Washington, July 13(ANI): Gaping holes remain in the United States' databases of overseas terrorists as well as in passport security even a decade after September 11 attacks, a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has concluded.
According to a year-long investigation by the GAO, which included travel to Kenya, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand, many countries have yet to address the chronic problem of fake documents, such as birth certificates, that are a gateway to a genuine passport.
Passport security is described as weak with many countries using no security features, such as biometrics, to prevent fraud.
"Some countries do not have their own database systems with terrorist screening information or access to other countries' terrorist screening information to keep track of biographical and biometric information about individuals who are known or suspected terrorists," Fox News quoted the report, as saying.
"Even when countries have terrorist screening information, they may not have reciprocal relationships to share such information or other travel-related information such as airline passenger lists, with other countries, thereby limiting their ability to identify and prevent travel of known or suspected terrorists," it added.
The report also notes widespread corruption means a wink and a nod, at some foreign airports, will get a suspected terrorist through security.
The GAO report will be officially released today when the issue is taken up publicly by the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
The GAO is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. (ANI)
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