2010-01-27
In the case of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, on the day following his father's November 19 visit to the Embassy, we sent a cable to the Washington intelligence and law enforcement community through proper channels (the Visas Viper system) that "Information at post suggests [that Farouk] may be involved in Yemeni-based extremists."
2010-01-27
We will revoke the visa of any individual who is a threat to the United States, but we do take one preliminary step. We ask our law enforcement and intelligence community partners, 'Do you have eyes on this person and do you want us to let this person proceed under your surveillance so that you may potentially break a larger plot?'. And one of the members - and we'd be glad to give you that out of - in private - said, 'Please do not revoke this visa. We have eyes on this person [Underwear Bomber Adbulmutallab]. We are following this person who has the visa for the purpose of trying to roll up an entire network, not just stop one person.'
2010-01-27
In partnership with DHS and the FBI, we established the largest biometric screening process on the globe. We were a pioneer in the use of facial recognition techniques and remain a leader in operational use of this technology. In 2009 we expanded use of facial recognition from a selected segment of visa applications to all visa applications. We now are expanding our use of this technology beyond visa records. We are testing use of iris recognition technology in visa screening, making use of both identity and derogatory information collected by DOD.
Patrick Kennedy Admits All US Intelligence Agencies Got Alerts About Underwear Bomber
Started 2009-11-20Ended 2010-01-27
Patrick Kennedy admits in the January 1st 2010 House Committee on Homeland Security that after the father of the underwear bomber told CIA that he thought his son had joined extremists and maybe be planing a suicide bombing that a cable was sent out to all US Intelligence agencies. stating: we sent a cable to the Washington intelligence and law enforcement community through proper channels (the Visas Viper system) that “Information at post suggests [that Farouk] may be involved in Yemeni-based extremists.”
Underwear Bomber Was Inserted Into Terrorist Database, But Not No-Fly List
Started 2009-11-20Ended 2010-01-27
Patrick Kennedy admits in the January 1st 2010 House Committee on Homeland Security that Adbumutallab (aka the underwear bomber) was inserted into the Consular Lookout and Support System database (CLASS), but they did not put him into the no-fly list that would have made TSA stop the underwear bomber from boarding the plane.