U.S. wants Canadian airlines to give up passenger info!

The hubris (arrogance) of the United States of America is swelling to amazing and disturbing proportions.

Canadian airlines flying through U.S. airspace will have to hand over the personal data of everyone aboard the plane if a U.S.-proposed program comes into effect — even if the destination is not in the States.

But the Secure Flight program, the brainchild of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has already met swift opposition from the organization that represents all Canadian airlines.

In a report published in Thursday's Globe and Mail, the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC) said it was taken aback by the call to require Canadian airlines to hand over passenger lists 72 hours before departing for destinations that travel in the path of U.S. airspace.

The requirement to hand over the passenger information would stick regardless of whether the plane takes off or lands at a U.S. airport, meaning the changes would affect Canadian flights to such holiday hot spots as Mexico and Cuba.

However, in-country flights that only briefly cross U.S. airspace (such as Vancouver to Toronto) are excluded. (Damn nice of them, eh!)

Let's say … that they don't like Farley Mowatt and he was flying over the States on his way to a holiday in Acapulco. (Farley is a Canadian writer and general curmudgeon who didn't like US fighter aircraft flying low over his East coast cottage and used to go into the back yard and shoot "bird shot" at them to make a point.) They could either refuse to let the plane fly or send those same fighters up to force the jet down and arrest our misguided hero! Remember, this is the same country that now wants to build a wall along the Canada / U.S. border!

In a statement Thursday, Transport Canada spokeswoman Julia Ukrintz said the proposed U.S. legislation was "currently going through discussion phase" with Canadian officials. (Canada already has its own no-fly list in place — a list that was developed after close consultation with the U.S. government.)

"The Canadian and U.S. governments have been co-operating quite extensively on the development of secure civil aviation. Why would you encourage the Canadian government to develop its own no-fly list if you're now saying, 'Thank you very much, it's no value for us'?"

Under the proposal, Canadian airlines would reportedly have to disclose each passenger's: Full name, as the name appears on his or her passport. Date of birth. Gender. So-called "known traveller number." (If applicable, The number identifies the traveller as someone who the U.S. government has already screened and ruled is not a security threat.)

Although it would not be required, Canadian carriers would also be encouraged to transmit further details about passengers, including their itineraries, with a listing of their departure airport codes, airlines, departure/arrival times and arrival airport codes.

Let's face it, boys and girls, the U.S. "war on terror" is nothing more than a ploy by the present administration to foster fear amongst the population and thereby gain support for their foreign and domestic policies.

They have not only manipulated the average Joe/Josephine in the States to accept any act they want with no concern for Constitutional or Civil rights, but are also running amok in the rest of the world with a perverted sense of grandeur and righteousness that is truly without bounds.

Watch out!

Allan W Janssen is the author of The Plain Truth About God at www.God-101.com and the blog "Perspective" at http://God-101.blogspot.com

P.S. Why is it that the term "homeland security" is starting to conjure images of the book "1984" and the term "Big Brother!"