TSA To Check Passengers Against Terrorist Watch List
October 26, 2008 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
Change is on the way when it comes to how the flying public is compared to a watch list for terrorists. The Transportation Security Administration will take over the duties.
Georgia Congressman John Lewis and Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy are among the most notable people who were mistakenly identified as being on the terrorist watch list. TSA officials said Friday that a new system will be put in place to reduce those mistakes.
Since 9/11, airlines have checked passengers against a watch list of known terrorists and potential trouble makers.
Amina Salman, whose family is from Iraq, said she is often required to go through extra security.
“You don’t know who going to cause trouble so it’s fine, no problem,” said Salman. When asked if she thought she was on a watch list, Salman said she didn’t know.
Currently, it’s the airlines that check passengers against a watch list. Starting next year, the TSA will take over the duties of comparing the names of passengers to the names on that list.
“Airlines will provide the information, the names [and] dates of birth to [the] TSA. We’ll run the match against the system. They will submit that to us electronically and within four seconds they’ll get a response whether this person is on the list or not,” said Jon Allen of the TSA.
