[attrition] Secret "watch lists" have nabbed more members of Congress than terrorists

[security curmudgeon]

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/07/21/the_terrorist_batting_average/

The 'terrorist' batting average
By James Bovard
July 21, 2006

[...]

The federal government has inflated the ``No Fly List" to 200,000 names. 
But the list has nabbed more members of Congress than it has terrorists. 
US Senator Edward M. Kennedy and US Representative John Lewis have been 
inconvenienced by it, and anyone named David Nelson is likely to face a 
major interrogation each time he flies. Federal officials make it very 
difficult to correct the list, thus tormenting citizens who are guilty of 
nothing more than having a name resembling a name suspected sometime by 
some government official.

Hundreds of disruptions have occurred at American airports since Sept. 11 
after security breaches set off fears of terror attacks. The subsequent 
lockdowns boosted local television news ratings. Though no terrorists have 
been apprehended, thousands of Americans have been arrested at airports 
for violating Transportation Security Administration regulations or other 
rules.

[...]

Federal officials have charged 10 times as many people in terrorist 
investigations as they convicted on terrorist-related charges. Bush 
declared a year ago that ``federal terrorism investigations have resulted 
in charges against more than 400 suspects, and more than half of those 
charged have been convicted." But only 39 people were convicted on crimes 
tied to terrorism or national security, a Washington Post analysis found.

[...]