Shaping the Way Ahead: Army Biometrics WIPT Kickoff

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Shaping the Way Ahead: Army Biometrics WIPT Kickoff

N. Daniel / K. Trissell / R. Hansen

Somewhere on the border of Iraq, a driver is stopped and asked to exit his vehicle. He is asked to enter the nearby building to have his passport and identity papers examined. Meanwhile, soldiers check his vehicle for contraband. Everything seems to be in order. The Iraqi passport appears to be valid and belongs to the driver. Before the man leaves, a U.S. official captures images of his fingerprints. Suddenly, the official s computer screen flashes that the man is wanted for questioning. The official confers with the Iraqis, and the driver is told he will have to wait. In a few minutes, U.S. and Iraqi police arrive and take the man away for interrogation. How was this person identified when his identity papers seemed to be in order. Nothing unusual was observed in his vehicle. There was no notice to detain a man with this name. Yet he was a highly sought-after terrorist. Upon a more careful examination, it was later discovered that his passport had been expertly altered to conceal his actual name. Yet he was still caught, because he could not change his fingerprints. By employing biometric markers (fingerprints, iris images, etc.), the U.S. military is stripping the veil of anonymity from terrorists worldwide, making it increasingly harder for them to pass unnoticed.