FBI has one MILLION people on 'watch and stop' terror list

By Paul Thompson
Last updated at 4:52 PM on 11th March 2009

The FBI have revealed they have a million people on their 'watch and stop' list for terror suspects.

People on the list are stopped from flying into America or subjected to intense questioning at border crossings before being allowed entry into the country.

The list has been compiled by the FBI's terrorist screening centre in Washington.

It was started after the 9/11 terror attacks and has been subject to much criticism after children with the same names as terror suspects found themselves marked down as potential threats to security.


Watch and stop: The FBI has over one million people on their terror list (file photo)

About 95 per cent on those on the list are non-US citizens, but the FBI have not revealed how many are from the UK.

But with the most recent terror threats to the U.S. originating in Britain the American government recently imposed new restrictions on visitors.
Travellers flying to the U.S. from the UK now have to complete an advance notice of flying and supply their passport details in advance.

Visitors also have to tell US authorities where they will be staying and for what length of time.

The form can only be completed online and must be filed at least two weeks prior to travel.

The information is analysed by the Department of Homeland security and if a match is found with the FBI list visitors are either stopped from flying or forced to go through extra security at check-in.

As many as 40,000 people a year are added to the list. U.S. officials admit many of those in the FBI data bank have multiple aliases.

Former South African president and Nobel prize winner Nelson Mandela was on the list due to his classification as a terror suspect in the 1960s.

He was removed after former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice described the situation as 'embarrassing'.

In the last two years more than 50,000 people have filed 'redress' claims against having their names wrongly included on the list.

The FBI screening centre has also removed over 33,000 people from the list in an attempt to purge the list of outdated names.

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