The Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C. released documents on its Web site highlighting the federal government's missteps in trying to keep terrorists from boarding planes. The Center has some 200 pages of complaint calls to the Transportation Security Administration by ordinary people flagged as potential security risks and delayed or prevented from getting on their flights. The main link appears to be the passenger's name is similar to names law enforcement officials have tagged as threats. This week Wired News writer Ryan Singel wrote about a 62-year-old Catholic nun who was routinely detained by airport security because her last name, McPhee, matched a name on the no-fly list. Sister McPhee's repeated attempts to clear her name from the list went unanswered for nine months. Only a plea to the White House from a high level church official got a response.
The Center's Staff counsel Marcia Hofmann says Sister McPhee is not alone.