GUWonder

It's already happening (especially in the case of the first/given names). But of course that is an indication of a "sleeper cell" to be.

By the way, in Latin America you would find the majority of ethnic Arabs (muslim or not) with Spanish first names and then the last name could be a more traditional Arabic last name or some hodgepodge. You find this to be very common amongst the business and political elites in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico and Chile. At least 2 of those countries had ethnic Arab muslim presidents in overwhelmingly catholic countries during the 90s. [Gaucho can confirm one such country for me. ]

On a more concerning and serious note, some people in the Middle East, North Africa and Central/S/SE Asia have been noted as christianizing their first names to apply for visas and the like (or to stake claims as "persecuted" refugees in some cases).

It is interesting to note that most Arabs in America (especially Arab-Americans) have largely non-distinguishable names ... like pollster James Zogby, radio personality Casey Cassem Sen. John Sunnunu, Generals John Abizaid and Henry Pete Osman and so on. Most all Arabs and Arab-Americans are christians and thus have had French or English christian names for generations in many cases. Only a minority of Arabs in the US and an even smaller minority of Arab-Americans are muslim.

It is also interesting to note that a disproportionate amount of Israelis and non-European jews are often confused for being muslims or Arabs when perceived visually or without much intellectual curiosity. An Israeli tourist to America is likely to get the special treatment quite often.

Dovster

I am invariably SSSSed but I don't believe it is because of my name (which, admittedly, is Hebrew and could easily be mistaken for Arabic.)

I get SSSSed because I buy my tickets in Tel Aviv. On those few occasions when I have bought them in the States I have whizzed right through Security.

Frankly, I am only annoyed by the reason that I get the special treatment, not the special treatment (or profiling) itself.

I don't believe that any of the 9/11 hijackers bought their tickets overseas. To make the point of purchase the deciding factor in profiling, therefore, is ridiculous. Even today, a would-be terrorist is more apt to buy his ticket in Boston than Beirut.

If airlines want to profile Arabs -- fine. If they can't tell the difference between Hebrew and Arabic, that is very understandable. If they want to profile Israelis, I can accept that. But let's stop being so hypercritically PC and give the actual reason for the profiling. As things stand now, an American WW2 vet in his 80's whose son in Tel Aviv springs for a ticket for him will get the SSSS treatment while the 23-year-old Islamic radical who arrived in the States two weeks ago and bought a r/t ticket to LAX in Brooklyn will most likely go right through.

GUWonder

I agree that the "rules" for selection make little sense. But I will go beyond that and say the perceived need for "selection" is nothing more than a provision for a false sense of security. In regards to your comfort level with profiling and identity-based screening, I have to disagree. Identity is not security and we either make the plane secure (as best we can) from everyone or we should just admit that the non-stupid terrorist will get his/her mission accomplished by finding a patsy to be played and thus evade the measures if we resort to the "profiling" nonsense. Even random selection is more meaningful than a determinable algorithim for selection -- and even you have hinted that the algorithims make little sense often enough.

kanerf

The solution is simple, though a bit degrading. I have started carrying my passport for identification since this started happening to me. Why not put a VISA like inclusion in my passport that would get me through this nonsense?

ScottC

They are working on a trusted passenger system, who knows when it'll be in place though...

GUWonder

The trusted passenger will not be the trusted passenger for long, even with such a program.

HigherFlyer

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