FBI demands Las Vegas hotels turn over their guest lists

[ringmastery]

The government wants to know where you are traveling.

http://news.myway.com/top/article/id/331898|top|01-04-2004::15:45|reuters.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI demanded Las Vegas hotels turn over their guest lists leading up to New Year's Eve to check against a U.S. master list of suspected terrorists, a law enforcement official said on Sunday.

The demand for "patron information" went to all major hotels in the Nevada casino and entertainment city, said the official who declined to be named.

Las Vegas was one of six or seven cities mentioned in intelligence reports as potential targets for a terrorist attack during the holiday period, Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn said on New Year's Eve.

A second U.S. government official said to his knowledge only one hotel had balked at providing its bookings list. Newsweek, the first to report the FBI demand, said one big hotel had refused and was "slapped with a subpoena."

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. TIA

Why didn't they just check credit card companies for reservations? Credit companies now tell everyone everything. :nuke:

[Lefta Dissenter]

2. wow, I'll bet those nasty little terra'ists

would never think to use something other than their real name, would they??? :shrug:

[jpgray]

3. "Hmm... U. Dumas Ashcroft... waaayt a minute!" (nt)

[punpirate]

4. Ummm... very curious....

If the US gov't was sure of terrorist attacks in Las Vegas, why were they demanding guest lists of NV hotels? To ensure that no terrorists were registered (there is that small business about assumed names, too), or were they simply trying to justify the orange-alert business? Arrest a few people with similar-sounding names, to make it look good?

The current administration continually avoids a salient issue--without proof, none of their assertions of threat mean anything to the public any longer. They can argue all day, all year long, that the need for security is all about not revealing intelligence sources, but that plays very badly amongst those with a shred of skepticism.

Until these people in government begin to provide the press and the public with hard details, they'll be seen as charlatans trying to instill fear in the public, and for that reason, manipulative. They continue to behave as they do because they know the press will oblige them. What they haven't yet figured out is that the public has long since stopped paying any attention to the press.

I can't believe the stupidity of this administration. Facts count, still.

[kevinam]

5. maybe a bad question, but I have to ask.

If, as I thought I heard, that the terra'ists were going to crash a plane or two in Vegas, why would they make hotel reservations??...Kevin.

[Serenity-NOW]

6. Any terra-ist worth half his salt...

would likely take this cue and start setting up airports with decoys, using 'similar' names, and then move on to the next airport and buy a ticket as Bob Smith. Using their own names and reserving rooms at hotels at ground zero doesn't strike me as anywhere near the level of skill used for 9/11. Just so you are scared enough to go shopping...

[mike_c]

7. Bill Bennett must have gone missing....

eom