‘Everybody Should Be Concerned’: Government Allows Americans on No-Fly List to Take Flight Training
- Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:21pm by
Jason Howerton
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(GERARD JULIEN/AFP/GettyImages)
(The Blaze/AP) — U.S. citizens who are on the government‘s list of people banned from flying because they’re considered terror threats are not prevented from learning how to fly in schools around the country, according to government regulation.
Such a person may have to drive across the country to learn how to fly a plane because he or she would likely be stopped from boarding a commercial airliner. But the security checks put in place after the 9/11 attacks will not keep the person from receiving pilot training. The revelation has left some lawmakers in disbelief.
The security loophole was raised during a hearing Wednesday to examine the Homeland Security Department’s programs to screen foreigners who want to attend flight schools in the U.S. Some of the 9/11 hijackers were able to learn to fly in the U.S. while living in the country illegally. The government put in several more layers of security after the attacks, and foreigners now receive criminal background checks and are screened against terror watch lists before they are allowed to begin training. U.S. citizens, however, are not subject to the same scrutiny.
“I was stunned. That just caught me completely off guard, and I’m pretty angry about it,” Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said after the hearing. “Everybody should be concerned.”
The government has other screening requirements for someone to receive a pilot’s license or other certificate to fly a plane which include criminal background checks and screening against terror watch lists. But Rogers said if the government doesn’t want someone on an airplane because he or she is a terror threat, there’s no reason why that person should be allowed to learn how to fly.
Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) grilled Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials and asked whether the policy made sense given the national security threats facing the country. Watch the video here:
Kerwin Wilson, the Transportation Security Administration official who oversees the flight school screening program, said he did not know whether an American on the no-fly list has actually undergone flight training in the U.S. in the past 10 years.
“Keep in mind, the way the program is set up, there’s layered security in place,” Wilson said, adding that once someone receives a flight certificate, he or she is screened against other criminal and terrorism databases regularly. Wilson also cautioned that putting U.S. citizens through these additional security checks could cost more money.
This did not allay concerned lawmakers.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security committee, said the only thing the government does not do for a U.S. citizen on the no-fly list is give him or her a license to fly a plane.
“We’ve trained them to do it. That’s my concern,” Thompson said.
Rogers, chairman of the subcommittee that held Wednesday’s hearing, said he plans to raise this with the head of the TSA, and if the agency can’t fix the problem, he plans to introduce legislation that would.
As it is, the TSA’s program to screen foreigners has its own security loopholes, according to the Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog agency.
The TSA screening program does not automatically determine whether a prospective flight student is in the U.S. legally, said Stephen Lord, who heads GAO’s homeland security and justice programs. In 2010, law enforcement investigated a flight school in the Boston area and found that eight people at the school approved for flight training by TSA were in the country illegally, and 17 more had stayed in the country longer than they were allowed, Lord told lawmakers. The owner of the flight school was in the country illegally as well.
The TSA and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have agreed to share more information with each other, officials from those agencies said.
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Comments (51)
progressiveslayer
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 10:02amOur founders are rolling in their graves with these ass hats destroying this country
Report Post »barber2
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 9:50amJust another example of why the government is NOT the solution…go away Democrats ! Nobama 2012.
Report Post »Individualism
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 8:54amso who are the goverment paid insurgents taking flight school lessens to train for their future false flags? hmm i wonder.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 9:49amAlways interesting to hear from the tin foil hat crowd…
Report Post »TexPat
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 8:28amWhat we are witnessing is an internal takeover of America and at the same time preparing our outside enemies for support or maybe even an invasion.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 8:47amWe sure are and that’s been the Marxist POS plan from the beginning and on another article on here we see how often Barry met with his jobs council in the last six months,zero yes zero but he had 189 fundraisers.The mask is off with that Marxist POS and all his actions prove it and he should lose in a landslide but the fact that he’s up,according to the msm is mind boggling.
Report Post »JRook
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 9:00am@progressiveslayer You might want to check the dates on when the TSA, no fly list and related regulations were created and on who’s watch. But don’t let the truth get int he way of your narrative. Doesn’t seem to slow down GB or Rush.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 9:06am@JROOK You got me wrong there Rook I know Bush created TSA and medicare part D,he’s a big government progressive with an R next to his name.He added trillions to the debt and Barry’s added many more trillions.
Report Post »Bum thrower
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 9:30amWhat a great idea!! Let’s see; I get a pilot license; rent a plane; grope myself; to make sure I’m not trying to sennk anything on the plane; fly to my destination; and by golly I avoid the lines at the airport…..great idea!!
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 8:10amWe aid and abet terrorists constantly now! The Bulgaria Terror Attack was carried out by a guy with a fake USA ID from Michigan, for God’s sake! We are in DEEP DO DO and Bachmann is CORRECT. They ARE infiltrating every aspect of our lives and this administration is enabling them to do so!
Report Post »poorrichard09
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 8:20amThese fools are putting us all at risk. They’ve been too busy issuing bulletins warning about returning GI.s, Tea Party folks and Christians to pay attention to the REAL enemies!
Report Post »ccrabill
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 7:57amMany Americans who have been denied the right to fly without an explanation or recourse have been left with this option, to fly themselves. Don‘t play into the hands of the fascists demanding that anyone on their ’list’ lose all liberty, all rights, without the option for any redress of their grievance.
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 8:36amYou do not have the “right” to fly just as you don’t have the “right” to drive a car. It is moronic to argue that it is fascist to deny someone who is on the “no-fly” list, flight training. It is idiotic. Is it so difficult to remember 9-11 when terrorists took over some commercial flights and fly them into buildings?
Report Post »smoolie671
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 10:55amPerhaps it’s time for you to keep your opinions to yourself.
Report Post »nilo
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 7:49amNow does anyone not believe that we need a complete change in government? Mr. Wilson would not even say that he disagreed with the point that those who were on a no fly list should not be able to take pilot training. I am sick of this hypocracy, and politically correct junk.
Report Post »abunchofbullshit
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 6:52amUS Citizen’s is the key here to me; do you really want one ‘suspected’ of something to be prohibited from doing what all US Citizens can do?? I think not!
Report Post »AlcoholicMB
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 5:50amWell you know that TSA “no-fly” list is totally legitimate and air-tight. Everyone on that list is a terrorist. Yup yep sure.
(In hindsight, I wonder if I’m on that list. Being both a veteran AND a registered gun owner… I wonder)
Report Post »johnpaulkuchtajr
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 6:21amGive me a break, our _hit-head-in-Chief invites the leaders of organizations named as as “unindicted co-conspirators” from the Holy Land Foundation terror trial to the White House for dinner.
No, I’m not _hitting you, google “Mohamed Magid, president of ISNA at Iftar dinner.” He went to the State Department as well to listen to the _hit-head-in-Chief rail against Israel.
Put Obama, Holder and their posse on trial for treason.
And you worry about training more jihadists to fly? You have one living in the WH!
Report Post »psadie
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 1:44amAw c’mon. i have had enough of this crap. What the hell is going on here and WHY is it happening? WHO is allowing these things to happen? Which fool is letting 9/11 happen all over again? Make Rudy Giuliani head of Homeland Security and Chris Christy the new Attorney General and let them straighten out this friggin’ mess because we no longer have common sense and integrity!
Report Post »charleyrocks
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 3:08amoh crap! what the hell are these guys talking about, the bottom line is terrorists could take flight training!!!
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 4:08amThat’s right. While your in a queue waiting to be fondled, a terrorist is getting basic flight training – which is all they need.
The 9/11 attackers didn’t acquire a licence, they learned precisely what they needed to know and left to commit their infamous crime. One of them actually told the instructor not to worry about teaching take-off and landing.
How on earth can someone, even a dumb TSA official, not see this?
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 4:51amYou’re*
Dammit, I did it again…
Report Post »Wolf
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 6:28amAnd how many decent Americans are on the no-fly list? How many eight year old kids are on it? How many babies? Gosh… those diapers must be really hard to change during flight training.
Report Post »You guys need to get a grip on reality and stop whining like little girlie boys because some people are exercising their right to learn something. Nothing but a bunch of liberal sheep.
valleyfever
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:24amHomeland Security works for whose homeland? These people are either incompetent or they are traitors. Either way they need to be fired.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:03amGet the government out of the private air transportation industry; let the airlines do their own security. Let them announce ,, in advance : PROFILING IS DONE HERE, got a problem? do not fly with us.
I bet airfares would drop; and more people would choose such an airline.
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 11:37pmIncompetent B00Bs!
Fire the lot of them!
Report Post »South Philly Boy
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 11:30pmMaybe this is the TSA version of FAST AND FURIOUS
Report Post »Ramrod64
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:09amor maybe its TSA version of Dumb and Dumber.
Report Post »mrmikejohnson
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 11:08pmThis story should dominate the news for at least the rest of this week! This is beyond insane! To the progressives, Homeland Security is just another branch of their power to be used only for political purposes. Actually providing security for the homeland has nothing to do with their daily activities.
Report Post »neoconenemy
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 11:06pmHow does someone get on the no fly list? We have seen news reports of 6 year old boys finding themselves on the list. The list is unconstitutional if the people on it have not been found guilty of any crime in a court of law. We should be asking how people get on this list as much as why those on the list are being allowed to fly.
Report Post »IndianaUSA
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:48pmShouldn’t this have been the first EFFING thing we checked after 9-11? Rape grandma at the airport, but don’t worry about the flight schools. I hope that someday I wake up and find out this was all a crazy dream.
Report Post »ashestoashes
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 11:06pmI did not believe it until I saw this..You will never see 9/11 the same again..
Report Post »http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28tE0fKpISM
Ramrod64
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:11amplus we let these islamic lunatic in the service then they kill america soldiers!!
Report Post »NOT A CRAZY
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:15amThat is exactly what I was thinking. TSA is molesting babies to diapered grandmas but the idiots are allowing people on the no-fly list learn how to fly—-AFTER 9/11. We are such idiots.
Report Post »JOHNNYROTEN
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:45pmthe govt, repub or dem, is a shell game and we are the mark…………………all the money they can take and this is the result………very obvious if you open your eyes
Report Post »65Plus
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:44pm9-11 II on the way!
Report Post »garbagecanlogic
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:42pmThe next idiot that trys to tell me that obama and his administration is not trying to sabotage our country is going to get a real awakening.
Praise Be To Obama. Psalm 109:8
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.
Report Post »The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
ashestoashes
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 11:04pm9/11 happened on Bushes watch..700 billion in TARP went to Sharia Compliant Banks..which means those banks have funds set up in them to pay 2.5% of every investment to fund organizations funding terrorism..The terrorists of 9/11 are dead mercenaries..The Federal Reserve is running the show..They have picked our presidents for a long time..even Bushes were involved George H Bush spoke of the NWO and Henry Kissinger said we wouldn’t like it but it was what was good for us..I also understand that he said military men are dumb stupid animals used as pawns for foreign policy. The Rothschild/Rockerfeller 13 family Federal Reservemost likely started the wars and profited from all..9/11 was a grab for our Constitution..usurping our freedom and throwing us into wars which would cause us so much debt so as to take us into the NWO/Communism THe Mormon religion was most likely handed to Joseph Smith via the Rothschilds secret society..the Masons..It seems to me that they believe some babylonian writings that the Rothchilds may have had access too..it is said that they are from the Tribe of Dan.The Tribe that got kicked out. Here is the 9/11 you may not have seen.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28tE0fKpISM
Report Post »jadams9845
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:42pmHmmmm….similarities between now and what preceded the events of 9-11.
Can anybody say upcoming ‘false flag’?
If you are not willing to see it then accept your fate as collateral damage at the hands of your illegitimate Fedcoat government. They HATE you. To them you nothing more than a SSN.
DHS/TSA Nazis molest your daughter, mother and grandmother. They continue to do it because YOU don’t protest against it!!!
Report Post »65Plus
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:41pmIf you have seen Beck’s “Rumors of War III,” this is not only understandable but predictable. Unlike 9-11, this will truly be an “inside job.” This is the problem when you have a Muslim Communist President who hates and wants to destroy the Country.
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:39pmkeep in mind that there are layers of security , with this government in charge, the layers of security is being pulled because of budget cuts because of the massive debt that obama and his henchmen have gotten this great country into,and so obama and his family can go vacationing on a monthly basis and we can not ask them to stop,because that would be racist and besides the government knows what is best.
Report Post »Wolfgang the Gray
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:48pmAlso don’t forget that another big terrorist attack would allow Obama to grab even more power from Americans crying “Do whatever you have to do to make it stop!”
Remember the old saying, “the only thing worse than law breakers is law makers”? This administration sure lends credence to that saying.
Report Post »linda haupt
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:36pmwe had better be ready for anything. countdown to november 6
Report Post »do you think they are going to go out quietly?
Detroit paperboy
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:30pmOur government is a bankrupt joke……
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:40pmand the joke is not funny at all.
Report Post »Mutiny
Posted on July 18, 2012 at 10:44pm@detroit
Yet you support a progressive Republican who doesnt cut spending, doesnt cut government agencies, doesnt stop American citizens freedoms from being taken, and doesnt want to stop the TSA.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 12:48am@mutiny, honestly at this point I would vote for a rotting roadside raccoon before I would vote for any democrat…..so, yes I will hold my nose and pull the lever once again……sux tho.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on July 19, 2012 at 9:53amGotta give the “Vote Howard Johnson/ Obama Divide the Dumb Republicans ” Committee credit : they are PERSISTENT ! Just hold your nose, folks !
Report Post »