Published: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
FBI provided inaccurate data for watchlist, audit finds
WASHINGTON -- The FBI gave outdated, incomplete and inaccurate information about terror suspects to be added to the government's watchlist for nearly three years despite steps taken to prevent errors, a Justice Department audit concludes.
Responding, an FBI spokesman said gaps identified in the system should be fixed by late summer to early fall.
Overall, the audit released Monday by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine gave the FBI a mixed review for its process of submitting an estimated 8,000 names and other data to the terror watchlist compiled by U.S. intelligence agencies. It found that the FBI has proper training and other internal controls in place to help make sure names of suspected terrorists were accurately added to the list.
However, Fine's report criticized the FBI for failing to consistently pass along newly discovered information about people on the watchlist, or to remove those who were no longer deemed a threat.
Between January 2005 and November 2007, the FBI processed the names of 8,240 suspects who were nominated to be added to the terror watchlist, the audit found. At times, FBI agents in field offices nominated terror suspects to be included on the list without first checking with FBI headquarters in Washington, preventing a thorough review.
"We found that the FBI was not always providing updated nominations when new information became known about a nominated individual," the audit said. "We also found that the FBI was not always removing records from the watchlist when it was appropriate to do so.
"Moreover, FBI headquarters officials reported that watchlist nomination submissions from field offices were often incomplete or contained inaccuracies, which caused delays in the processing of nominations," the audit concluded.
In a statement, FBI Assistant Director John Miller said the FBI has begun changing the way it submits names of international and domestic terror suspects to make the nomination process easier and more efficient for agents, adding that many of the problems identified should be fixed within six months.
The FBI is the only Justice Department agency that can directly choose names to be included on the watchlist. Other agencies with that authority include the CIA and the departments of Homeland Security, State, Treasury and Defense.
However, Fine's office found that other Justice agencies that can refer watchlist data to the FBI generally do so on an informal basis, resulting in omissions.
Responding, an FBI spokesman said gaps identified in the system should be fixed by late summer to early fall.
Overall, the audit released Monday by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine gave the FBI a mixed review for its process of submitting an estimated 8,000 names and other data to the terror watchlist compiled by U.S. intelligence agencies. It found that the FBI has proper training and other internal controls in place to help make sure names of suspected terrorists were accurately added to the list.
However, Fine's report criticized the FBI for failing to consistently pass along newly discovered information about people on the watchlist, or to remove those who were no longer deemed a threat.
Between January 2005 and November 2007, the FBI processed the names of 8,240 suspects who were nominated to be added to the terror watchlist, the audit found. At times, FBI agents in field offices nominated terror suspects to be included on the list without first checking with FBI headquarters in Washington, preventing a thorough review.
"We found that the FBI was not always providing updated nominations when new information became known about a nominated individual," the audit said. "We also found that the FBI was not always removing records from the watchlist when it was appropriate to do so.
"Moreover, FBI headquarters officials reported that watchlist nomination submissions from field offices were often incomplete or contained inaccuracies, which caused delays in the processing of nominations," the audit concluded.
In a statement, FBI Assistant Director John Miller said the FBI has begun changing the way it submits names of international and domestic terror suspects to make the nomination process easier and more efficient for agents, adding that many of the problems identified should be fixed within six months.
The FBI is the only Justice Department agency that can directly choose names to be included on the watchlist. Other agencies with that authority include the CIA and the departments of Homeland Security, State, Treasury and Defense.
However, Fine's office found that other Justice agencies that can refer watchlist data to the FBI generally do so on an informal basis, resulting in omissions.
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