FBI provided flawed data for terrorism watch list, audit says

A Justice Department study says inaccurate and outdated information resulted in innocent people being kept on the list while real threats were not added in a timely fashion.
By Josh Meyer
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

March 18, 2008

WASHINGTON — Adding to the litany of complaints about one of the nation's primary counter-terrorism safety nets, a Justice Department audit has concluded that the FBI provided the government-wide terrorism watch list with incomplete, inaccurate and outdated information about suspects for almost three years.

As a result, many innocent people stayed on the terrorism watch list long after they were cleared of any wrongdoing, and real threats to national security were sometimes left off the list or not added in a timely manner, according to the audit, released Monday by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine.

The watch list was established by presidential directive in September 2003 so that law enforcement and intelligence officials could have a uniform database of terrorism suspects, enabling agencies to screen out those trying to get into the country and flag others domestically.

It is managed by the Terrorist Screening Center, which is overseen by the Justice Department and staffed through the Justice, Homeland Security and State departments and other agencies.

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