[Chefelf]

U.S. Puts Ex-Cat Stevens On 'Watch List'
POSTED: 7:57 am EDT September 22, 2004
UPDATED: 8:14 am EDT September 22, 2004

U.S. officials detained singer Cat Stevens on Tuesday and will return him to Great Britain today, because he is now listed on an official terrorist "watch list."

Federal officials say a plane bound for Washington from London was diverted to Maine because passenger Yusuf Islam -- formerly known as pop singer Cat Stevens -- showed up on the U.S. watch list.

The flight had already taken off when the match was made between the passenger and the watch list. That's according to the Transportation Security Administration.

The plane was met by federal agents at Maine's Bangor International Airport, where sources say Islam was questioned by the FBI and Immigration officials.

A Homeland Security spokesman says Islam will be put on the first available flight out the country.

Homeland Security Department spokesman Dennis Murphy identified the passenger as Islam. "He was interviewed and denied admission to the United States on national security grounds,'' Murphy said.

Nico Melendez, a spokesman for Transportation Security Administration, says the identification was made by the Advanced Passenger Information System, which requires airlines to send passenger information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's National Targeting Center.

Islam is a peace activist who has criticized the war in Iraq.

He has also criticized terrorist acts by Muslims, including the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the deadly school seizure early this month in Beslan, Russia.

Following a string of hits in the 1960s and '70s, including "Wild World" and "Morning Has Broken," the musician abandoned his career and changed his name after being persuaded by orthodox Muslim teachers that his lifestyle was forbidden by Islamic law. He founded a Muslim school in London in 1983.

Fans of the singer are coming to his defense, after he was denied entry to the U.S.

A statement posted on a fan-supported Web site says Yusuf Islam being on a government watch list "is certainly an error."

The statement also calls it a "sad state of affairs" when "a peace-loving pop star can be grouped into the same category Osama Bin Laden just because of his chosen faith."

Last year, Islam released two songs, including a re-recording of his '70s hit "Peace Train," to express his opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

http://www.nbc10.com...657/detail.html

Perhaps Cat Stevens and US Senator Ted Kennedy were planning something foul.

Also, I love the federal governments subtle hint that it holds no value for the state of Maine. Terrorist landing in D.C.? Unacceptable. Maine? That's fine... that's practically Canada anyway.

[WalrusOfPlastic]

[Chyld]

I think a better slogan would decare:

LET COMMON SENSE
BACK IN AMERICA

This post has been edited by Chyld: 23 September 2004 - 10:27 AM

[SimeSublime]

I'd sign that petition.

[J m HofMarN]

The argument they're using is that he allegedly has links to muslim charities that are potentially linked to Hamas. First of all Hamas is a liberation group with no ties to foreign terrorism. They provide most of the schools and hospitals in Gaza. They also wage war against Israel with every possible means. However they've never threatened attacks on US soil.

They also said he may potentially have links to people who might be affiliated with Al Qaeda. Does it bother anyone else that this is the language they use?

"This just in, Chefelf might potentially have given money to a guy who could conceivably be linked to charities that might just for some reason fund terrorism, allegedly."

And, really, when a guy makes a life of smoking marijuana and writing easy listening music it's a safe bet he's not going to be taking over any air planes. For a comparison in the musical world I'd liken it to saying that Michael Jackson raped a woman, or had sex with a woman at all.

And even if the noted peace activist who condemned the september eleventh attacks was secretly a terrorist funding typed person what difference does that make? I'd really much rather have a terrorist financier on my plane than a guy with a bomb or a box cutter. Who the devil cares if he's going to send money to terrorists from here or from Britain? They're still going to get the money aren't they? So why bother deporting him at all unless it's because they want to keep his message of peace and, ya know, not murdering people, from the ears of impressionable American youths. And if they had any real evidence he was sending them money they'd have just secretly imprisoned him without trial like they normally do.

[Chefelf]

LET COMMON SENSE
BACK IN AMERICA

Back?

[Helena]

LET COMMON SENSE
BACK IN AMERICA

Back?

Good point.

[Slade]

C'mon, there had to be some sort of common sense over here at some point in history... Although I'm drawing a blank.

The ol' Ministry of Defense is finally doing its job.

They also stopped Ray Charles at airport security at one point. You know, those blind black millionaires entertainers are clearly going to kill people in the name of Allah.

Well, look at why we went to war. We allegedly had possible intelligence gained from sources that Iraq may have had the capacity to pose a vague threat to no one in particular at some point in the distant future with or without the possibility of the use of chemical or biological weapons.

I'd cry for the world but the tears won't come anymore.

[Jane Sherwood]

America had common sense at one point? When exactly was this and why wasn't I informed?

[Just your average movie goer]

I don't think America really ever had much in the way of common sense per se, Jane. However, I think we'll all agree that it had a little more than it does at the present time.

I'm sorry to all the American users on this forum, but you are living under a facist regime. What you really need to do is sneak some letters out of the country, asking Kofi Annan for help. Then the other UN nations can send in a peace keeping force to remove the Bush regime (aka the Bush administration).

[electricprune]

Unfortunately, I live just a few miles away from Washington, DC our evil nation's capitol. Get me outta here!

This ethnic/religious profiling stuff really makes me sick. I've always dug Stevens', or rather Islam's uplifting folk songs. How could such a gentle soul be accused of terrorism?

"If you wanna sing out, sing out, if you want to be free be free, 'cause there's a million things to be, you know that there are..."

[J m HofMarN]

Electricprune- Good heavens! Accuse? That's such a nasty word! We in the Bush administration like to keep things nice and use lots of big vague words. For instance, when I say "I'm going to get a drink" I don't go out and say that, it's too in your face. I say "I may possible get something from the kitchen that might be a drink in the near future."

Or if I were going to say that the world wil EXPLODE if John Kerry is elected president I'd say "In my personal opinion it is possible that a terrorist attack might be more likely to occur if John Kerry is president"*

*= Actual fugging comments made by Republican lawmakers.

Well, look at why we went to war. We allegedly had possible intelligence gained from sources that Iraq may have had the capacity to pose a vague threat to no one in particular at some point in the distant future with or without the possibility of the use of chemical or biological weapons.

Very good point. Don't forget that the intelligence may or may not have just been made up in the first place. I wonder if I could get away with something like this.

"I already told you why I shot that Budhist monk officer, I was told by a crack head in an alleyway that he might possibly be gathering arms that he could use to shoot at me, allegedly. The crack head CLEARLY stated that he had documents to back it up, even though I didn't get a very good look at them. This is a clear case of self-defense."

[J m HofMarN]

This week the Bush administration announced that Cat Stephens deporation was only the begining of a war against popular folk and easy listening performers. In the Florida Keys authorities are still in a standoff that began when they tried to apprehend Jimmy Buffet, a known terrorist supporter. He agreed to come out of his key-west fortress only if, "I get a Junior Mint, damn it!"

Next on the list was James Taylor, followed shortly by Tracy Chapman, whos unreleased version of "baby got a fast car" includes the lyrics "Baby got a fast car. Let's crash it into a population center and kill the american devils, live in paradise with a lot of virgins, lot of virgins" An arrest warrant was also served for Kurt Cobain, despite his apparent death, because President Bush misinterpreted the hit single "Come as you are" to be an invitation to terrorists. Cobain pressed his defense however pointing out "Well I swear that I don't have a gun!" Cobain is also wanted for his Irish heritage, which may link him to U2's lead singer Bono and thus to the Irish Republican Army.

The world of alternative rock has also felt the sting as Michael Stipe was deported because he just looks weird. The arrest is thought to be in connection with REM's latest protest anthem "Losing my freedom of religion" The smashing pumpkins were also executed and tossed into a mass grave for being too neutral about the threat of terrorism. Mysteriously enough their collective last words were "Whatever"

Whatever indeed, mister Bush, whatever indeed.

[SimeSublime]

How the hell do you come up with this stuff. It always makes me laugh.

[J m HofMarN]

I just try to think one step more absurd than Bush. The only reason you find it funny is that it hasn't happened... yet.