End of Controversial Surveillance Program Announced
Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, has declared the termination of an Obama-era initiative that involved tracking American citizens.
She stated, “Today, the TSA is discontinuing its Quiet Skies program, which allowed federal agents to follow US travelers. Initiated in 2012 to monitor potential threats, it instead became a tool against political adversaries, such as Tulsi Gabbard.”
“Throughout its run, it hasn’t averted any terrorist incidents, yet it has cost taxpayers approximately $200 million annually,” she remarked.
Independent journalist Breanna Morello has been pivotal in revealing details about how citizens could end up on these monitoring lists.
Morello explained, “They employed a program called Evade, another initiative from the Obama administration, to incorporate individuals onto the TSA Terror Watch list.” She described the situation as concerning, especially highlighting that, “Conservatives seem to be the primary target.”
She provided an example of Tulsi Gabbard, noting that just a day after Gabbard criticized Kamala Harris, she found herself on that watch list.
Morello further indicated that numerous Americans, including attendees of the January 6th rally, have been subjected to similar scrutiny.
“For years, they were using TSA to surveil individuals covertly, subjecting them to unnecessary additional searching,” she shared with Gonzalez. “It’s worth remembering, TSA isn’t an investigative body.”
This has led to the TSA enlisting private companies to do their investigative work.
She also mentioned that if you notice a small ‘4S’ on your boarding pass after undergoing extra screening, it’s quite possible you’ve been flagged without realizing it.
“They’re deliberately exploiting loopholes and circumventing accountability,” Gonzalez opined.
“And those loopholes involve private companies,” Morello responded.
