The government's terrorist database flagged nearly 20,0000 "suspected terrorists" last year. But only a tiny fraction (2.75%) of those questioned were arrested or denied entry into the United States, raising concerns among critics about privacy and the list's effectiveness.
A range of state, local and federal agencies rely on the database to pinpoint terrorism suspects, who can be identified at borders or even during routine traffic stops. The database consolidates a dozen government watch lists, as well as a growing amount of information from various sources, including airline passenger data. The government said it was planning to expand the data-sharing to private-sector groups with a "substantial bearing on homeland security," though officials would not be more specific.
Few specifics are known about how the system operates, how many people are detained or turned back from borders, or the criteria used to identify suspects, due to the Orwellian secrecy of the Bush administration. As in the past, the government will not discuss cases, nor will it confirm whether an individual's name is on its list. The full Wapo article by Ellen Nakashima can be found here.
Must we really have to wait until the 2008 elections before something is done about this failed (so-called) "war on terror"?
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