White House Sets Up New Terror Interrogation Team
August 24, 2009 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
President Barack Obama has decided to set up a new, elite terrorist interrogation team, but will limit the techniques it can employ to those already approved for military use — a restriction sure to chafe some who believe tougher tactics should be allowed against America’s most determined adversaries.
The announcement comes on the same day that the Justice Department is expected to release a CIA Inspector General report from 2004 that details some of the most extreme interrogation techniques used under the Bush administration, including the use of a mock execution and a power drill to intimidate Al Qaeda operatives.
New Terror Interrogation Team at FBI: A Shift for Intelligence
Of all the elements of the new terrorism interrogation teams set up by President Barack Obama and announced this morning, among the most important is the fact it will be headquartered at the Federal Bureau of Investigation rather than at the rival Central Intelligence Agency.
The new units will include personnel from a wide range of intelligence and law enforcement agencies, according to White House officials. But by bringing the interrogation units into the FBI, it moves them more definitively out from the world of black ops, where they have resided since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Although the FBI has long been the agency responsible for domestic counterterrorism, its bureaucratic DNA has historically focused on gathering information and evidence to be used in federal prosecutions. The CIA, on the other hand, has traditionally been tasked to gather intelligence by any means necessary.
People On Terror Watch List Allowed To Buy Guns
June 22, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
When people on the government’s terrorist watch list have tried to buy guns or explosives in recent years, the government has let them the vast majority of the time. That’s the finding of a new report by the Government Accountability Office, sent to lawmakers last month and released publicly Monday.
From February 2004 to February 2009, 963 background checks using the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System “resulted in valid matches with terrorist watch list records; of these matches, approximately 90 percent were allowed to proceed because the checks revealed no prohibiting information,” the GAO report says. About 10 percent were denied.
“Under current law, there is no basis to automatically prohibit a person from possessing firearms or explosives because they appear on the terrorist watch list,” wrote the GAO’s director of homeland security and justice issues, Eileen R. Larence.
“Rather, there must be a disqualifying factor (i.e., prohibiting information) pursuant to federal or state law, such as a felony conviction or illegal immigration status.”
Of the 963 background checks, 865 were allowed to proceed, and 98 were denied, the report said.
People on terrorist watch list allowed to buy guns – CNN.com
TSA To Check Passengers Against Terrorist Watch List
October 26, 2008 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
Change is on the way when it comes to how the flying public is compared to a watch list for terrorists. The Transportation Security Administration will take over the duties.
Georgia Congressman John Lewis and Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy are among the most notable people who were mistakenly identified as being on the terrorist watch list. TSA officials said Friday that a new system will be put in place to reduce those mistakes.
Since 9/11, airlines have checked passengers against a watch list of known terrorists and potential trouble makers.
Amina Salman, whose family is from Iraq, said she is often required to go through extra security.
“You don’t know who going to cause trouble so it’s fine, no problem,” said Salman. When asked if she thought she was on a watch list, Salman said she didn’t know.
Currently, it’s the airlines that check passengers against a watch list. Starting next year, the TSA will take over the duties of comparing the names of passengers to the names on that list.
“Airlines will provide the information, the names [and] dates of birth to [the] TSA. We’ll run the match against the system. They will submit that to us electronically and within four seconds they’ll get a response whether this person is on the list or not,” said Jon Allen of the TSA.
