The powers that be are doing some type of rewiring of lines or something to that effect and either their customer service is unaware or either forbidden to inform the customers of what is actually transpiring (I wonder if that is for billing purposes).
At the present my dsl access goes down around midnight to midnight thirty :>), and I just realized this morning that I do not regain access until around 10 a.m. the next morning. At this point (which has now been a month)I believe I am do more of a credit than 6 days. :>).
By Andrew Adams News-Sentinel Staff Writer
Last updated: Saturday, Jun 11, 2005 - 06:43:11 am PDT Even though suspected Lodi terrorist Hamid Hayat was on a plane flying to the United States after taking part in an Al Qaida terrorist training camp, a representative for the Transportation Security Administration said the department's "no-fly list" program works.
Created shortly after 9/11, the program lists people who are suspected terrorists, or may have links to terrorists, and is designed to keep them off planes. Agencies, including the FBI, forward names to the TSA which compiles the list, said TSA spokesman Nico Melendez.
Hayat reportedly left Pakistan, where he attended the training camp, for the United States May 27. Two days later, the FBI received word that Hayat was on the no-fly list and had his plane diverted to Japan where federal agents were able to question him.
Hayat later admitted lying to those agents about his involvement in the camp, and he was arrested June 5, according to an affadavit. His arrest; the arrest of his father, who lied about paying to support Hayat's activities; and three other men on immigration charges have rocked Lodi's tight Muslim community.
"In very broad terms, what happened is a demonstration of the system working," Melendez said. "That shows this works. That's how intelligence works."
He could not say if Hayat was on the list when he left for Pakistan in April 2003.
While he would not comment on the details of Hayat's case, Melendez said, in general, the TSA has struggled in making sure security screeners at international airports check the list and stop people on it from boarding flights.
But, he said, screeners in other countries send flight manifests to U.S. border agents who then review them and can hopefully divert flights with anyone on the list before the planes enter U.S. airspace.
FBI Agent and spokesman John Cauthen said he has had to make the decision on recommending people for the no-fly list and said it really comes down to a simple judgment call.
He also would not comment on whether Hayat was on the list when he left the country for Pakistan.
But he did say, that in making the decision one has to weigh the risk to public safety, not unlike how a judge determines the appropriate sentence for someone convicted of a crime.
Once Cauthen makes his decision, he said it is reviewed by several other people; some in his agency and some in others, before anyone is actually added to the no-fly list.
However, Cauthen would not say exactly who makes decisions or what agents find during their investigative work to make them think someone should be on the list.
"I don't want to speak on any specifics," he added. "I don't want to go down that path."
The TSA actually has two types of lists: The no-fly list and "selectee list." People on the selectee list can be subjected to additional screening when trying to board a plane, while those on the no-fly list are supposed to not be permitted to board an aircraft flying to, from or in the United States.
Melendez said some people with absolutely no connection to terrorism can find themselves on the selectee list because they share the name of someone who is on the list.
"It's unfortunate," he said. "It may be a case of a minor inconvenience when you fly."
If one finds themselves on the list, and don't have connections to any worldwide terrorist network, the TSA's Web site, http://www.tsa.gov, offers recommendations on how to make traveling easier.
People can fill out a "passenger identity verification form" that may allow the TSA to expedite the check-in process, according to the Web site.
The form has two parts: One requiring the person fill out a physical description of themselves, as well as adding their social security number and telephone numbers while the second requires notarized copies of the person's passport, birth certificate and another piece of identification such as a driver's license or certificate of citizenship.
Once the TSA receives the form, it will then review it and see if a streamlined check-in is available. If so, TSA can contact the airlines with the information and send a letter to the person stating the same.