We know who you are! Surveillance in the US...

[elektro80]

Since 30 September 2004, all visitors to the United States are
electronically face-scanned and fingerprinted at the US border. This
'biometric' information, together with a mass of associated personal data,
can be shared throughout the US government. Personal files can also be
shared internationally. These measures are part of an unprecedented
traveller surveillance and profiling system that within fifteen years may
encompass data on a billion people.

Privacy International has published an alarming report about the
challenges US-VISIT poses to civil liberties, with a comprehensive
flow-chart showing the detailed workings of the program.

Privacy International condemns the U.S.-VISIT Programme (28.09.2004)
http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd%5B347%5D=x-347-73837

[Oskar]

Today, Norwegian media have reported that the Norwegian ship "Tampa" was checked by representatives of Homeland Security in such a manner as to make the captain feel he'd been forced to relinquish his command of his ship. Norwegian authorities, on complaining about this, have been advised "This is standard American procedure."
The "Tampa for those of you with good memories was the ship that took several hundred Afghan refugees on board in the waters between Indonesia and Australia, and were then refused entry to an Australian harbour. The refugees were eventually offloaded to some small island state in the vicinity.
The "Tampa" seems to court controversy. Makes me think, that.

[elektro80]

Hmm.. yes.. makes you think doesn´t it. The obvious and decent thing to do with those refugees would of course have been to put them out of their misery. The captain completely misread the situation and saved them. What a bummer!