Tuesday, September 16, 2003
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government is establishing a Terrorist Screening Center to consolidate about a dozen terrorist watch lists existing at other agencies, Bush administration officials announced Tuesday.
Officials described the soon-to-be created master list as "one-stop shopping'' for information.
The list will include separate collections gathered by the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, CIA and others. The master list will include both known and suspected terrorists, including international and domestic terrorists, such as people suspected of conducting terrorist attacks in the name of animal rights.
The federal government has been criticized for letting suspected terrorists enter, travel within and exit the United States because various terror lists had not been combined.
Senior government officials said they expect the new center to streamline the process of checking individuals' suspected terrorist connections. The combined lists will be given to all local law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities, with the first edition to be ready by Dec. 1.
Officials emphasized that the new center will not create any new law enforcement powers. It will be used to ensure that the right people, such as local cops on the street, have the information they need to stop terrorists in this country.
Many of the details have yet to be worked out. Officials say they can't predict exactly how many people will be on the list. They also say that there will be a way to challenge whether an individual's name should be included, but exactly how that appeals process will work has yet to be determined.
Fox News' Anna Stolley contributed to this report.
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