Stephen Hayes, a writer for The Weekly Standard and frequent Fox News contributor, learned Tuesday while attempting to board a flight that his name was on the terrorist watch list kept by Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
Politico reports.
Hayes explained that he encountered what he thought was a glitch while attempting to check in online, but learned when he arrived at the airport that he had been flagged by the DHS.
"Then I got to the airport and went to check in. The woman had a concerned look on her face. She brought over her supervisor and a few other people. Then they shut down the lane I was in, took me to the side, told me I was a selectee and scrawled [something] on my ticket," Hayes told the paper.
"On my way back, the same thing happened," he continued. "I got pulled out, they closed down the lane, and did a full pat-down and looked in all parts of my luggage."
He suspected the reason behind his name being added to the watch list was a consequence of recent travels to the Middle East. On Twitter yesterday, Hayes wrote:
"I suspect I made the list b/c of concerns about #Syria. I took a one-way flight to Turkey in late July (return flight was Athens). @DHSgov
Seeking a solution to his problem, he contacted DHS to no avail.
"Naturally, when I went to file a "redress" form on the @DHSgov website, as instructed, the form could not be processed. #limbo
Since his situation became public, Hayes has been taking the situation in stride, posting travel updates on Twitter.
This morning, Hayes tweeted: "
Terrorist watchlist update: Pulled out of line, TSA supervisor called. Officer Chutz at BWI: “You’re on the list.” @DHSgov
Hayes has broken several stories concerning the Obama administration's handling of the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in which Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others were killed.
The incident comes at a time when the Obama administration's approach to reporters and transparency has been called into question.
On Sept. 22, the
Committee to Protect Journalists authored a letter to the administration to express their concern about the effects of intelligence and law enforcement activities on the "free flow of news and other information" in the public interest.
"We are deeply troubled by reports that the NSA and allied agencies monitored the electronic communications of journalists and news organizations," wrote CPJ chairman Sandra Mims Rowe.
Yesterday,
The Washington Post published a report alleging that administration officials have sought — and received — changes to White House press pool reports, which are intended to be independent accounts of White House activities.
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