Air America breaking news: "USA to fingerprint ALL visitors !!!"

In article , Ken Pisichko
wrote:

YUP! But remember that the Canadian border control system works too.
Our laws are different that USA border control laws, but we do keep
terrorists out - convicted ones that is. We also adhere to the
premise that folks are innocent until proven quilty - except for thoe
where there is suspicion. This past week there was a SWAT team raid
on a home in our national capital region (Ottawa) and a Canadian
citizen was arrested and is held in detention with charges against
him. Something to do with those arrested in the UK on terrorism and
bomb making charges.

No border is immune, but to think that Canada is a pipeline for
terrorist entry into the USA is baloney.! Besides, the US border
control types are pretty vigilant too, and I have thanked them for
the questioning of me and my family when we enter the USA.

The Canadian Auditor General disagrees with you... as of about six days
ago.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4632219/

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

JF Mezei wrote in message
...
Greg Morrow wrote:

Greg didn't write this, JF. I did. Learn how to operate a newsreader
properly. It's not difficult.

I know what you are referring to, of course. The US government didn't
fund
IRA terrorists, Marie, unless Ted Kennedy had a secret slush fund that
we
don't know about.

The USA is as guilty with regards to the IRA as the Taliban was with Al
Queda:

I've never funded the IRA, JF. My tax dollars didn't pay for the brutal
murder of British civilians. A small group of Irish-American assholes in
Boston gave money to the IRA. And they weren't the only source of IRA funds.
Besides local sources in Northern Ireland, the IRA also liked to pal around
with certain Middle Eastern groups. You did know that, right?

they not only tolerated their presence, not only made no effort to stop
them,
but also morally supported them. "freedom fighters".

I'm not old enough to remember the complete history of the IRA, JF. Perhaps
you are. I don't remember any "moral support" from the US government for the
IRA. Did the British government contact the FBI to track these Boston
assholes down, and if so, when do you think the families of the victims of
IRA terrorism will sue them? If I was to serve on such a jury I would
certainly find for the plaintiffs. As would just about any American outside
of certain Boston neighborhoods.

Chad Irby wrote:
And statements like "Watch lists used to screen visa applicants, refugee
claimants and travelers seeking to enter Canada are in disarray because
of inaccuracies and shoddy updating, Fraser found" do not exactly
reinforce your views that Canada is doing a bang-up job.

Her role is to find flaws. No system is perfect. But you can bet that this
items are being worked on. And while it is true that there is a problem
between the passport office and customs people (to have live access to
cancelled/stolen passport lists), the auditor general did mention that getting
the synchronisation going was a technical challenge and that it can't be done overnight.

The auditor general's report is more a list of things remaining to be done as
opposed to a list of flaws. You need to look at it on a yearly basis to see
the type of progress being made.


I bet that if she were to audit the US systems, it would look far worse and
with far worse problems (for instance, private jetblue data making it to some
conference presentation by a consulting firm).

On Sat, 03 Apr 2004 19:18:12 -0500, Peter Kemp
wrote:

On Sat, 03 Apr 2004 15:32:04 -0400, nobody wrote:

Peter Kemp wrote:
I'm just glad I get an exemption from the process thanks to a nice
shiny government visa, because otherwise I would *ot* come to the US

I thought it was currently the opposite: all those entering on a visa are fingerprinted.
In october, it will be all travellers whether on a real visa, or a 90 day visa waiver.

For standard tourist visas you are correct, anyone holding one goes
through the process. I've got a different type of visa as I'm in the
US on UK government business. Which is exempt from the procedures (and
also means that I tend to spend less time at immigration even than US
citizens).
Still takes too bloody long though - of the 30+ countries I've been
to, entering over half I've never had to spend more than 20 seconds at
immigration (and quite often just walk past showing the *outside* of
my UK passport), and I'll be buggered if they're getting my
fingerprints without a fight.

---

That surprises me. You must have a very special visa. Even the visas
that airline crews hold have required them to be fingerprinted and
photographed each time they enter the US since January this year. Air
New Zealand crew members were telling me it routinely takes them an
hour to get through the formalities at LAX.
--==++AJC++==--

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 02:13:03 GMT, Chad Irby wrote:

In article ,
Peter Kemp wrote:

Still takes too bloody long though - of the 30+ countries I've been
to, entering over half I've never had to spend more than 20 seconds at
immigration (and quite often just walk past showing the *outside* of
my UK passport), and I'll be buggered if they're getting my
fingerprints without a fight.

Really funny.

The folks from countries with government-sponsored health care, with the
government knowing the results of their last rectal exams, are worried
about fingerprints...


Oh dear, you really really should save up and try to get out of your
village up in the hills there, and see a bit of the real world at
least once.
--==++AJC++==--

In article , nobody
wrote:

Chad Irby wrote:
The Canadian Auditor General disagrees with you... as of about six days
ago.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4632219/

Sound bytes taken from articles which quoted sound bytes.

If they had quoted the complete auditor general statement, you would have seen
that she began by stating that overall, Canada was doing a very good job to
combat terrorism/increase security.

Of course she'd say that. But the qualifications she mentioned make it
quite plain that Canada is *not* doing that much to control their own
borders.

And statements like "Watch lists used to screen visa applicants, refugee
claimants and travelers seeking to enter Canada are in disarray because
of inaccuracies and shoddy updating, Fraser found" do not exactly
reinforce your views that Canada is doing a bang-up job.

But her role is to find the faults and in her report she did point to
a list of things that need to be fixed. (included was the need for
greater screening of airport employees BTW).

....and reporting of stolen passports, and better coordination between
agencies, and other things.

If only the USA had a similar process to point out the faults in the USA's
attempt to combat terrorism. But then again, the Bush regime

You know, use of phrases like "Bush regime" sorta gives away that bias,
there.

would be overwhelmed by such a report pointing to the few things done
right instead of the so many things done wrong.

You need to read more US newspapers. Your pint of view is *not* borne
out in anything like what's happening here.

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

In article ,
AJC wrote:

Oh dear, you really really should save up and try to get out of your
village up in the hills there, and see a bit of the real world at
least once.

Hey, nice insult. I'm not only right, but *you* knew I was right..

By the way, my "little village in the hills" is a city of over a
million...

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

"Chad Irby" wrote in message
om...
In article ,
"Marie Lewis" wrote:

"Chad Irby" wrote in message
om...

And the funny thing is, the people who are complaining about the US
wanting photos and fingerprints to come in are often from countries
that
already insist on that for their own citizens (like Brazil).

No they are not! They are from Europe and from your "ally" the UK,
where
fingerprints denote one's being a suspected criminal.

...or defending your home from violent criminals gets you put in jail...

You have now truly revealed your weakness.

"Chad Irby" wrote in message
om...

Still waiting for the high speed trains of USA...

The distances are too long.
Air travel is cheaper for that sort of
range,

And pollutes the planet in the usual US way.

and as we've found out, trains are far too prone to sabotage.
Any moron with a chunk of steel can knock a train off the tracks.

That's a shame, too, I like trains.

And the vast majority of Americans have decent cars, so "long" trips by
European standards are common weekend trips by US standards.

Yet more pollution.

--

"Gord Beaman" wrote in message
...
"Marie Lewis" wrote:


Please note that we all have the rest of the world to visit. Why visit a
country which treats us as criminals?

Not to be argumentative Marie but think what you're
saying...security has been tightened all over (including your
country) hasn't it?...


When I go to mainland Europe, I go by car and ferry.
My passport is checked, but that is all, and that is only because the UK is
not a Schengen country.
Once I get to the European mainland, I can drive all through the EU with no
more checks at all. The borders are not manned. You have to slow down a
bit to drive through, but I have never been stopped and I have never seen
anyone actually in the border buildings or anywhere to be seen.

So the hassle just does not exist.

Marie