The Department of Homeland Security announced on July 26 that it had signed an agreement with the European Union that will allow the continued use of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data as a screening tool for detecting potentialy dangerous transatlantic travelers. "PNR data is a proven resource for connecting the dots associated with terrorist activity and serious transnational crime," Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, said in a statement. "Our frontline personnel did not have this tool on September 11th. Investigations after the attacks showed that PNR data would have, within a matter of moments, helped to identify many of the 19 hijackers by linking their methods of payment, phone numbers and seat assignments. I commend my European counterparts for their leadership and dedication to reaching an agreement that will protect our respective citizens and safeguard their privacy for the next seven years."
(Chertoff's complete statement; PNR Agreement in .pdf format)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment