Every airport traveller 'will be fingerprinted' (European airports )

[cal04]

Airport biometric procedures to be extended after alleged terror plot
Six out of ten believe government is not exaggerating terrorism threat
Reid reaction to terror has seen his public profile soar as Blair's successor


Key quote
"As we face the threat of mass murder we have to accept that the rights of the individual that we enjoy must, and will be, balanced with the collective right of security and the protection of life and limb that our citizens demand." - JOHN REID, THE HOME SECRETARY

BIOMETRIC testing is set to be introduced at European airports under plans for stringent new security measures revealed yesterday in the wake of last week's alleged terror plot.

Passengers would have their fingerprint or iris scanned under the measures proposed by EU interior ministers, which would also use passenger profiling to try to identify potential terrorists.

The move to beef up relaxed security procedures in Europe came as John Reid, the Home Secretary, warned that human rights would have to be balanced against the threat from terrorism and that the current terror threat was Europe-wide and needed to be tackled on an international level.

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1202152006

[mike_c]

1. is it totalitarianism yet...?

or will that be when we get barcoded?

[villager]

2. they hate us for our lack of freedoms!

n/t

[napi21]

3. You're going to hate me for saying this, but

I was fingerprinted many years ago when I accepted a job with the Federal Reserve Bank, so it's really no big deal to me.

They also already do your thumbprint to get a drivers license or State ID here in Ga, so IS this really such a big deal?????

[MrPrax]

4. Rights balanced against Security?

Do we get to vote on this...or has this just been decided?

When governments become paranoid, it's time to worry about why they want to track people...there are no threats worth losing our freedoms and rights, and certainly not anything offered up or the last five years.

[Porcupine]

5. Can't wait for the public cavity check of all passengers......

Displyed on the overhead wide screen TV to ensure your fellow passengers you're as safe as they are.

It's coming, just wait. All that has to happen is for one Al Quaida type (democrats) to forget to take out their gel toy before flying.

I loooove the new democracy and freeedoom.

[C_U_L8R]

6. And why would that deter

some who plans to kill themselves ???

[gula]

7. The good old U.S.of A. already does this to anyone

who is not a US or, for now, a Canadian citizen. All are finger-printed and iris scanned at the airport upon their arrival.