Sunday March 3, 12:18 PM

U.S. reported to want DNA of captives from Afghan war

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement officials are proposing to create a DNA databank of prisoners taken in the war in Afghanistan using blood samples from men being held in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the New York Times reported on Sunday, citing unidentified officials.

Officials quoted by the newspaper said the database could assist in tracking suspects in the future, which could become extremely important because many of the detainees may have to be released before the United States is certain about their identities.

The captives are accused of being members of Saudi-born extremist Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network or the Afghanistan's toppled Taliban rulers.

The Times reported that FBI officials have proposed the creation of a DNA database, and Justice Department officials are reviewing the idea. The newspaper said congressional approval would be needed to permit the FBI to take DNA samples from terrorism suspects and store the data in computer files.

The proposal would forge a new category of DNA profiling by the FBI, the Times reported. U.S. law currently allows for DNA profiling only of convicted sex offenders and other violent felons, of biological material discovered at crime scenes, and of evidence in missing person cases.

U.S. officials have been come up with positive identifications of few of the 300 detainees held at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with most known only by aliases, the Times said. The officials quoted by the newspaper said there are 7,500 to 8,000 more captives in detention camps in Afghanistan, with almost none possessing identity papers.

"We don't know who these guys are, and we need to find out," one unidentified law enforcement official was quoted as saying.

The captives held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay have been fingerprinted and photographed, and in some cases, hair samples have been taken, but officials have not taken blood samples for DNA analysis, the Times said.

U.S. officials said the DNA databank would be kept chiefly for the purpose of identification, the Times reported, noting that if a prisoner were to be released and later arrested, authorities would have information to prove his identity.

The Times said the genetic information contained in the databank could help in some current investigations, including the case of Richard Reid, accused of attempting to blow up an airlines with explosives hidden in his shoes. The newspaper said investigators believe the DNA might help them trace the source of hairs found in Reid's shoes and perhaps identify an accomplice.

What??? Fingerprints don't work any more? Or do they want relatives of the detainees for some purpose?

Pretty soon we all will have to give DNA samples which will be recorded on thos chips they will implant in us~~~~~~

-- Cherri (jessam5@home.com), March 03, 2002

Answers

Its even worse. Dubya wants to clone the terrorists so his approval rating will go even higher.

-- dubby (the@real.terrorist), March 03, 2002.