Head of visitor tracking program wants global ID system
By Jonathan Marino
[email protected]
The head of the Homeland Security Department's visitor tracking
program on Tuesday called for the creation of a "global ID
management system" to make travel easier while enhancing
security.
Jim Williams, director of the US VISIT program within DHS, told
attendees of the National Business Travel Association's annual
meeting he is aware of the plight of the business traveler. Even
he, despite his senior position in the department, once found
himself temporarily unable to board a plane because he shared the
name of an individual on a terrorist watch list, he said.
Williams said he wants to join forces with several DHS agencies to
develop a global identification system that would cut wait times,
reduce government fees for travelers, fight illegal immigration
and, perhaps paramount, better defend nations from
terrorists.
The US VISIT chief, who already oversees identity inquiries for
nearly every visitor who enters the United States, said a worldwide
identification system will better link nations in the fight against
terrorism. In his speech, he likened al Qaeda operatives and
sleeper cells - including the ones that attacked on 9/11 - to
"submarines" that must surface to kill.
"In order for them to do what they want to do, they have to
travel," Williams said.
He did not specify when, or how, the proposed global program would
be implemented.
Williams suggested that a biometrics identification system might be
used to better track travelers to the United States. A similar
program is being tested in Great Britain, where such physical
characteristics as fingerprints or iris scans are being tied to
national identification cards. Proponents say it can cut the odds
of success for immigration fraud.
Any program that can successfully ease both financial burdens and
wait times for travelers will be welcomed with open arms, said Hank
Roeder, vice president of global operations for the National
Business Travel Association.
In his speech, Williams said an American version of the global ID
plan would likely require the cooperation of US VISIT, the Customs
and Border Protection bureau, the Transportation Safety
Administration and U.S. Customs and Immigration Services, all under
the DHS umbrella.
A TSA official declined to comment, saying the agency has no
knowledge of the proposed plan. CBP and CIS could not be reached
for comment.