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Boy, 8, Makes 'Terror Watch List'

Third grader joins many others on flaw-filled 'no-fly' list

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 20, 2008 5:05 AM CDT

(Newser) – James Robinson, 8, shares more than a name with a pilot and a former assistant attorney general, CNN reports. All three have found themselves on the government's terrorist watch list and must verify they're not James Robinson, suspected terrorist, before they can fly. Little James was first held up at an airport at age 5. Asked if he's a terrorist, James replies "I don't know"—because he doesn't understand what a terrorist is.

The ACLU estimates a million names have been added to the terrorist watch list since the 9/11 attacks, although FBI officials insist there are only 400,000. Besides being unfeasibly long and crammed with incorrectly flagged names, the list may also be largely ineffective. The James Robinsons have found that flying as Jim Robinson or J. Robinson avoids check-in hassles.

There's going to come a point in time where everybody's on the list, said pilot James Robinson, whose name remains on the government's terror watch list along with as many as a million others.
"There's going to come a point in time where everybody's on the list," said pilot James Robinson, whose name remains on the government's terror watch list along with as many as a million others.   (Getty Images)
The federal government's 'no-fly list' has been criticized for containing the names of many people with no terror links whatsoever, many of whom find it tricky to get their names removed.
The federal government's 'no-fly list' has been criticized for containing the names of many people with no terror links whatsoever, many of whom find it tricky to get their names removed.   (Getty Images)
A passenger fills out paper work  a flight,  23 January, 2007. Passengers wrongly flagged on the terror watch list must have an agent verify their identity before they can fly.
A passenger fills out paper work a flight, 23 January, 2007. Passengers wrongly flagged on the terror watch list must have an agent verify their identity before they can fly.   (Getty Images)
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I'm carrying a weapon, flying a multimillion-dollar jet with passengers, but I'm still screened as, you know, on the terrorist watch list. - James Robinson, pilot

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