Ooops

Hijackers 'identified pre-9/11'

A year before the 9/11 attacks a secret US intelligence unit had identified four of the hijackers as likely linked to al-Qaeda, a US congressman says. But the unit's request for the FBI to be informed was turned down, according to Representative Curt Weldon.

One of the men identified was said to be 9/11 ringleader Mohammed Atta. Mr Weldon has a reputation for bold statements, but his comments are being taken seriously after claims from an unnamed former intelligence official.

Further reading here.

Also on the BBC is this gem.

Implant chip to identify the dead

The carnage inflicted by bomb attacks in Egypt, London and across Iraq has raised the problem of how the authorities identify people in an emergency situation. Whether through natural disaster or man-made, the killing of large numbers of people presents a great challenge to the emergency services, who have to identify the victims as quickly as possible.

One aid to identification advocated by an American company is the VeriChip, a small device containing a unique number injected into a person's arm.

I hope Charles Clarke doesn't read it or ID cards will be the least of our worries.