US now fingerprints visitors

[dplax]

Source: CNN

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Closing a perceived national security gap, the United States has begun fingerprinting and photographing citizens of 27 countries -- including nations that are staunch allies -- when they arrive for short visits.

Business travelers and vacationers from the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and other nations joined much of the rest of the world Thursday in being required to deliver "biometric" information to customs officers.

The program went into effect at the country's 115 international airports and 14 seaports, and will be expanded to border crossings later.

At Los Angeles International Airport, there was some surprise but no complaint as visitors, passports in hand, stuck their right and left index fingers on a device that electronically fingerprinted them and then had their digital photos snapped.

"No problem. If it's good for security, then it's good for me," said Frank Herbert, 38, of Austria, who arrived for a Southern California vacation.

The photos and fingerprints were matched with databases to determine if visitors might be wanted for immigration problems and crimes or were on lists barring them from entering the country because of suspected terrorist ties.

The information will be stored indefinitely in a national database but Homeland Security officials promised its use would be restricted to ensure privacy.

"It's an inconvenience, but only a little one. They say it is for our safety and the safety of the American people," said Mario Steinbusch of Aachen, Germany, who arrived at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago en route to visit a friend in Kentucky.

The extra security requirements were passed by Congress in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and have been in place for nearly all nations since January. An exemption was made for people from 27 countries who were making short visits. They still don't need visas to enter the U.S. for 90-day visits, freeing them from having to undergo background checks.

There are no changes in unique rules covering visits by Canadians and Mexicans.

The Department of Homeland Security estimated the new requirements would affect 33,000 visitors a day but would add only 15 seconds to the processing time.

Pauline Shepherd of Portsmouth, England said she was "a bit taken aback" by the security check at Boston's Logan International Airport.

"It seems a bit over the top to me ... I said 'We're only over here for a fortnight,"' she said.

But ending the exemption will "significantly enhance" security, said Ana Hinojosa, area port director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the LA airport.

"Terrorists don't necessarily have a particular nationality, or a particular name (or) age," she said. "It's a moving target and we need to be able to adapt."

The 27 countries affected by the change are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

[Dirty Meg]

This is a fairly stupid idea. It will damage the US tourism industry and has no value as a measure against terrorism. This would not, for example, have stopped the 11/9 hijackers. They were traveling on their own documents and since the plane was never going to land they wouldn't have had to go through customs. In addition to that, it was an internal flight.

[ 10-01-2004, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: Dirty Meg ]

[John D Harris]

Originally posted by Dirty Meg: This is a fairly stupid idea. It will damage the US tourism industry and has no value as a measure against terrorism. This would not, for example, have stopped the 11/9 hijackers. They were traveling on their own documents and since the plane was never going to land they wouldn't have had to go through customs. In addition to that, it was an internal flight.

I suppose the 9/11 hijackers just Beamed in to the USA, or prehaps they used the stargate.

[Dirty Meg]

They got into the US (where they had been for some time before the hijacking) using their own IDs.
This is only going to stop people who have previous convictions. Suicide bombers usually don't do it more than once.

[Sir Goulum]

So are Canadians fingerprinted?

[Dreamer128]

That would be rather pointless. There is a lot of border to cover between the US and Canada, and I can't imagine it would be hard to slip through unnoticed.

[ 10-02-2004, 04:48 PM: Message edited by: Dreamer128 ]

[Davros]

I will have no great problem with it the next time I visit the states. If it is good by security then it is good by me.

The only objection I will have is if the US howls if any of the countries on the list decide that what is good enough for US security is good enough for their own security. If there are any hues and cries against US citizens being finger-printed down the track then we will know that the administraion sees all nations as equal, and some as more equal than others [img]smile.gif[/img] .

[Donut]

Originally posted by Dreamer128: That would be rather pointless. There is a lot of border to cover between the US and Canada, and I can't imagine it would be hard to slip through unnoticed.

Okay - I think I see a flaw in the plan here!

[Donut]

Originally posted by Davros: I will have no great problem with it the next time I visit the states. If it is good by security then it is good by me. The only objection I will have is if the US howls if any of the countries on the list decide that what is good enough for US security is good enough for their own security. If there are any hues and cries against US citizens being finger-printed down the track then we will know that the administraion sees all nations as equal, and some as more equal than others [img]smile.gif[/img] .

Unfortunately, in my mispent youth, I joined the Communist Party. I've long since reallised the error of my ways but I'm still barred from entering the US.

[John D Harris]

Originally posted by Dirty Meg: They got into the US (where they had been for some time before the hijacking) using their own IDs. This is only going to stop people who have previous convictions. Suicide bombers usually don't do it more than once.

Correct, but you convinantly forgot to mention they got into the USA BEFORE there were any fingerprints taken and BEFORE security has been tightened, to the extent it has been tightened. It also has a psyco effect of making people think twice about coming in a doing something! Just take a moment and look at this board and the members posting here! Would you say the majority of them are going to do something! NO, "HALE NO" but there still is the psyco effect of not wanting to come! Now these are law abidding citizens of their countries, NO/Nadda/Zero reason to fear anything, but what are they doing worring about being fingerprinted and photos taken of them!!!!!!!!!!
Now look at the psyco effect on somebody that is going to do something: they aready have a certain amount of fear, couple that with the belief(as evidenced by the amount of fear/woory by members of theis board) that the gov't is all powerful and can see/catch/find anybody they want. What do you think the bad guys psyco effect is going to be?