Almost 13,000 people are surveilled each year by the TSA under the Quiet Skies program. Those include people who have shown no outward signs of wrongdoing. In one interview, some air marshals have said that they have been tasked with following people who seem to pose no real threat. One of those people they were tasked with following was a federal law enforcement officer.
Am I the only one worrying about this being legal? Nope. Some air marshals also worry that this domestic surveillance is illegal and that it goes beyond the authority of the Federal Air Marshal service. One air marshal texted colleagues, “What we are doing [in Quiet Skies] is troubling and raising some serious questions as to the validity and legality of what we are doing and how we are doing it”.
“All US citizens who enter the country are automatically screened for inclusion in Quiet Skies…” Quiet Skies relies on 15 areas of behavior to surveil the passengers. The rules may target those whose behavior or travel patterns match known terrorist or people who are “possibly affiliated” with people on a watch list. It also targets those with no known indication of spurious affiliation. Through this program, the TSA track roughly 35 people a day, sometimes more.
But of course the TSA defends this work. In a statement to the Washington Post on July 29, 2018, the TSA defended the program by comparing neighborhood law enforcement to the air marshals. Agency spokesman James Gregory told the post “We are no different than the cop on the corner who is placed there because there is an increased possibility that something might happen. When you’re in a tube at 30,000 feet … it makes sense to put someone there.” So I guess with that being said, the cop sitting on the corner is just going to follow some random person, who is showing no outward signs of wrongdoing, and write a report about it? Or is someone going to be monitoring the bathrooms next because it’s such close quarters? The TSA also didn’t say in an interview if Quiet Skies has actually deterred any threats or if the program actually exists.
And for the TSA to be so intent on keeping the American people “safe”, they are one of the most crooked security administrations known to Americans.
“The TSA – whose job is supposedly “fighting terrorism” – is, without doubt, one of America’s most corrupt and incompetent agencies. However, last year, they apparently became so unsatisfied with the mere ability to strip search babies, remove colostomy bags, beat up blind cancer patients, and fondle your genitalia, that they announced a more invasive physical pat-downs. The pat-downs, which TSA warned would probably prompt assault complaints with the police department because of their invasive nature, have been implemented and a 96-year-old WWII veteran has become their latest victim.”
Ponder the following:
If all of this is supposedly legal, why is the passenger’s fourth amendment right being taken away by having their reservation information stolen from them? Taking information from someones hotel reservation, such as a phone number or an email address because it could be related to terrorists, does not equate to probable cause.
Amendment 4
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.”
Amendment 9
“The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”
corbettreport. “The TSA Is A Milgram Experiment – Steemit.” – Steemit, steemit.com/news/@corbettreport/the-tsa-is-a-milgram-experiment.
Nelson, Jeremy. “The Bill of Rights (Amendments 1 – 10).” National Center for Constitutional Studies, National Center for Constitutional Studies, 1 Jan. 2018, nccs.net/blogs/americas-founding-documents/bill-of-rights-amendments-1-10.
Winter, Jana. “In ‘Quiet Skies’ Program, TSA Is Tracking Regular Travelers like Terrorists in Secret Surveillance.” BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2018, apps.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/graphics/2018/07/tsa-quiet-skies/.
Visser, Nick. “TSA Has Been Secretly Monitoring Travelers Who Aren’t Listed On Government Watch Lists.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 July 2018, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/quiet-skies-air-marshals_us_5b5e8897e4b0fd5c73d09f15.
Bearing Together 