Casinos, Airlines Ordered to Give FBI Information

[Theophylact]

I don't know this news source so I treat it with a bit of skepticism. On the other hand, there's no obvious internal reason to doubt it. Anyone have a more mainstream confirmation?

Las Vegas Gaming Wire

LAS VEGAS -- Las Vegas hotel operators and airlines serving McCarran International Airport are being required by the FBI to turn over all guest and passenger names and personal information, at least during the holiday period, several sources said Tuesday.

FBI spokesman Todd Palmer confirmed the federal action and said the requirement that the companies surrender customer information is a "normal investigative procedure."

However, Allen Lichtenstein, general counsel for the Nevada Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the program "clearly is not part of a normal investigation.

"What we seem to be witnessing at this point is a move on the part of the government to keep tabs on what everyone is doing all the time, which has serious civil liberties implications," Lichtenstein said.

"It's one thing to have some specific security concerns and a targeted investigation with some basis in fact, but to ... try to follow everyone goes beyond what is called for." ...

[Siliconjunkie]

First, the ACLU is off their rocker, as usual. If they are looking for something they have every right to request these kinds of records. The only other option would be to give the hotels/casinos a list of names to look for, which tips their hand.

Confirmation:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho.../22903017.html

[no1_vern]

I disagree Siliconjunkie.

Where does aclu appear in the review journal report? or the Las Vegas Gaming Wire ?

Treating US citizens as criminals doesnt make sense. Anyone accepting this invasion of privacy deserves the totalitarian regime to come.

[Theophylact]

no1_vern, the ACLU is the American Civil Liberties Union. And the Gaming Wire is the news service that supplied the story (see credit under byline). But Siliconjunkie is wrong if he thinks this is anything like normal procedure.

[Siliconjunkie]

Didn't say it was normal, just that I don't see a problem with it.

Treating US citizens as criminals doesnt make sense.

Care to tell me where anyone was treated like a criminal?

[no1_vern]

Theo,
I was refering to what Sj said, that the ACLU was off "off their rocker", as if they had something to do with the reports (which they dont). The government is invading honest americans rights in some kind of fishing expedition.

Sj,
The government is looking at who is flying to/from las vegas. Anyone whos records are looked at by the government is being treated as a criminal. If they have to subpeona the info its considered an "action against a criminal". quote: "Airlines are complying under subpoena from federal authorities.

How about we see a person be a criminal first then treat that person as a criminal instead of assuming everyone is a criminal.

I happen to think that if I decide to fly to Las Vegas, and stay a few nights, then go back home, NO ONE needs any more information other than the people I have direct interaction with(my family, the airline, the hotel, ETC...). At what point is any of those actions considered criminal or criminal activity??

[Gomer]

Minority Report (tom cruise) is on HBO right now... retina scans everywhere you go and the like... the future is on its way it seems.

[Siliconjunkie]

So, we should tell our government that they are not allowed to look at who comes and goes from somewhere as part of an investigation? Obviously they were not doing this covertly, they pretty much walked in and asked for the records.

Or, should they be required to tell people who they are looking for and why, thereby informing whom they are looking for that they are doing it and where?

I just don't see any good options here. They have a duty to look into things that they feel are a threat to us. And, they were doing that.

And, I still don't see your name being on a list of people who were in a given place at a given time as part of an investigation makes you/them a criminal in any sense. Unless they were looking for you.....

Beyond that, WHO CARES if they know you were in Vegas or wherever on a given date and stayed at such and such a hotel. What on earth are they going to do with that? Tell your wife? If anyone here thinks that the government really cares what you are up to needs to get over themselves.

[Gomer]

So, we should tell our government that they are not allowed to look at who comes and goes from somewhere as part of an investigation? Obviously they were not doing this covertly, they pretty much walked in and asked for the records.

Or, should they be required to tell people who they are looking for and why, thereby informing whom they are looking for that they are doing it and where?

I just don't see any good options here. They have a duty to look into things that they feel are a threat to us. And, they were doing that.

And, I still don't see your name being on a list of people who were in a given place at a given time as part of an investigation makes you/them a criminal in any sense. Unless they were looking for you.....

Beyond that, WHO CARES if they know you were in Vegas or wherever on a given date and stayed at such and such a hotel. What on earth are they going to do with that? Tell your wife? If anyone here thinks that the government really cares what you are up to needs to get over themselves.

Why don't they just require that we get a gov issued ID and be required to scan it every where we go. Every toll booth, hotel, gas station, airport, church, library, bookstore, brothel, sporting event, hospital, garage etc. You could use it to get gov issued ammo for all your weapons. It could be inserted into computers in order to use the internet... or type documents... or send email.

Better yet, they could even turn it into the new form of currency to eliminate counterfeit. No more cash... taxes would be real easy. Boy would we ever be superduper safe! They wouldn't have to go get records from anyone as they would already have them all.

[Theophylact]

It's the same argument always given by Big Brother: "If you're not doing anything wrong, why should you worry your pretty little head?"