A Justice Department audit of the government’s master list of known and suspected terrorists found errors and inconsistencies which would have allowed terrorists to enter the country undetected and would mistakenly identify innocent Americans as terrorists.
The Terrorist Screening Database, maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center, contains over 700,000 records (and growing fast) submitted by the FBI, CIA and other intelligence agencies, and exports its data to other government databases, such as those used by the State Department to screen visa applications, and for the Transportation Security Agency’s no-fly and selectee lists.
But according to the audit, (PDF) conducted by inspector general Glenn A. Fine, the database “continues to have significant weaknesses,” he told Congress.
Depending on the requirements of the agency in question, the TSDB exports different sets of names to various government databases. An in-depth audit of one of those, the TSA’s no-fly list, found that the list should be cut in half.
Part of the problem is that the TSDB consists of two distinct databases which are supposed to be synchronized with exactly the same information, in order to facilitate exporting the data to different government agencies, but the auditors found that the two databases did not always remain in sync.
The auditors reviewed the TSC’s quality assurance protocols and found that of 105 records reviewed for quality assurance, 38 percent had errors or inconsistencies that the quality assurance process did not discover.
The audit reviewed complaints, finding that it usually took more than two months to resolve complaints, and that some remained open for more than a year.
In addition, the auditors found that 20 names of known and suspected terrorists were not being exported from the system so that front-line agents with Customs and Border Protection could prevent them from entering the country.
“For technical reasons, about 20 identities or records did not get distributed as completely as they should have,” [TSC director Leonard ] Boyle said in an interview. The CBP can access the crime center data, Boyle said, but the FBI did not send the watch list data directly to CBP systems “as they should have been.” — Associated Press
Finally, the audit found 2,682 records which were not being exported to any other database, and after reviewing them, found that 2,118 of them did not belong on any government watch list at all and should be removed.
“The new report confirms a widespread impression that the watch-list system still needs work,” said Steven Aftergood, director of the Federation of American Scientists’ Project on Government Secrecy. “Not only are too many innocent people being listed in error, some of the bad guys are not properly included.” — Washington Post
And the problems just go on and on.
Additional problems with the TSC’s technology that the auditors identified included:
- Cumbersome FBI data handling practices that create unnecessary errors, anomalies and inconsistencies in the records;
- The FBI practice of entering data about suspected terrorists into a downstream database, which prevents other agencies from reviewing the bureau’s data;
- Needless delays in entering data into the terrorist watch list, which cause a significant vulnerability to the integrity of the consolidated database;
- Duplicate information problems with 6,262 records in the TSDB;
- Delays in resolving data quality assurance problems that ranged up to 329 days, with an average processing time of 80 days (as of February 2007, TSC officials were working with 3,000 open quality assurance problems); and
- Delays and inefficiencies in handling requests by specific people for correction or deletion of their watch list records.
Don’t you just love how the government has turned a simple idea, maintaining a watchlist of known and suspected terrorists, and made a complete bureaucratic nightmare out of it? Do you feel safer now?
“Inaccurate, incomplete and obsolete watchlist information can increase the risk of not identifying known or suspected terrorists,” Fine said, “and it can also increase the risk that innocent persons will be stopped or detained.”
And if you’re one of those innocent Americans mistakenly watchlisted, good luck getting off the list. It gets checked by every police officer who asks you for your driver license. The next time you’re stopped for speeding, and the next thing you know your car is surrounded by cops pointing guns at you for no good reason, now you know who to blame.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Karl Marx would love the popular moves among politicians in various state governments and the federal government to ban so-called "junk" food in schools, and to "put healthy food in" convenience stores and on the tables of those they define as poor. It's a very elitist and arrogant mindset that promotes this ideology, and it needs to be addressed.
Ultimately, the war supporters in Congress prevailed in the vote on the resolution. Still, the vote was significant because it places every member of Congress on the record as supporting or not supporting the unconstitutional, costly, violent occupation of a country that never attacked us. This vote should serve as an important reminder to the American people of where their representatives really stand when it comes to policing the world, empire building, and war.
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IQ
Sep 18, 2007
How much training and what is the average IQ of local corrupt pigs???? Could that have something to do with it?? They need to train them better, pay better and have higher standards. It is not a job most people whould want to do. A great deal of the ones doing it profit from the police auctions and corruption so, that makes it worth it for them. Things need to be fixed big time!!! It has gotten out of control and Micheal’s comments prove it!!
Joe Schmoe
Sep 18, 2007
You’re retarded.
Tyler M
Sep 18, 2007
And if you’re one of those innocent Americans mistakenly watchlisted, good luck getting off the list. It gets checked by every police officer who asks you for your driver license. The next time you’re stopped for speeding, and the next thing you know your car is surrounded by cops pointing guns at you for no good reason, now you know who to blame.
That explains it!
Michael Hampton
Sep 18, 2007
“Joe,” since you’re a government bureaucrat, how can you possibly call anyone else retarded?
Look who is talking.
Sep 18, 2007
No we are not retarted unlike you Joe sorry. How do you think we have outsmarted you??? It did’nt take much did it??? Not all law enforcement is bad. There are some good respected officers. Why are you speaking up for the bad ones?? What have you got to hide??? How many innocent people did you bring to thier grave with propeganda and games??? Do you feel proud?? Can you look at yourself in the morning?? Do you have a clear conscience?? For the record our records are perfect. I have a clear consience and nothing to hide. You’ll just have to answer to the higher power!! I have no pity for you. None of us are on any so called black list either. Sorry to dissapoint you!!! Better luck next time robbing little old ladies, children and decent hard working Americans. Be careful you never know when someone of higher authority will come for your pay back. Don’t forget no crimes go unpunished. Oh and unjustified threats do not go unpunished either. No cop is above the law!!!
Chew on this....
Sep 18, 2007
Just because, someone is given authority with a badge and a gun that does not mean they can take advantage of that authority. A prime example is a women was forced by gangster cops to give up everything she owns including her vehicle and was forced to say she was commiting a crime. She had commited no crime. A higher authority group investigated these crimes and the people involved all ended up shot to death. Does’nt that appear to be strange to you??? Why would they be shot to death and no charges were brought against the person or people who shot them??? Could that have been payback for thier abuse of authority??? You tell me Joe. You think you are the smart one please explain. I need to know the truth. Don’t the higher ups have authority to do that???
Kudos to Micheal.
Sep 18, 2007
This is a big thanks to Micheal for saving babies,children, mothers, families, men and for making the truth known. Thanks so much you are a hero and we all appreciate your efforts. We need more men like him that are’nt afraid to speak up for others. He has a heart of gold. May the decent people who work hard in law enforcement do what is just and be true heros. We need people like Micheal in law enforcement that do not abuse thier power. He would make a good judge or officer because, he knows the difference between right and wrong. He is a true inspiration to others.
Michael Hampton
Sep 19, 2007
I couldn’t work in law enforcement — or in the judicial branch — because I would be asked to commit moral atrocities against ordinary Americans who have done nothing wrong, only “illegal.”
Zeitgeist
Sep 19, 2007
again this is all another brilliant plot by the govt to dumb us down, missinform, make us paranoid and affraid of everyone even ourfriends, neighbors and law enforcers, keep us all pointing fingers at each other so we arent pointing them at the people who deserve the pointing! get the point? but seriously, the CIA and FBI etc. are not synced up because then they would be on top of their game and would actually be able to do their jobs resulting in an actually safer more secure grasp on security ergo making us feel safer ergo allowing us time to actually think and form opinions and question authority and make changes that matter. but thats not the case, they constantly tell us of leaks and cracks and mistakes made in our “perfect system of infalability” and that makes us spend all of our time looking over our shoulders in fear.
So true.
Sep 19, 2007
I agree. The system is just awful. It is made to bring people down into a grave. It needs to change now. Fight back America!!! The ones that steal and betray us all need to be fired. Thugs need not apply!!! The thing that is most disgusting is they believe that what they are doing is allright because, they are sick in the head. They have a mental illness that makes them believe they are superior to others and ect…Thier claim is these people are just thier slaves to steal from and kill. They are not only racist but, just plain Barbarians from hell. They can go to hell where they belong!!! The corrupt ones that is. The decent good ones have our upmost respect. We need thier help to bring the bad ones to the unemployment line!!!
Big bucks.....
Sep 20, 2007
Sue for big bucks America. One example is the Brandon family in today’s Record Searchlight newsletter. They won $90,000 for wrongul death!! Hold the bad ones liable!!!! Don’t let them commit crimes and kill your family memembers for them abusing you or relatives ect.. Good luck!!! Stand up America!!! You can sue for big bucks!!!
Get Screwed over???
Sep 21, 2007
Were you screwed over, set-up, falsley arrested and your whole life has been hell ever since???? Don’t just sit there fight back. Go to. Get your life back!! Don’t be a VICTIM any more. Be a winner. Don’t let corrupt cops ruin your life forever!! Get it over-turned!!! You desserve better!! Micheal is a God for the wonderful man he is for letting the truth be known!!! Good luck to all!! Don’t commit suicide like the man in that story did by letting them win. Take back your life America!! Make the nightmare turn ito a fulfillment of your dreams!!!
Fronts....
Sep 22, 2007
Beware some cops use propeganda to kill for dollars. Don’t be fooled or be a victim. Stop the insanity. No need to be afraid either. They are truly sick in the head. Use your inner strength to do what is right. Ignore the fools and laugh all the way to the bank!!!! The corrupt fools that is not the decent respected members of the force.
Latest scam....
Sep 26, 2007
The lastest scam is to lure innocent people into private areas to steal from them with a group of gangster law enforcement. Do not fall for it!! Stand up America!!! You don’t need these people’s approval!!!
Anonymous
Sep 27, 2007
them not caring to fix the errors means they don’t really care about catching bad guys.
You are damn right..
Sep 29, 2007
They are in it for the MONEY just like any other corrupt parasites. Don’t fall victim. Everyone should read every post on this sight!!!! Save yourself,your family and your belongings. Don’t be a dead corpse in a grave. Get SMART America!!!
frank
Sep 30, 2007
Someone is being too emphatic!!!!!
bob
Sep 30, 2007
If I may be frank.
Big V
Oct 15, 2007
‘t was real fun reading some of your comments. I want to say two things. 1. it’s very surprising to see some of you would go on each other’s throat even though you don’t know each other at all, and 2. the system is in place and rolling and there is NOTHING and NOBODY who can ever stop the system anymore. Not even a revolution what some of you are suggesting. The only people you can care about is your families and yourself and that’s the bottom line.