March 16, 2006, - 1:53 pm
List, Shmist: Terrorist List Largely Ignored; Suspects LET GO! – ICE purge?
By
Remember the 9/11 attacks? Looks like a lot of people, including law enforcement, forgot.
In response to the attacks, a federal list of those with ties to terrorism was developed. Over 200,000 known or suspected terrorists are on the list, as well as an additional 150,000 partial names. The list, run by the FBI, combines several databases from nine agencies that all law enforcement officials and agencies can check when someone is being stopped or screened.
Unfortunately, no-one seems to be using it. Over the past 28 months (2 1/3 years), those using the list encountered people on it only 6,000 times. That’s very low and indicates that few are using the list. More frightening, LESS than 60 arrests resulted, said Donna Bucella, whose FBI office, the Terrorist Screening Center maintains the list. Instead, in most of the cases, additional information on the “appropriately suspected” person is “collected,” and the individual is LET GO! Incredible.
Millions of dollars spent on compiling and maintaining the list and less than 60 arrests occuring. Talk about a boondoggle. Clearly, too few law enforcement officials are running names through the list. And far too few law enforcement officials are pursuing individuals who pop up on it. Less than 1% of those showing up on the list being arrested is simply absurd.
Our friend, investigative reporter Bill Conroy dug up a March 2005 memo from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director of Investigations urging all top ICE personnel to “modify” (ie., purge) their part of the terrorist list, claiming that info on it is exaggerated or not correct. We wonder if this gave our favorite federal agent, ICE Special Agent in Charge ,” an excuse to “modify” the record on his “friends”–like “former” Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist –for whom he’s done .
Just wondering. And betting on it.
Tags: Bill Conroy, Debbie Schlussel Remember, Director of Investigations, Donna Bucella, Federal Bureau of Investigation, ICE Special Agent, Imad Hamad, investigative reporter, law enforcement, Marcy Forman-Friedman, Palestine, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, terrorist, Terrorist Screening Center
You make a good point Debbie, why have the list if we don’t use it. As far as the ICE issue goes, thats a wierd road to venture down, I still don’ttoally understand all the goings on. However, you bring out an interesting point with this topic, I wonder if we are failing our ownback here in America beause weare so focused abroad?
Raymond B
http://www.voteswagon.com
raymondb.voteswagon.com on March 16, 2006 at 5:52 pm