Terror watch lists: Can you keep tabs on every suspect?

[idwiyo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22718000

But is it practical - or even possible - to keep close tabs on every person who comes to the attention of the security services?

No, according to Dame Stella Rimington, former head of the of MI5. To see that, she says, you just have to look at the numbers.

...

To keep a constant watch on just one of those people, you would need a team of at least six surveillance operatives, Dame Stella says. But of course they couldn't work 24 hours a day, so you would need three teams of six.

...

And if 2,000 people were to be followed like that, we'd be talking about 50,000 full-time spies doing nothing but following suspected terrorists. That's more than 10 times the number of people employed by MI5. The numbers don't add up.

[treestar]

1. Yes, they would have to stick with the higher ups

that's why the critique over Tamerlan was ridiculous. There's no practical way to follow up every person ever reported.

[idwiyo]

3. Too many people don't realise there could be such thing as too much data.

That's why I always believed its useless to collect all those phone records, e-mail, etc. Its simply impossible to process it fast enough and accurate enough to be of any help.

[KoKo]

2. I dunno...they seemed to miss Boston Bombers Trips while Cavity Searching Granny

in the Wheel Chair and little kids traveling with Parents.

I guess they do a fantastic job...but Boston Bombers Family was traveling BACK AND FORTH to RUSSIA/CHECNIA...and no one Gave a Damn.

So...Look Out Granny and Little Kids ...because the TSA is Determined to "search your crotch and feel you up or force you to have RADIATION" because you are on your was to Disney World in Orlando or to get our of the Northeast for Winter to your modest rental

Whatever!