U.S. border crossings now linked to FBI database
http://www.canada.com/travel/story.html?id=40608d9a-c69f-4a72-bb08-d9cd594cb662
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SAN DIEGO (AP) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security unveiled new computer workstations Thursday that allow Border Patrol agents on the Canadian and Mexican borders to tap into the FBI's fingerprint database, overcoming a technological hurdle that lasted years.
At San Diego's Brown Field station, Senior Patrol Agent Arnie Villarreal rolled his finger over a glass plate that glowed red as his print was scanned and digitally stored.
The new system scours 43 million records in the FBI's criminal database for a match. If there's a hit, the FBI computer spits out the person's criminal history.
The whole process takes 10 to 15 minutes.
Before the computer networks were linked, Border Patrol agents had to drive a paper imprint to a Border Patrol office in Chula Vista, Calif., a South San Diego suburb.
"It was a very time-consuming process," said agency spokesman Richard Kite.
"It could take hours."
The bureau said workstations at all 136 Border Patrol stations now have access to the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, known as IAFIS.
The deployment marks a "significant step" toward having the databases of the FBI and the Homeland Security Department - which includes the Border Patrol - talk to each other, said Paul Martin, the Justice Department's deputy inspector general. His office has repeatedly cited delays in linking the two networks.
But Martin noted while Homeland Security workstations can access the FBI files, the reverse isn't yet true. The inspector general reported in March the FBI and local law-enforcement agencies were not expected to have access to Homeland Security's automated system until 2008.
The workstations have also been placed at about one-third of all ports of entry.
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner said all major ports of entry - land border crossings and major air and sea ports - would have the new system by the end of November. And all 317 ports of entry would have it by October 2005.
FBI questioning Muslims in mosques in US :
http://www.123bharath.com/world-news/index.php?action=fullnews&id=26827
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World News > Washington, Oct.8 : FBI agents across the United States have reportedly started a campaign to visit mosques and question Muslims who might have information relating to a possible terrorist attack before the November 2 presidential elections.
The new investigation-the latest in a series of campaigns since the attacks of Septemer 11, 2001, has according to a report in the Dawn, prompted sharp protests from American Civil Liberties Union and several Muslim organizations.
The protesters have reportedly accused the Bush Administration of sowing "fear in the Muslim community" through this questioning. Someof them are now insisting that lawyers be present when such questioning takes place.
American Muslim Voice director for Northern California, Khalid Saeed, was quoted as saying that the American Muslims and Arabs felt intimidated by the new campaign which was the fifth incidence of an explicit FBI dragnet against these communities.
"The FBI plans to deliberately tail people based on their religion or ethnic origin during a month that is both religiously and politically crucial," claimed Dalia Hashad, an advocate with the American Civil Liberty Union.
"Instead of bolstering security, the FBI's new drive is going to stop Muslims and Arabs from attending mosques during the month of Ramadan, and participating in the upcoming election," she warned. (ANI)
I prefer the glass scanner to the old ink method. Much less messy and more accurate. Having the classifications online is a major assist in rapid identification.