Intelligence: May 5, 2003

Archives

American Military Police used electronic fingerprinting equipment to keep track of Iraqi POWs. Getting an electronic fingerprint just requires that you place your fingers on a scanner for a few seconds. The operator then enters name and other information to identify the person the prints belong to. Sometimes a digital photo of the person is taken as well. The electronic prints, like those taken the old fashioned way (with ink and paper) cannot be duplicated and faked. So the MPs always knew who they were dealing with when they had a prisoner stick a finger in one of the networked ID terminals scattered around the POW compound. The same technology was used to keep Al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners in Afghanistan. 

 

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contribute. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   contribute   Close