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groovychkUS wants to be able to access Britons' ID cards
By Kim Sengupta
27 May 2005
The United States wants Britain's proposed identity cards to have the
same microchip and technology as the ones used on American documents.
The aim of getting the same microchip is to ensure compatability in
screening terrorist suspects. But it will also mean that information
contained in the British cards can be accessed across the Atlantic.
Michael Chertoff, the newly appointed US Secretary for Homeland
Security, has already had talks with the Home Secretary, Charles
Clarke, and the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, to discuss the
matter.
Mr Chertoff said yesterday that it was vital to seek compatibility,
holding up the example of the "video war" of 25 years ago, when VHS and
Betamax were in fierce competition to win the status of industry
standard for video recording systems.
"I certainly hope we have the same chip... It would be very bad if
we all invested huge amounts of money in biometric systems and they
didn't work with each other.Hopefully, we are not going to do VHS and
Betamax with our chips. I was one of the ones who bought Betamax, and
that's now in the garbage," he said.
Mr Chertoff also proposed that British citizens wishing to visit the
US should consider entering a "Trusted Traveller" scheme. Under this,
they would forward their details to the US embassy to be vetted. If
successful, they would receive a document allowing "fast- tracking"
through the US immigration system.
A pilot scheme will start within a few months between the US and the
Netherlands, allowing Dutch visitors to use a Trusted Traveller card to
enter the US without being subjected to further questioning or
screening.
Britain is one of 27 countries whose citizens do not need visas to
enter the US if they intend to stay less than 90 days. The American
government has said it wants 27 to issue new passports by 26 October
this year containing a computer chip and a digital photograph.
Mr Chertoff said compatability and the checking system was intended
purely to track down "terrorists and criminals" and the main aim was to
provide a "fair and reasonable system".
US diplomatic sources stated later that Washington did not wish to interfere
in the domestic affairs of other countries.
"When we screen based on names, we're screening on the most
primitive and least technological basis of identification - it's the
most susceptible to misspelling, or people changing their identity, or
fraud," he said.
The scheme will also, say diplomats, ease confusion over who exactly
constitutes a suspect. The most high-profile case was that of Yusuf
Islam, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, who was barred from
entering the US because his activities "could be potentially linked to
terrorism". The British government is insistent that Mr Islam had no
such links.
However, this is the latest controversy to surround Britain's
proposed combined identity card and passport due to be introduced in
three years' time. Rising costs have pushed the cost up to £93 each
after the overall estimated 10-year cost of the project grew from
£3.1bn to £ 5.8 bn.
There have also been problems over the effectiveness of the
biometric technology which is supposed to safeguard the security of the
cards. There were also verification problems with 30 per cent of those
whose fingerprint was taken during an enrolment trial of 10,000
volunteers.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=641731
By Kim Sengupta
27 May 2005
The United States wants Britain's proposed identity cards to have the
same microchip and technology as the ones used on American documents.
The aim of getting the same microchip is to ensure compatability in
screening terrorist suspects. But it will also mean that information
contained in the British cards can be accessed across the Atlantic.
Michael Chertoff, the newly appointed US Secretary for Homeland
Security, has already had talks with the Home Secretary, Charles
Clarke, and the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, to discuss the
matter.
Mr Chertoff said yesterday that it was vital to seek compatibility,
holding up the example of the "video war" of 25 years ago, when VHS and
Betamax were in fierce competition to win the status of industry
standard for video recording systems.
"I certainly hope we have the same chip... It would be very bad if
we all invested huge amounts of money in biometric systems and they
didn't work with each other.Hopefully, we are not going to do VHS and
Betamax with our chips. I was one of the ones who bought Betamax, and
that's now in the garbage," he said.
Mr Chertoff also proposed that British citizens wishing to visit the
US should consider entering a "Trusted Traveller" scheme. Under this,
they would forward their details to the US embassy to be vetted. If
successful, they would receive a document allowing "fast- tracking"
through the US immigration system.
A pilot scheme will start within a few months between the US and the
Netherlands, allowing Dutch visitors to use a Trusted Traveller card to
enter the US without being subjected to further questioning or
screening.
Britain is one of 27 countries whose citizens do not need visas to
enter the US if they intend to stay less than 90 days. The American
government has said it wants 27 to issue new passports by 26 October
this year containing a computer chip and a digital photograph.
Mr Chertoff said compatability and the checking system was intended
purely to track down "terrorists and criminals" and the main aim was to
provide a "fair and reasonable system".
US diplomatic sources stated later that Washington did not wish to interfere
in the domestic affairs of other countries.
"When we screen based on names, we're screening on the most
primitive and least technological basis of identification - it's the
most susceptible to misspelling, or people changing their identity, or
fraud," he said.
The scheme will also, say diplomats, ease confusion over who exactly
constitutes a suspect. The most high-profile case was that of Yusuf
Islam, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, who was barred from
entering the US because his activities "could be potentially linked to
terrorism". The British government is insistent that Mr Islam had no
such links.
However, this is the latest controversy to surround Britain's
proposed combined identity card and passport due to be introduced in
three years' time. Rising costs have pushed the cost up to £93 each
after the overall estimated 10-year cost of the project grew from
£3.1bn to £ 5.8 bn.
There have also been problems over the effectiveness of the
biometric technology which is supposed to safeguard the security of the
cards. There were also verification problems with 30 per cent of those
whose fingerprint was taken during an enrolment trial of 10,000
volunteers.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=641731
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