Mandatory ID Cards -biometric association

[Aimee Farr]

The conversation elsewhere is out of control...even "negative recognition"
in addition to a National Biometric-ID. The fear is that its an "appearance
measure." My response on another list was fairly long-winded, but it did
include the following:

(1) The pretexter. Mr. Terrorist -- he's a suspect or (hopes to be) a
fugitive, or he wouldn't be pretexting an ID.

(2) The patsy. Ann Murphy -- married and pregnant when her new husband tried
to put her on a plane with 3 pounds of plastic explosive. She was recruited
and set up over a year.

(3) The inward spy. Colonel von Stauffenberg -- admitted to Hitler's Wolf
Lair without question.

(4) The priest. Father Terrorist -- he is who he is. The only thing he has
to hide is his intent.

In 2, 3, and 4 authentication is an exploit. If it leads to a false sense of
security, it is an exploit. ''They'' will go for timing + circumstance +
opportunity. (The focus has shifted away from airplanes.) Myself and several
others have pointed out how this would agitate domestic dissident groups,
further civil tension, and possibly provoke violence -- the terrorist
objective straight out of "TERRORISM 101."

I just haven't seen any compelling counter-terrorism studies FOCUSING on
this (I'm looking, and I'm sure that I will...). Although document forgery
is an immigration problem, it sounds like one that can be addressed at the
border. While authentication is a first line defense, I question this
measure in terms of "combating terrorism," and worry that it is over-rated.
It's also something that goes with chokepoint-checkpoints.

[*pause*...seen the latest ANSIR?]

~Aimee