Like the federal agents who were caught on camera threatening someone that they would be put on the no-fly list and lose their jobs if they didn't cooperate - this was in a case that had nothing to do with airlines.
So we all accept that the TSA has absolutely nothing to do with transport security - it's just a way of intimidating citizens we don't like ?
When you do face a real terrorist threat it's going to be a little tricky to deal with when all your citizens regard 'anti-terrorism units' as a euphemism for secret police.
The TSA search was punitive and counterproductive. TSA is an ongoing debacle. I'd be angrier about this if TSA wasn't undertaking the harassment of every American citizen in an effort to demonstrate value by causing discomfort and humiliation.
The Customs interrogation was not punitive. Customs agents themselves may not be the sharpest tools in the shed, but part of their charter is to assist in domestic law enforcement. There is a clear law enforcement objective involved in Wikileaks.
Then arrest, charge and try him. Using customs/TSA/etc as an extra-judicial punishment is the scariest thing.
Whats next the local fire service sent out to do safety checks on anyone that opposes the government? I think the last two administrations already got caught ordering tax audits of groups that opposed them.
TSA abused their power, but TSA is an inherently abusive agency.
Customs did not abuse their power. What happened to Moxie is exactly what Customs does (badly). You can end up tussling with Customs for any of a zillion other reasons, too. It's not harassment. Words mean things.
Also, you seem to be under the misapprehension that the only options criminal investigators have is "arrest" (or even "subpoena" or "get a warrant"). That's simply not true.
Customs dragged him off a plane and searched his phone and computer - not looking for things he may have been smuggling but merely to punish him for being associated with wikileaks.
So we all accept that the TSA has absolutely nothing to do with transport security - it's just a way of intimidating citizens we don't like ?
When you do face a real terrorist threat it's going to be a little tricky to deal with when all your citizens regard 'anti-terrorism units' as a euphemism for secret police.