[rant on]
The list is a joke, and not a particularly funny one at that. Here in Europe we get stories all the time of transatlantics which are diverted or sent back because of people who have the same (or even just similar) names and/or birthdates as people on the no-fly list.
There was even a story on a KLM flight bound to MEX (yes, Mexico), which was only crossing US airspace, which was turned back halfway across the Atlantic and had to go back to AMS because there were people onboard who "appeared to be" on the no-fly list.
I would be seriously pissed off if I were on one of those flights. If you're going to make a list, do your f***ing homework and don't include people who have ultra-common names like Gary Smith unless you can positively identify the RIGHT Gary Smith. Same thing for a Mohammed bin Abdullah or something, have you got any idea how many people in the Arab world have that name?
[rant off]
I believe the list is completely ineffective. It creates more problems than it solves and makes DHS look like complete and utter fools. They need to think of something else.
[rant back on]
God forbid, requiring goverment employees to think! Perhaps the impression one gets of DHS is justified?
[rant off, venting complete]