Wed, Dec 01, 2010
Liberty Guard Files FOIA Request To TSA Regarding Political
Manipulation
A group which purports to "Defend Individual Liberty" says news
and personal reports from around the country indicate that TSA
deactivated many of their controversial body imaging scanners on
Wednesday, November 24th – one of the busiest travel dates of
the year. In so doing, the group says TSA defused "Opt Out"
activities planned by civil libertarian and conservative activists,
resulting in shortened waiting lines and quelling public dissent
over recent changes in security procedures at our nation's
airports.
"We'd like to think that the TSA has been listening to citizens
concerned about being given a choice between naked imaging or pat
down searches of people's private parts," said former Georgia
Congressman Bob Barr, Liberty Guard's Chairman. "If this is the
indeed the case, we'd like to commend the TSA for applying a bit of
common sense to the controversial situation. However, it's far more
likely the reason was political and we think the public should be
made aware of the motivations of our country's security
chiefs."
Toward this end, Liberty Guard has filed a Freedom of
Information Act request with the Transportation Security
Administration to determine why many airport imaging scanners were
shut down across the country on Wednesday. The FOIA request
specifically demands TSA's internal communication regarding certain
activists and organizations that are opposed to the new intrusive
procedures.
"Considering recent hardline statements made by DHS Secretary
Janet Napolitano and TSA Administrator John Pistole, this apparent
sudden reversal in the TSA's direction warrants additional
scrutiny," said Joe Seehussen, President of Liberty Guard. "We'd
like to know if we can expect a policy shift from the TSA or if
they were merely attempting to shut down the public outcry
regarding their search procedures."
Liberty Guard is the sponsor of the Opt Out Alliance and is a
non-partisan, non-profit organization with one specific stated
mission: "Protect and Defend Individual Liberty. Members of
Liberty Guard believe the invasive nature of the newly implemented
Full-Body Scanners and the new "enhanced" pat downs are a violation
of the 4th Amendment, which guards against unreasonable searches
and seizure."
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