One Million Names... But "Only" 400,000 People, DHS Says

In response to requests from USA Today, the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence confirmed the terrorist watch list used to screen US passengers has reached a new milestone -- one million names.

If your name is put on the list by intelligence and law enforcement agencies, you can face consequences ranging from a little more thorough screening... to being prevented from flying or stopped at an international border. The FBI says only 1-in-20 people on the list are US citizens.

The FBI's Terrorist Screening Center says that million names represents only about 400,000 individuals, because multiple spellings are often included on the list. The center also says 33,000 entries were removed from the list last year, through routine updates and investigations which cleared people previously listed.

Surprisingly, many people who complain that they're on the list erroneously actually are not. The Department of Homeland Security claims most of those cases turn out to be people who were stopped by local screeners because their names were similar to those on the list.

Tim Sparapani, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, tells USA Today the list has become too bloated to be effective. But the Government Accountability Office, while admitting the list could be more accurate, insists it has "enhanced the US government's counterterrorism efforts."

FMI: www.dhs.gov