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More Security or More Paranoia?
It's as bad as it gets. As feared, the United States has decided to step up security screening at its airports. It's obviously in response to the recent incident involving a Nigerian man's alleged attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound plane over the Atlantic.
- PUBLISHED: Tue 5 Jan 2010, 9:31 PM UPDATED: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 1:42 PM
The US authorities have imposed tougher screening rules for passengers arriving from 14 countries with immediate effect. This comes within days of President Barack Obama slamming intelligence agencies for failing to intercept Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian suspect, at an earlier stage.
Obama has been under pressure to make 'visible improvements' in security at entry and exit points in the country. The new list of usual suspects includes, not surprisingly, Nigeria, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran etc.
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Passengers coming or via from these countries now face increased security checks including what is known as body pat-down and carry-on baggage checks. The new measure means people from the specific nations, some of them already on the US State Department's list of countries “sponsoring terrorism” will now face an even more hostile reception when they arrive at a US airport. As it is, since the September 11 attacks, Arab, Muslim and Asian travellers to the US have been increasingly complaining of hostile and often humiliating security checks and body searches. Some very popular and recognisable individuals like Indian superstar Shahrukh Khan and former president APJ Abdul Kalam have had a traumatic experience at the hands of US authorities (Abdul Kalam suffered it right in Delhi!). And they were not even from any of the nations that are on America's list of untouchables!
Predictably, the latest US move has evoked strong protests from human rights groups and Muslim Americans. Nawar Shora of Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee has condemned the new screening as “very dangerous,” terming the policy of classifying people as suspects because of where they come from as 'extreme'. This is indeed unfortunate. While the world understands the US concern for its security after the Detroit flight incident, it would be a tragedy if this leads to the kind of paranoid, extreme actions for which the Bush administration is remembered. In fact, if there's any lesson that is to be drawn from the previous administration, it is that draconian laws and extreme measures do not lead to security. They have only earned the US more enemies. The so-called war on terror and the practices like the CIA's secret flights and secret prisons, waterboarding and other means of persuasion have not made America secure and safe. In fact, it's more vulnerable today than it had been the day before 9/11. President Obama mustn't follow in his predecessor's footsteps.