Us To Scan Visitors' Fingerprints

[george]

SECURITY BEEF-UP: US to scan visitors' fingerprints

BANGKOK: As Washington tightens its security rules, people applying in Bangkok for visas to the US will be required to have their fingerprints electronically scanned.

The requirement, which comes into force today, only applies to new visas; existing valid visas will not need to be replaced until they expire.

Exceptions will be made for children younger than 14, applicants over 79 years old and employees of foreign governments or international organisations.

The fingerprinting technique is more sophisticated than the pawn-shop thumbprint or even the 10-finger ink prints taken by police. The system uses no ink, but scans the right and left index fingers electronically.

The process takes only a few seconds, said US Consul General Edward J Wehrli.

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 requires US embassies worldwide to adopt "biometric identifiers" to identify physical characteristics of people seeking entry by October 26 next year. Some 30 posts will be collecting fingerprints by the end of this month, said Wehrli, and Bangkok is the second in Southeast Asia after Kuala Lumpur.

Biometric identifiers include the face, fingerprints, hand geometry and handwriting as well as the eye's iris and retina. But in practice, fingerprints are the most effective, practical and least intrusive identifier, Wehrli said.

Archives of applicants' fingerprints will be kept in the US in order to cross-check at entry points. The US has no plans or agreements to share fingerprints with any foreign governments, said Wehrli.

He added that the measure was not in response to any particular security concerns in Thailand, but was imposed to control general visa fraud. He declined to comment on the level of fraud found at the Bangkok embassy.

--The Nation 2003-11-14

[Artisi]

Great idea.

[infinitejim]

I think that it's a little too much "big brother" and paranoid personality ideation from the US government.

[mushin]

Its beyond the mere Big Brother concept, this is real. Some people have continuously refered to the sureal events that have been occuring after 9-11 in the context of Orwell's classic 1984, but, the truth is 1984 was an idea about an Anti Utopia. Something like this has never really existed, but, it seems that we are moving towards that, and there is evidence of it everywhere.

This is an obvious move to collect information. Remember Bush said "terrorism is the first circle." They start with terrorism, then move into other types of criminals, I believe they will move to international criminals next. After that, they will use this technology to catch domestic criminals. Before you know it, everyone will be required to give this type of information.

I don't believe that it will be some kind of law like selective service registration, where you must report to your post office when your 18 to register, or face criminal prosecution, but, I do believe that certain government benefits will not be given to you if you don't give this information.

The Privacy Act of 1974 in the US grants certain rights to ones privacy, however, if you join the US military, you are required to waive most of those rights. If you want to get paid, you have to give your social security number for example. I am sure that the government will come up with something similar where you would give up this information in order to survive.

This is only the begining. The world has lost its mind. We have been in an information war for centuries now, and now the information moves faster, and its easier to collect and manipulate. George Bush, who is not even really the President, lied to everyone to get the US into this war. Now, Rummy will take the fall for that. I am not at all sorry, as Rummy needs to go, but, Wolfwitz, Pearle, Chenny, Bush, and a host of others in the administration need to be prosecuted on criminal charges.

I was happy to see that the disgraced Admiral Poindexter was removed from his post after the Total Information Awareness System that he was trying to develop in the Pentagon's Darpa office raised quite a few concerns, and rightly so. However, they simply fired the Ex Admiral, whom you may remember from the Iran-Contra affair under the Reagan administration, and then they CHANGED the name of the project to,,, YOU GUESSED IT! THE TERRORISM Information Awareness System!

As long as it has the name TERRORISM stamped on it the [m]asses will gladly accept it. This is just another way that the US government lets everyone in the world know that they can F$CK with ANYONE ANYTIME ANYWHERE. Just like in Sicilly when the Mafia turns the power off, just to let the people know they are still there.

This action is a veiled act of terrorism on the part of the government, and until the people wake up and start making some moves against these actions, they will only continue, and become worse until nobody can do anything and 1984 becomes the reality and the norm. Its very possible, and that is the road we are heading down now.

[DaveYo]

I agree that the USA has more than extended their laws over the border. What is their reasoning. Take a print in Thailand, then go to usa get the print check for verification. Come on. There is other purposes besides just prints. One is background checks, another is this gives USA to cross check with Thailand police of any information that they have of a Thai national. This goes so far as to them wanting to know your financial history and so on and so forth., your schooling, and also any trips you previously made abroad.

It seems some countries are going to go so far as to want to track every individual who leaves borders and enters another border. They want to have the means to track you literally even right to your own bathroom. They want to know exactly where you are at all the time. Also watch out for the SMART CARDS. They have plans on forcing everyone to have these and these cards will contain all your banking information, your background, your Identification, credit history and even medical history. The government wants to have this too and this is another tool to put the clamps on you and make it very difficult for you to live or even possibly obtain a job. This same smart card will also contain information if any concerning the background of such individual.

This is going to be some real nightmare. Once this gets a solid foothold and this becomes almost an every day thing, the world is in trouble. I predict there will be a major worldwide revolt and many governments will topple and this is going to be WW 3. Now whether or not I will be alive to see this take place remains to be seen but I more than likely will see the initial phases of this and some others as this begins before it is my time to go.

Daveyo

[fred110]

Paranoia strikes deep!

[Aitit]

Would be no surprise if the next country follows is Thailand.

[DaveYo]

No it is not paronoia, it is actually happening right under your nose. It is also taking place right now as we write on this forum.

Up to you but this does not surprise me to say the least. Many people don;t believe this is possible.

Sorry to upset your peace, but who would you rather upset your peace , some real facts or the government when they make that grand announcement, and then what ya gonna do when the Gov gets you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daveyo