Brits detained by homeland security...

[Noir]

Quite beyond words...


Two 20-somethings from the U.K. learned a harsh lesson about the American government's sense of humor on Monday, Jan. 23, when they were detained and then forced to return home due to comments they made on Twitter (http://huffingtonpost.com/news/twitter).

The tweets had been sent a week before their trip, indicating the U.S. government had flagged the pair well before their arrival.Both claimed the messages were lost in translation.
"They asked why we wanted to destroy America and we tried to explain ['destroy'] meant to get trashed and party," Bunting told the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093796/British-tourists-arrested-America-terror-charges-Twitter-jokes.html).

Bryan also said he was asked about a tweet that he says is a quote from the television show 'Family Guy' that read, "3 weeks today, we're totally in LA p***** people off on Hollywood Blvd and diggin' Marilyn Monroe up!"

"I almost burst out laughing when they asked me if I was going to be Leigh's lookout while he dug up Marilyn Monroe," Bunting told the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093796/British-tourists-arrested-America-terror-charges-Twitter-jokes.html). "It got even more ridiculous because the officials searched our suitcases and said they were looking for spades and shovels."

But things quickly became less humorous to Van Bryan and Bunting.
Speaking with the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093796/British-tourists-arrested-America-terror-charges-Twitter-jokes.html), Bryan said officials told him, "You really f***** up with that tweet, boy," before handcuffing and putting him in what Van Bryan described as a "cage" inside of a van. He said he was then transported to a prison with other boarder offenders.

"It's just so ridiculous it's almost funny but at the time it was really scary. The Homeland Security agents were treating me like some kind of terrorist," Bryan told the Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093796/British-tourists-arrested-America-terror-charges-Twitter-jokes.html).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/british-tourists-deported-for-tweeting_n_1242073.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003&ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

[gabosaurus]

xactly why "Homeland Security" should be abolished. Or at least restructured. Like the FAA.

[Nukeman]

This is a joke.. these DHS people are out of control. I understand these were tweets, are those available for anyone, or were these optained by "listening" for certain words?? this is total bullshit... IMHO

[ConHog]

This is pretty dumb, searching their shit for shovels? Yeah b/c I'm quite sure if they had dasterdly plans that involved shovels they wouldn't just buy the shovels once in the US. Must have special shovels in England.

[Noir]

This is a joke.. these DHS people are out of control. I understand these were tweets, are those available for anyone, or were these optained by "listening" for certain words?? this is total bullshit... IMHO

They're available to anyone, infact tweets can pop up through on google searches...

The Tweet itself was been sent from Leigh to a friend, Melissa, and read "@MellissaxWalton, free this week for a quick gossip/prep before i go destroy America? x"

Definity terrorists :laugh: as for the family guy quote and shovel searching :laugh::laugh::laugh:

Gotta say though, when i flew to America i got a not so nice welcome at the Airport, was the only one from my flight to be taken to a desk and have no less than three different guys go through my bags and ask me the same questions about why i was there, how i paid for the trip, who i was meeting, why i booked my flints at such short notice etc. They all seemed throughly displeased at the idea that someone would spontaneously take themselves off for a few weeks.

It went so far as two of them skimming their eyes over by Diary, which i didn't much like at all but thought it was best to keep me mouth shut. Anyways i'm sure it was all standard practice, but wasn't exactly the welcome i'd expected.

[jimnyc]

Not defending any actions, but is it possible that someone that read the "posts" had reported them to the police or HLS?

[Noir]

Not defending any actions, but is it possible that someone that read the "posts" had reported them to the police or HLS?

I'd guess homeland security have threads that scan social media looking for key phrases like destroy america, and then because of their profiles are able to cross reference those with people who are on inbound flights/visa applications etc.

Edit - Also reminds me of a story last year, where a guy was arrested under terrorism charges for tweeting (as a joke) that if Nottingham airport was closed for another day he was gonna blow it sky high...needless to say once news of the tweet circuited there were thousands of tweets from people claiming if their local airport/trainstaion/pub wasn't open they'd blow it sky high lol.

[jimnyc]

I'd guess homeland security have threads that scan social media looking for key phrases like destroy america, and then because of their profiles are able to cross reference those with people who are on inbound flights/visa applications etc.

Not disagreeing with that, as it sounds plausible, but again, do we know this is the case? The scenario is made up is fairly plausible too.

[Noir]

Not disagreeing with that, as it sounds plausible, but again, do we know this is the case? The scenario is made up is fairly plausible too.

Even if someone who followed them reported them, does that make it plausible that they are going to dig up marilyns body, much less commit terrorist acts?

[jimnyc]

Even if someone who followed them reported them, does that make it plausible that they are going to dig up marilyns body, much less commit terrorist acts?

Not at all. I'm just wondering how HLS got the words, why they stopped them and questioned them to begin with.

[Nukeman]

Not at all. I'm just wondering how HLS got the words, why they stopped them and questioned them to begin with.umm its called illegal search and seizure. If they were using any software to skimm through email, tweets, instant messages, or phone calls I call that ILLEGAL SEARCH..... They need to have probable cause this was NOT probable cause, because we have NO IDEA where the information came from for the DHS to use..

personaly this is scary stuff..

ohh by the way

LETS DESTROY AMERICA..... F**K YAA!!!!!!!!!!!

[Noir]

umm its called illegal search and seizure. If they were using any software to skimm through email, tweets, instant messages, or phone calls I call that ILLEGAL SEARCH..... They need to have probable cause this was NOT probable cause, because we have NO IDEA where the information came from for the DHS to use..

personaly this is scary stuff..

ohh by the way

LETS DESTROY AMERICA..... F**K YAA!!!!!!!!!!!

Bu-bye Dani, enjoy gitmo :salute:

[Nukeman]

Bu-bye Dani, enjoy gitmo :salute:
Well if I pop off for a bit you might know why....:laugh: good thing Im using the computer at work....:beer:

[fj1200]

umm its called illegal search and seizure. If they were using any software to skimm through email, tweets, instant messages, or phone calls I call that ILLEGAL SEARCH..... They need to have probable cause this was NOT probable cause, because we have NO IDEA where the information came from for the DHS to use..

Not that I disagree with your sentiment but Twitter users have zero expectation of privacy, in fact I think that's the whole point of Twitter.

[ConHog]

Not that I disagree with your sentiment but Twitter users have zero expectation of privacy, in fact I think that's the whole point of Twitter.

Good point. The Court has ruled time and time again that a person MUST have a reasonable expectation of privacy in order to claim a search was illegal.

[ConHog]

umm its called illegal search and seizure. If they were using any software to skimm through email, tweets, instant messages, or phone calls I call that ILLEGAL SEARCH..... They need to have probable cause this was NOT probable cause, because we have NO IDEA where the information came from for the DHS to use..

personaly this is scary stuff..

ohh by the way

LETS DESTROY AMERICA..... F**K YAA!!!!!!!!!!!

PS the boys in question were NOT US citizens and the tweets originated overseas, so bye bye constitutional claims.

[Noir]

PS the boys in question were NOT US citizens and the tweets originated overseas, so bye bye constitutional claims.

Surly you don't have to be an american citizen to be protected by the constitution?

In any case i'd like to know the reason why they were sent home, are they deemed to be a threat? Are they ever allowed to enter america? etc.

[jimnyc]

umm its called illegal search and seizure. If they were using any software to skimm through email, tweets, instant messages, or phone calls I call that ILLEGAL SEARCH..... They need to have probable cause this was NOT probable cause, because we have NO IDEA where the information came from for the DHS to use..

personaly this is scary stuff..

ohh by the way

LETS DESTROY AMERICA..... F**K YAA!!!!!!!!!!!

That's what I'm asking, are we ASSUMING this is how they found out, or do we know that as of yet? Like I said, maybe someone reported them, and HLS was simply investigating what was reported? And then maybe we are only hearing one side of the story since they were supposedly sent back?

Too lazy to look, but has HLS released a report on this? I can't even find too awful much of this story cause searches are returning a billion results on blogs and forums and I can't find legitimate reports from the authorities as of yet.

[fj1200]

Surly you don't have to be an american citizen to be protected by the constitution?

Surely you do unless you already happen to be stateside while sending ill-advised tweets. Even then they'd be in trouble just as some of your fellow blokes across the pond were when proclaiming to blow up the airport.

[jimnyc]

As to the other subject, it's hardly a violation and a constitutional protected right, or a privacy violation, if it's something they said on twitter. No different than Facebook, and even if you say it to friends only. Once it's "posted", it's out there, and that's why I ask about the possibility that someone reported them.

[revelarts]

the fact is the NSA reads what every they want of overseas mail, email and phone and can't be charged for it legally. Except under espionage law becuase its spying on dirty foreign no-goodniks. It's done as a matter of routine. The U.S. Bill of rights doesn't apply -but should imo-. And guess what if the British gov't wants to know about some unruly British citizen then they can call up their friends at the NSA and ask them for the info and the U.S. will supply it. gratis. The flip side is that the "rights of Englishmen" and whatever don't apply to U.S. citizens, so MI-6 and their NSA Equivalent spy on U.S. citizens at will and give info to the those in the U.S. gov't that ask nicely. Similar agreements are in play with other friendly nations. It's the way our respective gov't leaders can "legally" say "we don't spy on our citizens."

[jimnyc]

the fact is the NSA reads what every they want of overseas mail, email and phone and can't be charged for it legally. Except under espionage law becuase its spying on dirty foreign no-goodniks. It's done as a matter of routine. The U.S. Bill of rights doesn't apply -but should imo-. And guess what if the British gov't wants to know about some unruly British citizen then they can call up their friends at the NSA and ask them for the info and the U.S. will supply it. gratis. The flip side is that the "rights of Englishmen" and whatever don't apply to U.S. citizens, so MI-6 and their NSA Equivalent spy on U.S. citizens at will and give info to the those in the U.S. gov't that ask nicely. Similar agreements are in play with other friendly nations. It's the way our respective gov't leaders can "legally" say "we don't spy on our citizens."

Do you know specifically how these Brits comments were detected? Was it "spying"? If so, link me up please! Many people over the years have been reported by their own friends for their comments. The latest were 2 separate incidents where guys used tape to "tie up" their kids in a supposedly joking manner. Their own friends turned them in.

I'm just looking for the truth. I think many are jumping to conclusions as to specifically what happened, or have read reports that haven't been posted here as of yet.

[revelarts]

Do you know specifically how these Brits comments were detected? Was it "spying"? If so, link me up please! Many people over the years have been reported by their own friends for their comments. The latest were 2 separate incidents where guys used tape to "tie up" their kids in a supposedly joking manner. Their own friends turned them in.

I'm just looking for the truth. I think many are jumping to conclusions as to specifically what happened, or have read reports that haven't been posted here as of yet.

I was speaking in general, I've got no specifics on this particular case.

[ConHog]

Do you know specifically how these Brits comments were detected? Was it "spying"? If so, link me up please! Many people over the years have been reported by their own friends for their comments. The latest were 2 separate incidents where guys used tape to "tie up" their kids in a supposedly joking manner. Their own friends turned them in.

I'm just looking for the truth. I think many are jumping to conclusions as to specifically what happened, or have read reports that haven't been posted here as of yet.

Don't make ignorant fucking tweets about blowning shit up in a foreign country that you about to visit, especially one that is still actively involved in a war with terror groups, and you don't have to worry about it.

Do you TRULY believe that any country has someone sitting around listening to every phone call, monitoring every FB page, reading every email, reading every tweet? Of course they fucking don't. A computer sifts through PART of the electronic junk sent everyday and if it comes across one that contains certain keywords THEN a human actually gets involved. Phone calls are even more unlikely to be intercepted unless the government is already focusing on your number, and that goes for citizens AND non citizens.

You act as if the government is some omnipotent creature who knows all and sees all, and is watching everyone every moment of the day. They are not.

Hey though, do you watch Person of Interest? Great show, I think you'd enjoy it. BUT IT'S FANTASY.

[Noir]

Don't make ignorant fucking tweets about blowning shit up in a foreign country that you about to visit, especially one that is still actively involved in a war with terror groups, and you don't have to worry about it.


Also don't quote a TV show about digging a grave, that'll get you up the duff too. Especially when the country you're visiting actively frowns upon grave digging...

[ConHog]

Also don't quote a TV show about digging a grave, that'll get you up the duff too. Especially when the country you're visiting actively frowns upon grave digging...

I hope they waterboarded the dufuses, not to glean any information from them, but just as a warning.

or tazed them, or both. :laugh2:

[revelarts]

My secret decoder glasses read it like this


Don't make ignorant fucking tweets about blowning shit up in a foreign country that you about to visit,
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

...especially one that is still actively involved in a war with terror groups, and you don't have to worry about it.
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY... MUCH... MAYBE

...Do you TRULY believe that any country has someone sitting around listening to every phone call, monitoring every FB page, reading every email, reading every tweet? Of course they fucking don't. A computer sifts through PART of the electronic junk sent everyday and if it comes across one that contains certain keywords ...
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

...THEN a human actually gets involved.
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

...Phone calls are even more unlikely to be intercepted unless the government is already focusing on your number, and that goes for citizens AND non citizens. ...
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

...You act as if the government is some omnipotent creature who knows all and sees all, and is watching everyone every moment of the day. They are not.
BUT STILL WATCH WHAT YOU SAY THEY/WE MIGHT BE LISTENING ..WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT. AND THE BURDEN OF PROOF IS ON YOU TO PROVE YOUR NOT A TERRORIST

Hey though, do you watch Person of Interest? Great show, I think you'd enjoy it. BUT IT'S FANTASY.
FOR THE MOST PART


I hope they waterboarded the dufuses, not to glean any information from them, but just as a warning. or tazed them, or both.
:laugh2:
I DONT CARE IF INNOCENTS ARE HARASSED TORTURED AND TAZED, I THINK IT'S FUNNY!!!! AS LONG AS I'M SAFE.
I'M JUST KIDDING EXCEPT FOR THE TAZING INNOCENT PEOPLE BEING FUNNY PART.LOL!

[ConHog]

My secret decoder glasses read it like this

All untrue, except the part about it being funny when someone is tazed. Innocent or not it's funny.

[pegwinn]

xactly why "Homeland Security" should be abolished. Or at least restructured. Like the FAA.

On what grounds would you personally abolish it? Just curious since I never hear a self professed liberal advocate abolishing any portion of the government. Come to think of it, not counting Ron Paul, I rarely hear conservatives advocate abolishing any portion of government unless it's a campaign talking point.


Surly you don't have to be an american citizen to be protected by the constitution?

If you are on American soil, under the jurisdiction of United States law, you are protected by the US Constitution.

[DragonStryk72]

Good point. The Court has ruled time and time again that a person MUST have a reasonable expectation of privacy in order to claim a search was illegal.

True, but at the same time, the context is different. Here "Destroy America" means "Annihilate America", where as in England it means "Get so shitfaced I can't stand in America". It's not so much the issue of them seeing and thinking something suspicious was going on, that's one thing, and could have been cleared up with a quick bag search and some polite questions.

The issue is the severe overreaction, and that's really the thing. If they were using overall sensible methods, we wouldn't be having these discussions. Sure, we'd bitch about the extra times in line at the airport, but somehow all of these debates turn into A or B discussion, where we either completely abandon all security, or do nothing to halt the egregious oversteps, and that isn't helping anything.

[logroller]

Good point. The Court has ruled time and time again that a person MUST have a reasonable expectation of privacy in order to claim a search was illegal.

An expectation of privacy can exists on US soil regardless of a person's nationality -- but Twitter isn't private by any stretch of the imagination; Where Noir said in the course of a random search they read through his diary, that's above and beyond what was reasonable IMO; whereas if they just thumbed through it, in the course of checking for contraband-- it's easily justified. Of course, IF, big IF, they have reason to believe the person is a threat, eg said they would 'destroy America', then a greater degree of scrutiny becomes not only reasonable, but diligent. Its also important to note a foreigner doesn't have a right to be within US borders and the reasons for their wishing to be granted access are a legitimate concern that places the burden of proof on the requester. And quite frankly, specifically in the case of foreign aliens, its primarily diplomatic interests that require customs and immigration to provide a reason not to grant admission, they could easily just say no.