U.S. no-fly list includes Bolivian president, Lebanese parliament speaker

A no-fly list meant to keep terrorists off airplanes contains the names of Bolivia's President Evo Morales and Nabih Berri, Lebanon's parliamentary speaker, according to a report by a television news show.

Photo: U.S. no-fly list includes Bolivian president, Lebanese parliament speaker

The story by CBS' "60 Minutes" builds on previous reports that detailed how young children and well-known Americans like Sen. Edward M. Kennedy have been stopped at airports because their names match those on lists.

Critics say the government does not provide enough information about the people on the lists, so innocent passengers can be caught up in the security sweep. The number of names on watch lists increased into the tens of thousands since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States.

A former FBI agent, Jack Cloonan, told the CBS news program in an episode to be broadcast Sunday that the list of 44,000 names was assembled hastily and has been ineffective, reports AP.

A spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration refused comment. "We don't comment on individuals who are or are not on the no-fly list," said spokesman Darrin Kayser.

The government has sought to improve its process for checking passengers since the Sept. 11 attacks. The first attempt was scuttled because of fears the government would have access to too much personal information.