It's a Stupid Stupid Stupid World!

Harry Palmr

3 month old questioned over terrorist intent

A three-month old baby was summoned to the US embassy in London for an interview after his grandfather mistakenly identified him as a terrorist.

Harvey Kenyon-Cairns had been due to fly to Orlando in Florida for his first overseas holiday, until his grandfather Paul Kenyon made the error on a visa waiver form.

On the part of the Esta form which reads “Do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?” Kenyon ticked yes instead of no....

....The baby was taken from his home in Poynton, Cheshire, to the embassy in Grosvenor Square, London, to be questioned by officials. The round trip took about 10 hours, longer than the nine-and-a-half-hour flight time from Manchester to Orlando.

What the fvck? Anyone here filled out one of those forms? It really is a remarkable state of affairs when that question even exists on a form presumably with the expectation that someone will tick yes if they are a terrorist and that the no doubt highly trained and paid US embassy staff in the visa section couldn't find a way to avoid bringing in a toddler for questioning (Skype maybe?).

blinding

You can't be too careful when it comes to the auld terrorism..............

Turtyturd

The form has three or four of those stupid questions on it. Like most people I'd generally scan the first question, tick the correct box and then tick the same box for the others without reading the question.

ESTA is also nothing more than a money maker since you still have to go through the same sh!t with immigration when you get there.

Pinch Flat

Those terrorists are being indoctrinated younger and younger. Can't be too careful.

Potkettle

The question obviously exists to serve very different functions. It may give grounds for arrest, more charges, cover due diligence in a technical sense etc etc. if contrary evidence is in possession of IMMIGRATION or DHS.

On another note you should never underestimate the stupidity of people.

DontThankMe

Gotta be done you can't be too safe these days imagjne if that 3 month old ended up wearing a suicide bomber nappy and killed a few people by blowing it up. We'd be the first people to complain saying the procedures weren't followed.

frag420

Ah those baby boomers....

Pherekydes

It's a straightforward question, OP. If you're not a terrorist just tick 'No'.

And don't have a senile grandparent fill out the form on your behalf.

volchitsa

Pherekydes wrote: »

It's a straightforward question, OP. If you're not a terrorist just tick 'No'.

Because if you are a terrorist, professional ethics demand that you tick 'Yes' or something?

It's a stupid question, because the only time anyone is ever going to say 'Yes' is by accident. You'd think the people at the embassy would think of that possibility, and maybe even notice the date of birth. It's not like they have to call in dozens of people every day who've all ticked the "I'm a terrorist" box, is it?

Pherekydes wrote: »

And don't have a senile grandparent fill out the form on your behalf.

Bit unfair that - when you get a bit older, you'll realize that eyesight alone could easily explain the mistake.

DanMurphy

One man's terrorist is another man's baby grandchild.

PARlance

Where was the Mother of our Bomber

Samaris

There's a quote from a Bill Bryson book - actually, it was a selection of columns from Night & Day, published in 1996/97 which suggests this isn't a new phenomenon. "Notes from a Big Country" was the title piece of the columns and is the name of the book (also published as "I'm A Stranger Here Myself").

"I'm not even going to begin to tell you about the frustration of trying to get a foreign-born spouse or other loved one registered as a legal resident in the United States because I haven't space and anyway it is much too boring. Also, I can't talk about it without weeping copiously. Also, you would think I was making most of it up.

You would scoff, I am quite sure, if I told you that an acquaintance of outs - an academic of high standing - sat open-mouthed while his daughter was asked such questions as "Have you ever engaged in any unlawful commercial vice, including, but not limited to, illegal gambling?" and "Have you ever been a member of, or in any way affiliated with, the Communist party or any other totalitarian party?" and - my particular favorite - "Do you plan to practice polygamy in the United States?" His daughter, I should point out, was five years old.

You see, I am weeping already.

It's a hilarious article (actually, the whole book is worth reading), and there's some very snarky digs in it ("Understand, my [English] wife does not want to practice brain surgery, engage in espionage, assist or collude in the trafficking of drugs, participate in the overthrow of the American government (though frankly, I would not stand in her way)..."


(As a side-thing, Bill Bryson is one of those guys I'd be actually upset if he turned out to be bad in some way. He's a brilliant writer and has a hilariously self-deprecating style.)

blinding

Did the baby have a beard..........and a bin laden doll...that kind of thing.....

indioblack

Harry Palmr wrote: »

3 month old questioned over terrorist intent



What the fvck? Anyone here filled out one of those forms? It really is a remarkable state of affairs when that question even exists on a form presumably with the expectation that someone will tick yes if they are a terrorist and that the no doubt highly trained and paid US embassy staff in the visa section couldn't find a way to avoid bringing in a toddler for questioning (Skype maybe?).

Perhaps he was a sleeper.

diomed

He went on: "Baby Harvey was good as gold for the interview and never cried once - I thought about taking him along in an orange jumpsuit, but thought better of it.
"They didn't appear to have a sense of humour over it at all and couldn't see the funny side.

blinding

Did he refuse to answer questions..........that could be construed as suspicious especially if he could have said stuff that he relies on later in court........

razorblunt

There was an error on Lisa's submission form, where it stated "Do not write here, her father, Homer, had entered 'Ok'".

Jawgap

I don't know, at least if you get stuck on a plane with a terrorist you can have a go and beat the crap out of him......

.....better than being stuck on a trans-Atlantic flight with a whinging kid and coo-cooing parents who think it's adorable

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Those terrorists are being indoctrinated younger and younger. Can't be too careful.

... they blow up so fast....


(Sorry)

(not really sorry)

shar01

To be fair the sh!tty nappy of a teething baby is up there with weapons of mass destruction...