WASHINGTON, Aug 20: Fears of a terrorist attack has made travelling in America difficult not just for the Muslims living here but also for a powerful American senator, Edward M. 'Ted' Kennedy.
The senator, who belongs to the famous Kennedy family and is one of the most influential US lawmakers, has complained that he was stopped and questioned at American airports at least five times in March because his name appeared on the government's secret 'no-fly' list.
Federal air security officials told reporters on Friday that Mr. Kennedy's name should not have been on the list and that they have now corrected the mistake. Apparently, Mr Kennedy was stopped because some terror suspects had used the name 'T. Kennedy' as an alias.
The Massachusetts Democrat is an internationally known figure, and is particularly visible in Washington where he comes regularly to attend Senate sessions. But his fame did not prevent security officials at Washington's Reagan National Airport from asking him to wait when he tried to board a plane in March.
What's even worse is that he was also stopped at the Logan International, Boston, the airport he uses for travelling to and from home. All three flights were on US Airways.
When the senator checked in at the counter, airline employees told him they could not issue him a boarding pass because he appeared on the list. Mr Kennedy was delayed until a supervisor could be summoned to identify him and give approval for him to board the plane.
The FBI recently informed the American Civil Liberties Union that more than 350 Americans have been delayed or denied boarding because their names appeared on the secret 'no-fly' list.
The agency did not say how many foreigners have been affected since the list's inception but said so far nobody has been arrested for being on the list. The ACLU has sued the US government on behalf of six Americans who have had experiences similar to Mr Kennedy's.
The travellers suing the government include a Vermont college student, a retired Presbyterian minister and an ACLU employee. Senator Kennedy's staff said that after the first few incidents, they called the Transportation Security Administration, which maintains the 'no-fly' list but were not able to get his name removed.