Another stupid idea from the Dept. of Homeland Insecurity
Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, announced another in a long line of stupid security policies today:
The United States said Tuesday that visitors from closely allied countries like Britain and Japan will soon have to register personal details online at least three days before arrival.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who announced the changes Tuesday, said they will help the United States boost security of its visa-free travel program by allowing the government to screen visitors before they travel. Currently, visitors fill out paper forms on route and are screened by U.S. customs agents upon entry.
The United States will begin implementing the changes in August, Chertoff said. Online registration will be mandatory for all visa-free travel by Jan. 12.
There are currently 27 countries whose citizens are not required to obtain visas for U.S. entry, including those in most of western Europe as well as Andorra, Australia, Brunei, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore. Eight other countries — the Czech Republic, Hungary and South Korea among them — are expected to be admitted to the visa waiver program.
The stated reason for this policy change is "to determine ahead of time if travelers pose a security risk." Chertoff failed to mention that every airline flying into the United States already must screen passengers against Orwellian "no-fly" lists before they board, so this online pre-registration seems entirely superfluous.
More to the point, proof of identity is not proof of intent. Someone whose name does not appear on a no-fly list may be traveling with malicious intent, and a person on the list (for whatever reason) may simply be traveling to visit a cousin. Or Disney World.
DHS seems adept at creating security theater and little else. As long as Chertoff and gang can keep up the facade that they're "doing something" about security, the ineffectiveness of those measures is given pretty much a free pass by the media, the Congress, and the White House.
You're doing a heck of a job, Cherty.