CommonDreams.org Article

"In their efforts to prevent a repeat of the Sept. 11 tragedy, the U.S. government and the airline industry are relying on software so outdated that it can't distinguish between the last name of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden and punk rocker Johnny Rotten Lydon.

As the war on terrorism spurs U.S. intelligence agencies to constantly expand aviation watch lists, many airline-reservation systems rely on name- searching software based on a 120-year-old indexing system that mistakes the similar spelling or sound of innocent passengers' surnames for those of terrorists.

The result: Thousands of travelers have been flagged at airports for additional searches and police questioning -- while critics say real terrorists could slip through undetected."

------------------
"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

[This message has been edited by Spiff (edited 06-09-2003).]