Boy, 4, has name show up on TSA watch list

(12/31/05 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- There was a surprise for a Houston woman when she found out one of her family members was on a terror watch list. Now he's not able to fly until he follows a precise checklist put forth by the government. But there's a twist to this story.

Edward Allen's parents say there is no way their son's a terrorist. He doesn't own a gun and has no allegiance to a foreign government. On top of that, he's only four years old.

And by all accounts, Edward is a typical four-year-old child.

"He loves to play. He loves to watch cartoons, ride his bike," said his father, Cedric.

But one thing he's not, says Cedric, is a terrorist.

It all started on a recent flight out of Bush Intercontinental. That's when mom, Sijollie Allen, was stopped at the ticket counter and told she couldn't board the plane.

"They just said, 'You're on the list' and that's why I had to get clarity," she said. "I asked if we're both on the list. They said, 'No, you're not on the list. He (Edward) is.'"

It turns out the name Edward Allen popped up on the TSA's 'no-fly' list. Unbeknownst to his parents, the little four-year-old was a wanted man. Well, sort of.

"First off, the individual was not on the no-fly list. It's a name that on the no-fly list," said IAH Federal Security Director Jim Marchand. "We have many, many people who have common names and a lot of times, that's what happens."

TSA says in some rare cases, passengers with names similar to those on the list are sometimes stopped. In those cases, passengers are instructed fill out paperwork to get special clearance. But the Allens showed us that paperwork. On it, it asked for at least three forms of identification. It's ID the Allens say, four-year-old Edward simply doesn't have.

"Anytime he has to travel, he will always be stopped and he might not be able to travel, not until you get him special clearance," said Sijollie.

Continental Airlines, the carrier the Allens flew on, sent us a statement saying in part, they were just following procedure and regret any inconvenience to the family. In the meantime, the Allens are debating whether to file the paperwork, considering their child has no identification other than his birth certificate.
(Copyright © 2005, KTRK-TV)

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