Bush administration wants Europeans' family details, the right to put armed officials on European planes, and a pre-approval for European visitors
The demand to put armed air marshals on to the flights is part of a travel clampdown by the Bush administration that officials in Brussels described as "blackmail" and "troublesome", and could see west Europeans and Britons required to have US visas if their governments balk at Washington's requirements.According to a US document being circulated for signature in European capitals, EU states would also need to supply personal data on all air passengers overflying but not landing in the US in order to gain or retain visa-free travel to America, senior EU officials said.
And within months, the US department of homeland security is to impose a new permit system for Europeans flying to the US, compelling all travellers to apply online for permission to enter the country before booking or buying a ticket, a procedure that will take several days.
The poster (Cory Doctorow) goes on to suggest that by logical extension, we should give Mexico the right to put its Sky Marshals on any American flight that's bound for South America, and Canada could put Mounties on all US flights headed over to Alaska from the mainland. Also: if you're on a US flight headed to, say, Germany, your flight could have gun-toting cops from Canada, Ireland, the UK, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Switzerland on it. Soon there'll be no room for passengers, as if anyone would want to travel... Just imagine the fun of sticking up a lifesize photo of a terrorist-looking guy, and two dozen jumpy skycops popping up and spraying it with bullets from all directions, shouting in their various languages. Fun for the whole cabin!
Or, the EU could think about Bush's idea, think about how all his other ideas have worked out, and after a nanosecond or so shout "Hell no, fool!". In their various languages, of course.
