Airport Terrorist Screening Fails Test

February 11, 2004

Airport Terrorist Screening Fails Test
United Press International 


A new computer screening system designed to identify
potential terrorists among airline passengers has
failed a series of tests lawmakers established as a
condition for funding, a congressional report to be
released tomorrow says. 
    "Key activities in the development of have been
delayed and the Transportation Security Administration
has not yet completed important system planning
activities," says a draft summary of the report
prepared by Congress' investigative arm, the General
Accounting Office. 
    The summary says that as of Jan. 1 the TSA also
had not finalized exactly how the system would work,
or identified a timetable or budget for its
implementation. The critical report may prevent funds
for the system, known by the acronym CAPPS II, for
Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-screening System phase
two, from being released by Congress. 
    CAPPS II would divide passengers into three
categories: green, screened normally at the gate;
yellow, given extra screening; and red. TSA officials
say passengers given a red rating would be forbidden
to fly and be questioned at the airport by law
enforcement officials. 
    "I'm disappointed," said Rep. John L. Mica,
Florida Republican, chairman of the House aviation
subcommittee and an advocate of screening. "We may
have to send them back to the drawing board." 
    CAPPS II is supposed to compare personal data
about passengers collected by airlines name, address,
date of birth and telephone number with commercial
databases held by marketing companies and others. 
    Critics contend that the system would violate
travelers' privacy and brand some citizens terror
suspects on the basis of potentially inaccurate data
they cannot challenge. They also contend the system
would be expanded for use against all kinds of
law-breakers and suspects not just terrorists. 
    Concerned lawmakers stipulated eight tests enacted
into law in several funding bills that the system had
to pass before money could be released to fund its
implementation. 
    The tests included establishing a process for
correcting erroneous information and restoring the
right of wrongly accused passengers to travel by air;
assuring the security of the system from hackers and
internal abuse; addressing privacy concerns; and
crucially providing evidence that the screening will
actually turn up potential terrorists. 
    "I'm even more worried now about the
implementation of this system than I was before," said
former Georgia GOP congressman Bob Barr, a
long-standing critic of the proposal. "This should be
the death knell for this idea, but I think it will
take a great deal of courage and perseverance by
Congress to kill this off. 
    "I hope they take a long, hard look at this
report." 
    The TSA referred calls about the draft report to
the Department of Homeland Security, which did not
return a call for comment yesterday. 
    



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