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Sue Smethurst, the Aussie journalist strip-searched, handcuffed and deported at LAX last month when she showed up to interview Olivia Newton-John, adds some details for Steven Mikulan in the LA Weekly. She says the immigration agents questioned her about the content of her women's magazine (New Idea) and asked if it printed political sensitive articles.
“I laughed,” Smethurst recalls, “because we’re a cross between Good Housekeeping and People magazine. The most political thing we’d likely print was Laura Bush’s horoscope.”
A government spokesman says she became unruly while in custody. Again, it's worth noting she would have sailed through with no need of a visa if she had claimed to be here on just about any business other than reporting, or had lied and simply said she was a tourist (I guess terrorist would have worked too).
Previous posts: Nov. 18 and Dec. 6.
No, I don't think it's worth noting that she would have had no need of a visa if she would have simply lied about her profession. If a reporter needs to lie about her profession in order to get into a country, the story becomes the customs policies of that country--and in this case, it sure did.
Posted by: joseph at December 19, 2003 11:41 AMI got the form she got by mistake, and wrote about it, if you're interested in seeing a few of the questions. Very effective, I'm soooo sure. Sigh.
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/000336.html
Posted by: Amy Alkon at December 19, 2003 05:08 PMI think it is awefull that the US Government can handcuff and perfectly normal person, yet we can let the terrorists walk right through security! Something needs to be done about that!
Posted by: Tina at December 22, 2003 01:17 PM
of LA Observed
Tsk. :) I HOPE you can't say "reason for coming?" "terrorist!" and get in free!
Posted by: Kynn Bartlett at December 18, 2003 06:08 PM