aclu launches terror watch list complaint website

from raw replay: Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office spoke at the National Press Club about the need to reform the government’s terrorist watch list. The watch list now contains one million names based on the government’s own reported numbers. The ACLU says that the watch list could effect up to 5-10% of the U.S. population.

“Members of Congress, nuns, war heroes and other ’suspicious characters,’ with names like Robert Johnson and Gary Smith, have become trapped in the Kafkaesque clutches of this list, with little hope of escape,” said Fredrickson. “Congress needs to fix it, the Terrorist Screening Center needs to fix it, or the next president needs to fix it, but it has to be done soon.”

The ACLU announced the creation of an online form where victims of the terrorist watch list can tell their stories. The ACLU plans to use victims’ stories to advance their efforts to reform the watch list. The ACLU has more details here.


update: cnn reporter wants off terror watch list
from raw replay: CNN’s Drew Griffin says that he found himself on the terror watch list after a report criticizing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA responded that any implication that the Griffin is being retaliated against for his reporting is “fabricated.” This video is from CNN’s American Morning, broadcast July 16, 2008.


update: aclu calls for probe of chertoff