Terrorism Watch List Screening Book

Ch. 1 Why GAO Did this Study 1

Ch. 2 Results in Brief 5

Ch. 3 Background 9

Ch. 4 Although Likely a Small Percentage of All People Screened, the Thousands of Persons Misidentified to the Terrorist Watch List Can Experience Additional Questioning, Delays, and Other Effects 13

Ch. 5 Most Misidentifications Occur Because of Similarities to Names on the Terrorist Watch List; Agencies Are Attempting to Reduce the Incidence of Misidentifications or Otherwise Facilitate Individuals through the Screening Process 19

Ch. 6 The Terrorist Screening Center and Frontline-Screening Agencies Are Addressing Concerns Related to Watch List Screening, and an Interagency Agreement Is Being Developed to Further Ensure an Effective Means for Seeking Redress 27

Ch. 7 Concluding Observations 41

Appendix I Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 43

Appendix II Terrorist Screening Center: Terrorist-Watch-List Redress Process 51

Appendix III Transportation Security Administration: Traveler Identity Verification Program 57

Appendix IV U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Online Information 63

Appendix V Comments from the Department of Homeland Security 67

Appendix VI Comments from the State Department 69

References 71

Index 81