4 ms·

Everything about this story, right down to the questions, agents involved, luggage inspections and the man's apartment being broken into and searched, fits very

Everything about this story, right down to the questions, agents involved, luggage inspections and the man's apartment being broken into and searched, fits very well with my own experiences in 2012 with entering the United States. I'm a recent Lebanese immigrant to Canada, male, in my early twenties, and to top it off I work on encryption software. I imagine the only worse thing I could be is an Iranian nuclear scientist. I was asked questions ranging from whether I am affiliated with Hezbollah to why I was developing encryption software (and one time there was even a technician who asked me about its technical aspects), and specifically detained for questioning more times than I can count. I was never refused entry, but I just wanted to attest that this man's story is completely credible to me, right down to the fine details he describes. Possibly an interesting side-story for HN folks: By astronomical coincidence, I bumped into David Petraeus at a strange social event in D.C., after being harassed at the border every single time, and told him conversationally, casually, about my background and what I work on, just to see how he would react, if his reaction would line up with the knee-jerk reaction at the border. He smiled, raised a glass of champagne, and said, "cheers."

msrpotus 13y ago
That's appalling.
javert 13y ago
> I imagine the only worse thing I could be is an Iranian nuclear scientist. I would like to think such a person would have no problem coming, but just wouldn't be allowed to go back.
- unhappyhippie 13y ago
  This is what I find surprising about security checks, don't quite understand. When I entered Israel I was out hailing a cab within minutes of debarking my flight. When I was leaving, they had me detained and searched thoroughly. I couldn't understand why they let me enter in the first place if I was such a suspect personality.
  - azernik 13y ago
    Travelling into/out of Israel the extra security checks are all about getting on an airplane (due to historical attacks on air travel). Getting off the plane at Ben Gurion Airport is always easy, but you probably went through extra screening getting on that plane at the other end (in my experience, usually done by Israeli security guards at foreign airports).
  - rincebrain 13y ago
    On the way out, Israel not only cares about their security checks, but whether you're going to cause other countries to doubt their checks.
- emiliobumachar 13y ago
  I would not. As bad as it is to refuse entry to a person based on uncorfirmed suspicion, refusing exit is a whole order of magnitude worse.
  - javert 13y ago
    Oh, so you support genocide against Jews?
    - emiliobumachar 13y ago
      No, and I honestly can't think of how you interpreted that. Please explain. EDIT: Oh, wait, I think I get it: you see the U.S. as a safe heaven, a place people should go to escape dictatorships, a place where their rights would be respected. Is that it?
      - javert 13y ago
        Iranian government officials have repeatedly stated that their goal is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Even if you don't believe them, their nuclear weapons could end up in the hands of terrorists who do have that goal. If you support the US allowing Iranian nuclear scientists to return to Iran, you are supporting that policy. As a side note, an advanced Iranian nuclear state would likely entail a massive war in the Middle East to stop them, so there's also that.
        deleted 13y ago
        [deleted]
tlrobinson 13y ago
(For the curious, magickarp is the author of Cryptocat)
- naterator 13y ago
  Further reading, for the curious. Thanks, Nadim! http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/07/crypto-cat-encryption-for-all/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/07/crypto-cat-encrypti...
ajb 13y ago
Was that before or after Petraeus's mail was hacked by the FBI? Maybe he was in the market for encrypted email...
leke 13y ago
I'm extremely curious to know what social event would bring the author of CryptoCat and David Petraeus together.

msrpotus 13y ago

That's appalling.

javert 13y ago

> I imagine the only worse thing I could be is an Iranian nuclear scientist. I would like to think such a person would have no problem coming, but just wouldn't be allowed to go back.

unhappyhippie 13y ago
This is what I find surprising about security checks, don't quite understand. When I entered Israel I was out hailing a cab within minutes of debarking my flight. When I was leaving, they had me detained and searched thoroughly. I couldn't understand why they let me enter in the first place if I was such a suspect personality.
- azernik 13y ago
  Travelling into/out of Israel the extra security checks are all about getting on an airplane (due to historical attacks on air travel). Getting off the plane at Ben Gurion Airport is always easy, but you probably went through extra screening getting on that plane at the other end (in my experience, usually done by Israeli security guards at foreign airports).
- rincebrain 13y ago
  On the way out, Israel not only cares about their security checks, but whether you're going to cause other countries to doubt their checks.
emiliobumachar 13y ago
I would not. As bad as it is to refuse entry to a person based on uncorfirmed suspicion, refusing exit is a whole order of magnitude worse.
- javert 13y ago
  Oh, so you support genocide against Jews?
  - emiliobumachar 13y ago
    No, and I honestly can't think of how you interpreted that. Please explain. EDIT: Oh, wait, I think I get it: you see the U.S. as a safe heaven, a place people should go to escape dictatorships, a place where their rights would be respected. Is that it?
    - javert 13y ago
      Iranian government officials have repeatedly stated that their goal is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Even if you don't believe them, their nuclear weapons could end up in the hands of terrorists who do have that goal. If you support the US allowing Iranian nuclear scientists to return to Iran, you are supporting that policy. As a side note, an advanced Iranian nuclear state would likely entail a massive war in the Middle East to stop them, so there's also that.
      - deleted 13y ago
        [deleted]

tlrobinson 13y ago

(For the curious, magickarp is the author of Cryptocat)

naterator 13y ago
Further reading, for the curious. Thanks, Nadim! http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/07/crypto-cat-encryption-for-all/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/07/crypto-cat-encrypti...

ajb 13y ago

Was that before or after Petraeus's mail was hacked by the FBI? Maybe he was in the market for encrypted email...

leke 13y ago

I'm extremely curious to know what social event would bring the author of CryptoCat and David Petraeus together.