding out why he is on a secret government list that has prevented him from getting a airline boarding pass over the Internet.
JAMIE SCOTT LYTLE Staff Photographer
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Search the Internet for the name John Lynn and you may find a roofing contractor from New Mexico, an artist from England, a film professor from Florida and dozens of other people who share the name.
You may also find a retired airline pilot and former military officer from Carlsbad, who said he recently found out his name somehow ended up on an airline-passenger watch-list run by the Department of Homeland Security.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the government created lists of people who were either barred from flying or who called for extra scrutiny before being allowed to board airplanes.
Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, say the government doesn't provide enough information about the people on the lists, so innocent passengers are often caught up in the security sweep if they happen to have the same name as someone listed.
Lynn, a retired Navy lieutenant commander, said his efforts to clear his name from the list have been fruitless and frustrating.
"I find it totally un-American; there's no due process," the 75-year-old Carlsbad resident said. "You're left with no information on how or what caused you to be put on the list and no redress."
Government officials say that despite the problems they cause, the lists are essential to keeping passengers safe. They have also created a program to help address some of the public's concerns.
Last year, the Department of Homeland Security announced the Traveler Redress Inquiry Program to help passengers who were denied or delayed airline boarding.
The program allows passengers to submit personal information that is supposed to help identify them to authorities.
"This is a win-win program," Department of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said when he announced the program. "Eliminating false positives makes the travel experience more pleasant for legitimate visitors and frees up our front-line personnel to apply even greater scrutiny of those who truly present safety and security risks."
Officials with the Traveler Redress Inquiry Program could not be reached for comment.
But the program has not satisfied Lynn. A former columnist for The Californian, the Southwest Riverside County edition of the North County Times, Lynn said the first sign of trouble appeared when he made travel arrangements to visit his daughter in Texas last summer.
When he booked a flight via the Internet, he found out he couldn't get boarding passes online. He had to go to the ticket counter.
Lynn said he didn't think much of it at the time, believing that there might have been a system failure or some other problem.
In October, he and his wife wanted to fly to Portland, Ore., when the ticket agent at the airport told him he was on a passenger watch-list. He was given a form to fill out and was allowed to fly.
It was a minor inconvenience, but Lynn said he was bothered by the secrecy of how his name ended up on the list in the first place. He also did not like the reply he received from the Traveler Redress Inquiry Program.
A form letter dated Nov. 29, 2007, said: "Where it was determined that a correction to records was warranted, these records were modified."
The letter also said the agency could not guarantee Lynn would avoid future delays or "the need to go to the ticket counter to obtain a boarding pass."
It did not address his main concern, Lynn said.
"If they are going to put you on a list, they need to tell you the reason for it," he said.
The ACLU and other groups critical of the passenger watch lists say Lynn is not alone.
"As of now, he may never know," said Reggie Shuford, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU in New York, who filed one of the two lawsuits his group has filed addressing the watch lists.
What started out as a list containing the names of a few hundred known terrorists turned into more than a dozen lists from agencies ranging from the IRS to the FBI containing thousands of names of people who are wanted by those agencies.
Kareem Shora, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, an advocacy group for Arab-American rights, said once a name is on the list there is no guarantee it can be removed.
"It's hit and miss," Shora said. "We've heard from a few people that say they are no longer inconvenienced. They are no longer delayed two hours. And others have not heard back."
Although there have been concerns about whether people of Middle Eastern descent were being profiled, Shora said his group does not believe the watch lists discriminate against people based on their ethnicity or religious background.
However, there are other problems with the lists, including errors, inaccuracies and inconsistencies, critics say.
A Justice Department report released last year that examined the Terror Screening Center, which maintains a consolidated list, said it contained more than 700,000 records.
Shora and others say there is value in having a passenger watch-list, but the program needs to be revamped.
"The real question is, 'How can you find the needle when the haystack continues to grow?' " Shora said.
Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.
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My husband is on that list wrote on Jan 4, 2008 11:47 PM:My husband is on that list. We cannot fly with out him having to go to the ticket counter and proving you he is or better yet, who he isn't. They did say they could give him some paperwork to fill out, but ultimately every time he wanted to fly he would still have to go to the ticket counter. So unfortunately going to the airport is not as easy for him as it is for everyone else but if it protects us, I suppose it is worth it. As far as profiling, I don't think so. My husband is a white male but unfortunately he has a very common name.
Dennis wrote on Jan 5, 2008 12:06 AM:If your in the rider seat be patient with the LAW enforcment police what's the hurry if your cool?? little time save lives.
Kevin wrote on Jan 5, 2008 3:33 AM:How about putting every American citizen on the list? After all, Timothy McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski would fit that profile perfectly!
Jack wrote on Jan 5, 2008 6:50 AM:I don't know jack, but I know that the Bush administration successfully turned terrorism into its election mantra. That otherwise intelligent people continue to fall for this mantra demonstrates the truth of, "You can fool some of the people all of the time."
To Dennis wrote on Jan 5, 2008 6:51 AM:Prove that lives have been saved through this list? Just another way for the racist among us to violate the rights of others so they can hype their own fears. Your more likely to get a drunk pilot who will kill you rather then a Islamic bomber.
John wrote on Jan 5, 2008 7:01 AM:If every member of the George Bush administration, and every member of Congress that voted for the Patriot Act are on that list, I am all for it! Unti they get included, END THIS FASCISM! NOW!
Dennis, Don't Be A Dolt wrote on Jan 5, 2008 7:10 AM:Dennis, you missed the point. Bad guys aren't the only ones in a hurry. Innocent folks have agendas too. So when Uncle Sam unexpectedly holds them up for two hours, it's more than just inconvenient. Give the innocent guys a chance to distiguish themselves from the bad ones so they can have reasonable expecations for traveling.
Every American wrote on Jan 5, 2008 7:12 AM:Kevin - a little nieve I would say - how ignorant would that be. You might want to think before you speak!
to every american wrote on Jan 5, 2008 7:24 AM:I'm afraid that you are a little naieve if you believe that the Bush administration even cares about Americans constitutional rights, given all the programs they use to deny them. Time to take off the rose colored glasses.
ed wrote on Jan 5, 2008 7:58 AM:remember the Orange terror alerts prior to the '04 election? None after the election...
Alf wrote on Jan 5, 2008 8:32 AM:The disdain with which GWB holds the Constitution and the Constitutional Rights of every single American Citizen, except his chosen few, is more than obvious to all except those few who are blinded by the absolute LIES AND CORRUPTION of GWB. According to some, the executive branch is above the law, I'VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU, NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON IS ABOVE THE LAW OR ABOVE THE CONSTITUTION, LEAST OF ALL A LIAR OF A president NAMED GWB, either the law is for all or it is for none. Beware GWB, your days of tyranny are numbered, fewer than 375, maybe FAR fewer. Regards, Alf.
Alf wrote on Jan 5, 2008 9:59 AM:A minor correction to my last post for you purists - NOT EVEN SO MUCH AS ANY PERSON, NOT EVEN SO MUCH AS ANY ENTITY, NOT EVEN SO MUCH AS ANY BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT IS ABOVE THE LAW OR ABOVE THE CONSTITUTION, NO ONE. Regards, Alf.
Ben Franklin once said wrote on Jan 5, 2008 10:11 AM:"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
Pluto wrote on Jan 5, 2008 10:12 AM:This is just one more thing Bush & Co have neglected while pursuing their lying war for power and oil in Iraq. Airline security is still dismal, and 6+ years after 9-11 we are still one hijacking away from airline bankruptcies and a total meltdown of the transportation system. Distracted morons are minding the store.
Toto every american wrote on Jan 5, 2008 10:27 AM:So which constitutional right have you been denied by the Bush Administration? It's obviously not the 1st amendment.
Ummm.. wrote on Jan 5, 2008 10:27 AM:Do a google on this mans name- add 'walker' to it. Common name, stuck in a trap, but .. you'll see why. What does kinda amuse me is how they know the where abouts of some of these people but the common names stay on The List anyway.
ToAlf wrote on Jan 5, 2008 10:29 AM:George Bush's days are numbered as president? Wow, are you psychic or something? Thanks for the info Mr. Obvious.
JP wrote on Jan 5, 2008 11:40 AM:Since probability is influenced by the results of actual occurrences, Dennis must be convinced that the 9/11 crashes were caused by drunken pilots rather than Islamic terrorists. Maybe he and Alf should get together and figure out how it was Bush's fault. Alf is counting the days left to do this, and Leap Day provides an added bonus. Aside from that, I agree there's a problem when a former Navy/airline pilot can't get off the list. Maybe some of his past Californian columns were anti-Bush. Alf, please research, times a wastin'.
thanks republicans wrote on Jan 5, 2008 12:20 PM:this is an another example of the bigger more intrusive government brought to you by the GOP....the "smaller government" party. Thanks Republicans for turning the USA into a Big Brotheresque dictatorship thanks to the unPATRIOTic ACT. Now we have wire-tapping, secret prisons, and secret courts just like Iran. Who would have thought the party of Abraham Lincoln would bring about the fall of our civil liberties?
To Alf wrote on Jan 5, 2008 12:25 PM:Take a vacation, you are way too up-tight today. It is only the 5th day of the new year and you are this angry all ready. Chill!
TORTLE wrote on Jan 5, 2008 12:36 PM:Security should be TIGHTENED at our airports and borders and terminals, not relaxed. No more 9-11 horrors! Those who appear in any way whatsover should be detained for grilling and possible indefinite incarceration. This man should stay at home and not bother our already overworked Home Security people!
Husband is on the list wrote on Jan 5, 2008 12:52 PM:To all: Having experienced this routinely , it is not a two hour wait! It is however having to go to the ticket counter rather than being able to print your own boarding pass and getting on the plane. And to those who claim racism, my husband is a white male.
TORTLE YUNE wrote on Jan 5, 2008 1:40 PM:I am so totally surprised at the unpatriotic attitude of some of these bloggers! Wise up people, for lovely sakes! My Goodness. No matter how long you must wait to pass security clearance, isn't it worth it?? Or do you want to risk being the victim of a TERRORIST(S)?? and btw Mr. Blogger Editor, please include my complete blogonym in this blogosphere! Thank you so much.
Alf wrote on Jan 5, 2008 1:48 PM:Well, "To Alf" at 12:25PM, you have no respect for the Constitution or our Constitutional Rights. You, therefore, have something in common with GWB and Co. for they have forgotten that the president has sworn, TWICE, "to preserve and defend the Constitution". Has GWB preserved or defended the Constitution or has he twisted it, stolen from it, trampled on it and used it for toilet paper? Answer as if your very freedom depends on it, because it really does. Regards, Alf.
Karl wrote on Jan 5, 2008 3:38 PM:Alf, your passion is showing today, a little grumpy, but I read passion. By the way, what is the ratio for Reeses minis to Smarties and where in the heck do you get Samrties? I haven't had them for years. I will report back.
Alf wrote on Jan 5, 2008 4:28 PM:I'm sorry for the "shouts". From the beginning, "JP" at 1:50PM, Benjamin Franklin understood that. He understood that the tyranny of government was a distinct possibility, if not a definite probability. I hope that you understand the distinction. He observed that 'those who would sacrifice freedoms for security, deserve neither'. I must SHOUT to people who do not understand that the path to tyranny does not start with a wholesale slaughter of liberties, it is one small, seemingly insignificant AND "necessary for national security" step at a time and is always couched, always labeled as necessary for "National Security". The parallels to many tyrants are very scary and too close for comfort. I'll be happy if this gets posted because it means that there is hope. It was not until it was too late that certain people in Europe discovered that they had been duped and had no rights left. Do you still have ALL the rights afforded to you by the Constitution? Have some of them been given away so that we can have "National Security"? How long do you have to wait in a line compared to 20 years ago to get on a plane?? Do we have OBL, the leader of the terrorist organization that perpetrated 9/11, YET?? Regards, Alf.
james wrote on Jan 5, 2008 5:14 PM:America.. land of the free...its a farce now thank God im moving out permanently this year....How is it we are the Nazi's this time..
Alf wrote on Jan 5, 2008 5:47 PM:Well, "james" at 5:14PM, we are not the Nazis, we are the regular, the normal, the average people. Each incremental step of the way, is when we become "them". It's the attitudes of the "Mike Amerca"s, the "Ron"s, the others who would rather give up their rights than FIGHT with everything they have to KEEP everything that they have worked for, everything that they have DIED for, who give power to the tyrants quite willingly. I, for one, will stand as one who will not give up the RIGHTS for which I HAVE FOUGHT AND MY FRIENDS HAVE DIED. Regards, Alf.
WhoWhat wrote on Jan 5, 2008 6:21 PM:Alf and the gang are at it again, yes there is a problem and it needs to be corrected. But these same Bush haters would be screaming at the top of their lungs (CAPS) saying not enough was done to prevent another 911 if it were to occur again. Catch 22 can't win either way. I'm no big fan of Bush with his open border mindset, but Alf and Co. couldn't care less about your liberties or safety, just about hating Bush and tearing him down at every chance.
JP wrote on Jan 5, 2008 7:16 PM:Good call, Karl. Alf, now THAT is a much better strategic usage of capitalization! Good point - Benjamin Franklin and his fellow Patriots first wrote the Declaration of Independence because of tyrants who slaughtered the rights and liberties of Americans. I'm sure none of them could ever have envisioned the hatred the rest of the world would eventually feel for the Country they helped create. Although I don't agree that the inconvenience of airline screening equates to our government having "plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people", but clearly it's symbolic of the wrong approach to solving the root of the problem. We'll never completely stop others from trying to kill us until we eliminate their motive for wanting to. Since neither Clinton nor Bush had the wisdom to figure that out, we'll have to live with the consequences of their attempts by standing in the airline-screening line, until the next Ben Franklin comes along.
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