Having Your Passport Taken, by Uncle

For John, BLUF:  The Government should treat Citizens like valued customers.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Sigh…  Why does the Government have to act the way it does, abusing Citizens and leaving them in the dark?

From the magazine Mother Jones we have this article, "Can the US Government Confiscate a Citizen's Passport for No Apparent Reason?  It Just Did."  Here is the summation:

Nader el-Dajani answered the FBI's questions.  Now the State Department is withholding his passport.

Answered the FBI's question fully and was told not to worry.

Mr el-Dajani needs his passport to run his high tech security business.  He is facing a bind in the near future, caught in Bahrain without a passport (the US Embassy in Bahrain confiscated it) and facing deportation from Bahrain due to not having his travel documents.

This is a terrible way to tread a US Citizen.  Even if he is guilty of some crime, even of association with terrorists (say, like California State Senator Leland Yee), charge him or let him go, but don't harass him while conducting an investigation which may go nowhere.

Or is there some special rule that says naturalized Citizens can be treated less well?  I sure hope not.  We are all Citizens.  The ONLY difference is being President.  That should be the only difference.

I hope there is at least a big apology from the Department of State.

Hat tip to the Instapundit.

Regards  —  Cliff