Friday, April 5, 2024

Am I On A Government Watchlist

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Popular Front For The Liberation Of Palestine

A Former FBI Agent Explains the Terrorist Watch List | Explorer

Also known asAl-Jibha Sha’biya lil-Tahrir Filistin-al-Qadiya al-Ama

DescriptionFounded in 1968, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command is an Islamist Communist group committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state and the destruction of Israel. The group is opposed to any negotiation with Israel and believes solely in a military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was the first Palestinian group to use suicide squads: in 1974, three members attacked Qiryat Shemona and killed 18 people before dying in a battle with Israeli soldiers. The PFLP-GC has used barometric bombs to blow up aircraft, parcel-explosives sent through the mail as well as motorized hang-gliders in a guerilla raid into Israel. During the 1990s, the PFLP-GC limited its activities to training and equipping other terrorist groups, such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In December 2015, PFLP-GC claimed responsibility for the firing of three rockets on Northern Israel in retaliation for the assassination of a Hizballah member in Syria.

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The Terrorist Screening Center And Redress

The Department of Homeland Securitys Traveler Redress Inquiry Program provides the public with a single point of contact for individuals who have inquiries or seek resolution regarding difficulties they experience during travel screening at transportation hubs, such as being incorrectly delayed, denied boarding, identified for additional screening, or any other difficulties while traveling or seeking entry into the country. Since there are many reasons why a traveler may seek redress, DHS TRIP works with the TSC, as appropriate, when an inquiry appears to be related to the watchlist.

The TSC does not accept redress inquiries directly from the public. Instead, members of the public should contact the relevant screening agency with their questions or concerns about screening. The screening agency is in the best position to identify and resolve issues related to that agencys screening process. Information on how to contact screening agencies is listed below:

  • For more information, or to file a redress request related to travel, please see the DHS TRIP website.
  • The State Departments Bureau of Consular Affairs website provides information on how to seek redress for the denial of a visa. Individuals who are overseas should contact the U.S. embassy or consular office abroad regarding visa issues.

You can learn more about the Terrorist Screening Center by reviewing answers to our frequently asked questions.

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Pocket Litter And Scuba Gear

The guidelines provide the clearest explanation yet of what is happening when Americans and foreigners are pulled aside at airports and border crossings by government agents. The fifth chapter, titled Encounter Management and Analysis, details the type of information that is targeted for collection during encounters with people on the watchlists, as well as the different organizations that should collect the data. The Department of Homeland Security is described as having the largest number of encounters, but other authorities, ranging from the State Department and Coast Guard to foreign governments and certain private entities, are also involved in assembling encounter packages when watchlisted individuals cross their paths. The encounters can be face-to-face meetings or electronic interactionsfor instance, when a watchlisted individual applies for a visa.

A USAID spokesman told The Intercept that in certain high risk countries, such as Afghanistan, USAID has determined that vetting potential partner organizations with the terrorist watchlist is warranted to protect U.S. taxpayer dollars and to minimize the risk of inadvertent funding of terrorism. He stated that since 2007, the agency has checked the names and other personal identifying information of key individuals of contractors and grantees, and sub-recipients.

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Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Faction Of The Hezb

Also known asN/A

DescriptionGulbuddin Hekmatyar’s faction of the Hezb-e Islami, Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin , espouses a radical Islamist anti-Western ideology with the objectives of overthrowing the Karzai administration, eliminating all Western influence in Afghanistan, and creating an Islamic state. Hekmatyar’s men were reputed to be the most effective mujahideen group to fight against the Soviet occupation and the most extreme of all Afghan fighters. Drawing support from Pakistan, HIG now has a presence in much of Afghanistan and is an important component of resistance forces in the country. HIG is known to cooperate with Al Qaida and the Taliban, and has a history of engaging in terrorist activities including killings, torture, kidnappings and forcible detainment, and attacking political figures. HIG often targets civilians, journalists, and foreign aid workers. On May 18, 2016, after over two months of negotiations, Afghanistan’s government signed a draft peace agreement with the HIG.

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Where Can I Learn More About The Global Watchlist Screening

How Does the FBI Watch List Work? And Could It Have ...

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Dhs Traveler Redress Inquiry Program

The DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program can provide resolution to travelers with difficulties getting through security and inspection at airport checkpoints, train stations and when crossing U.S. borders.

  • You are unable to print a boarding pass.
  • You are denied or delayed boarding a plane.
  • You are denied or delayed entry into and exit from the U.S. at a port of entry or border checkpoint.
  • You are continuously referred for additional screening at the airport.

Heres Why You May Be On The Watchlist Without Being Aware

People on the US watchlist may not be aware of their inclusion, as the watchlist is designated a classified document. According to the FBI, records in the watchlist are exempted from notification, access and amendment to the extent permitted by subsections and of the Privacy Act, because the records contain classified intelligence and law enforcement information related to the governments counterterrorism, law enforcement and intelligence programs.

Active records on individuals on the watchlist are maintained for 99 years and inactive records are maintained for 50 years. Records of possible encounters with individuals on the watchlist are maintained for 99 years.

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You Can Be Turned Into An Informant

Keeping track of suspected terrorists may not be the only purpose the watchlisting system serves. Recent lawsuits allege that the FBI uses it to as leverage to turn people into snitches.

A 30-year-old Afghan American, Naveed Shinwari, found that after FBI agents questioned him about his 2012 travel to Afghanistan he was getting married he couldn’t obtain a boarding pass he needed for an out-of-state job interview. Soon he found himself talking to other FBI agents, who wanted to know if he knew anyone “threatening” his community in Omaha, Nebraska.

“Thats where it was mentioned to me: you help us, we help you. We know you dont have a job well give you money,” Shinwari, who is suing over the apparent quid pro quo, told the Guardian in April.

Similarly, in Oregon, a man named Yonas Fikre is suing the government for allegedly attempting to parlay his no-fly list placement into getting him to infiltrate a prominent Portland mosque. After Fikre declined, he claims, he traveled to the United Arab Emirates, where he was detained, beaten on the soles of his feet and placed in “stress positions” all, he says, while his torturers asked him questions about the Portland mosque that were suspiciously similar to those the FBI asked.

Us Government Watchlisting: Unfair Process And Devastating Consequences

Are you on a federal watch list?

The U.S. government today maintains a massive watchlisting system that risks stigmatizing hundreds of thousands of people, including American citizens, as known or suspected terrorists based on secret standards and secret evidence, without a meaningful process to challenge error and clear their names. The watchlists in this system are shared widely within the federal government, with state and local law enforcement agencies, and even with foreign governments, heightening the negative consequences for listed individuals. Being placed on a U.S. government watchlist can mean an inability to travel by air or sea invasive screening at airports denial of a U.S. visa or permission to enter to the United States and detention and questioning by U.S. or foreign authoritiesto say nothing of shame, fear, uncertainty, and denigration as a terrorism suspect. Watchlisting can prevent disabled military veterans from obtaining needed benefits, separate family members for months or years, ruin employment prospects, and isolate an individual from friends and associates.

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You Can’t Get Off Yet

There is no procedure to challenge and reverse your status on the no-fly list, the terrorism watchlist or TIDE. Inclusion on any is not typically disclosed making legal remedies difficult nor does the government provide any process for removal. Travelers suspicious about why their attempts to fly were unsuccessful can launch a redress request through the Department of Homeland Security, but that process does not challenge inclusion on a watchlist or database, nor will even successful requests guarantee against future travel restrictions. Procedures that will, identified within the guidance, are exclusively internal government processes.

“The only way to get off the federal watchlist is through the beneficence of a federal agent, routinely coupled with some form of cooperation with the FBI,” Abbas said.

But that lack of redress has now imperiled the no-fly list. Last month, in a federal judge in Oregon ruled that the inability of individuals to extricate themselves from the list is a due-process violation, rejecting the government’s contention that there is no constitutional right to travel.

“Such an argument ignores the numerous reasons that an individual may have for wanting or needing to travel overseas quickly, such as the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, a business opportunity or a religious obligation,” judge Anna Brown found.

How To Get On A Government Watchlist

The inner workings of a watchlist nomination are of course unknown the government has been extremely secretive about the names on the various watch lists. However, there are a few well-known ways to get your name put on the federal governments watchlist. It basically just takes any action that a machine-learning algorithm calculates is outside the norm.

Heres how you can get your name on a government watchlist:

  • Have a criminal record for terrorist-related activates.
  • Associate with a known terrorist, terrorist organization, or anti-government consortium. This includes family members and unfortunately, certain religious organizations.
  • Make frequent trips to areas or countries known to support terrorism. You only have to raise reasonable suspicion that youre involved in terrorism to make the list.
  • Have an active membership in an extremist group.
  • Be male, travel alone, and carry no bags on a one-way trip.
  • Internet searching for topics related to or attributed to terrorist-type activities.
  • Make an unusual purchase large amounts of fuel, makeup that disguises your appearance, unusual construction supplies, electronic components, out-of-the-ordinary farm supplies, flying lessons, etc. and pay with PayPal, Bitcoin, or a throwaway credit card.
  • Participate in several activities that alone may be OK but together could trigger terrorist suspicion. For instance, visit hacking websites, post a tirade against the government, build your own fireworks, and join the Tea Party.
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    They’re Reading Your Tweets

    The watchlisting guidance says that “first amendment protected activity alone shall not be the basis” for nominating someone to the lists. The key word: alone. What you say, write and publish can and will be used against you. Particularly if you tweet it, pin it or share it.

    The guidelines recognize that looking at “postings on social media sites” is constitutionally problematic. But those posts “should not automatically be discounted”, the guidelines state. Instead, the agency seeking to watchlist someone should evaluate the “credibility of the source, as well as the nature and specificity of the information”. If they’re concerned about a tweet, in other words, they’re likely to go through a user’s timeline. That joke about that band blowing up could come back to haunt you at the airport.

    How Does No Fly List Work

    George Soros: Three American NGOs, including one ...

    So, how does the U.S. No Fly List actually work? Those placed on the No Fly List are not permitted to board a commercial aircraft for travel in or out of the United States, and has even been used to divert aircraft containing persons on the list who are not traveling to or from the U.S. away from U.S. airspace.

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    About The Terrorist Screening Center

    Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the President and Congress mandated that federal executive departments and agencies share terrorism information with those in the counterterrorism community responsible for protecting the homeland. In 2003, the Terrorist Screening Center was created to fulfill that mandate.

    The Terrorist Screening Center, a multi-agency center administered by the FBI, is the U.S. Governments consolidated counterterrorism watchlisting component and is responsible for the management and operation of the Terrorist Screening Database, commonly known as the watchlist.

    The watchlist is a single database that contains sensitive national security and law enforcement information concerning the identities of those who are known or reasonably suspected of being involved in terrorist activities. The TSC uses the watchlist to support front-line screening agencies in positively identifying known or suspected terrorists who are attempting to obtain visas, enter the country, board an aircraft, or engage in other activities.

    The TSC is a vital part of the U.S. Governments counterterrorism early warning and interdiction network.

    You can learn more about the Terrorist Screening Center by reviewing answers to our frequently asked questions.

    Al Qaida In The Indian Subcontinent

    Also known asQaedat al-Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent and Jamaat Qaidat al Jihad fi Shibh al Qarrah al Hindiyah

    DescriptionIn a video released on September 3, 2014, Al Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri announced the creation of a new AQ affiliated group, AQIS. Al-Zawahiri named Asim Umar as leader of AQIS and Usama Mahmoud as spokesman. Since the announcement of its creation, AQIS has claimed responsibility for the September 6, 2014 attempt to hijack Pakistan Naval Ship Zulfiqar the October 31, 2015 attacks on two publishers in Dhaka, Bangladesh and several assassinations. In October 2019, there were reports that six AQIS militants had arrived in Karachi from Afghanistan with plans to reactivate their sleeper cell to carry out terrorist attacks. AQIS continues to call for violence against India.

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    Islamic State Sinai Province

    Also known asAnsar Bayt al-Maqdis Ansar Jerusalem Islamic State Sinai State

    DescriptionIslamic State Sinai Province , formerly known as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, is a Sunni Salafist Islamist extremist group based in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, which first appeared in 2011. The primary objective of the group is the formation of an Islamic state in Egypt under Sharia Law. The primary targets of ISSP’s violence include the Egyptian military and security services, Israeli interests, and Israeli economic interests. They have carried out repeated attacks against security forces, politicians, and civilians in Egypt using small arms, improvised explosive devices, vehicle-born improvised explosive devices, and surface-to-air missiles. In November 2014, ISSP pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State , and expanded its targets to include tourist sites, Western interests, Western embassies, and the media. In August 2015, ISSP claimed to have beheaded a Croatian national kidnapped and taken hostage in Cairo in July. Two months later, ISSP claimed responsibility for downing Russian airliner KGL9268 over the Sinai through an improvised explosive device killing all 224 passengers aboard. ISSP continues to conduct cross-border attacks against Israel, including firing several rockets in February, April, and October 2017.

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    Two Steps To A Consistent Screening

    eevBLAB #38 – Digikey & The US Government Watchlist!
    • Identity verification

    The first step is to profile the person conducting financial transactions via identity verification using multiple independent and reliable data sources.

    • Watchlist screening

    The second step is to run the identity profile against a comprehensive set of watchlists. The effective way to do it will be by incorporating a global watch list screening solution that is faster and always accessible for smooth new client onboarding.

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    Travel To Certain Countries

    Frequent trips to a known trouble spot can raise a red flag. If you travel to certain places, the likelihood is you get more scrutiny, says Mann. If you travel frequently to countries that are known to be involved in terrorism or financial crimes, you do run the risk of having your travels alerted more carefully.

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    Why Are Government Watchlists Different From Other Watchlists

    While government watchlists are one of the most common watchlists to use, there are also other private watchlists out there. Why might you want to use a government watchlist instead of a private watchlist? There are many reasons a business might choose to use a government watchlist instead of a private one.

    • More information
    • Extremely comprehensive
    • Foreign and domestic

    Of course, this isnt a complete list of reasons, and there are many reasons you might want to use either a government watchlist or a private watchlist. However, the fact that government watchlists are public and include both foreign and domestic concerns is a significant reason many businesses use them.

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    How Does The Us Obtain Records Of People On The Watchlist

    Information contained in the watchlist are obtained from public sources, agencies and private sector entities conducting terrorism screening, law enforcement, intelligence agency record systems, government databases, and biometric systems of foreign governments.

    For foreign nationals, the Preventing and Combating Serious Crime initiative, grants the US government access to the biometric system of partner nations. Similarly, Nigeria and other partner nations are required to share criminal and terrorist biometrics with the US, as part of the US Visa Waiver Program.

    Records are also obtained from foreign government through the Information Foreign Biometric Exchange Program. With this program, the US government collects high value biometrics from foreign law enforcement partners. The biometric records pertain to individuals of interest to partner countries, the US, or the international law enforcement community, and include individuals associated with or appropriately suspected of terrorist activity, egregious crimes or transnational criminal activity.

    Another source is the fingerprint capture tool used by frontline field operatives to collect, store, and match fingerprint data. It can be done using an FBI-issued smartphone or tablet, allowing FBI agents to quickly determine positive identification of suspected persons, within and outside the US.

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