t5 b65 gao visa docs 5 of 6 fdr- 12-6-01 gao meeting w dos re gao inquiry 816

8/14/2019 T5 B65 GAO Visa Docs 5 of 6 Fdr- 12-6-01 GAO Meeting w DOS Re GAO Inquiry 816

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Prepared by: KateBrentzelDate: 12/07/013b Code: 320087

Index: Type bundle index hereDOC Library: Type library name hereDOC Number: Type document number here

Record of Interview

Entrance ConferenceState DepartmentReviewed by:Type reviewer name hereReview Date: Type review date here

Purpose To present the scope ofwork, preliminary objectives, and projecttimeframes to the State Department.ContactMethod In-person conference

Contact Place State Department,Room 7427

Contact Date December 6, 2001

Participants GAO: John Brummet, Judy McC loskey, Kate Brentzel, Jody WoodsState: See attached list

Comments/Remarks John Brummet opened the conference with a brief description of therequested work and a description of the research that the team has doneto date. He then outlined our five preliminary objectives and the type ofinitial data we would need for each objective.1. How did the terrorists responsible for September 11 attacksobtain visas to enter the United State, andwhat scrutiny andcontrolswere applied during the visa process?We asked if State had a report on how the 19hyackers from September 11entered the U.S. Although Consular Affairs (CA) has informationon the 19hijackers' visas, it has not compiled a report on this. Mr.Lannon said thatCA has sent visa records to INS and the FBI but not received anyinformation or feedback from these agencies. He said that State couldprovide us with the replicated data sheets for the 19 hijackers. SenatorShelby has also requested a report on the lujackers and the visaprocedures in place at the consulates where the visas were issued.

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I by: Kate BrentzelfZ/07/01Je: 320087Index: TypeDOC Library: TypeDOC Number: Type

Mr. Lannon said that the 19terrorists from September 11 most likely usedtheir true identities when they applied forvisas and that they were allissued either a Bl or B2visa. None of the hyackers produced a "hit" whentheir names were checked in the Consular Lookout and Support System(CLASS). M r. Lannon said that the CIA passed along the names of two ofthe terrorists to the FBI but that the names were never given to State orput into CLASS.State has been fighting for 10years to get information from the FBI andthe CIA. The CIA has quadrupled the numberofnames it has provided forTIPOFF1 since September 11 but State said that a lot of themare oldnames or duplicates. Very few names have been put into CLASS throughthe Visa V iper program - and not one name in Saudi Arabia went into thesystem. The Patriot Act and the Foreign Terrorist TrackingTaskforce mayalleviate the lack of information sharing between agencies.2. Are State's policies andprocedures for screening visa applicantsreasonable given the risks, andwhat actions has State taken totighten procedures since September 11, 2001?W e asked for a briefing or documents that would describe changes madeto the visa process since September 11. Mr. Lannon said that State has agood visa process in place. He said that there is a mystique surroundingthe consular interview - that an officer wouldbeable to look at anapplicant and know that he or she is a terrorist is unlikely. The interviewis useful in stopping economic migrants, the group that State hashistorically denied visas to. But for other groups, such as terrorists, Statehas looked to law enforcement agencies to provide it with enoughinformation to stop these groups from obtaining visas.Catherine Barry said that the short answer to question 2 is that nothinghas changed since September 11. CA has sent out reminders to consularofficers to be aware ofprocedures but it has not changed any of thoseprocedures or mandated that all applicants be interviewed. She said thatState has continually improved its visa systems over the years. CA hasimproved its Arabic and Hispanic name algorithm and introduced a Slavicalgorithm. When Justice requested that all 16-45 year old men fromIslamic countries wait 20days for a background check, it was easy forState to implement this. The qualifiers were put into the visa computer

TIPOFF is the International Terrorist and Criminal Namecheck System and DataExchange. From State's website: "The Department of State's TIPOFF systems play apivotal role in U.S. border security byserving as an interface between the highly classifiedholdings of the U.S. intelligenceand law enforcement communities concerning terroristsand international organizedcrime members,and consular personnel abroadand port-of-entry inspectors."



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dred by: Kate Brentzel Index: Typeob Code: 320087 DOC Number: Typesystem so that these visas cannot be issued unless the 20-day waitingperiod and a background check has occurred.3. Do consular operations have the trained staff, resources,information and technology to make the right decisions on the 9million visa applications received annually?We described this as a "catch-all" question for training and technologyconcerns, including best practices from other countries. Mr.Lannon saidthat Commissioner Ziglar had agreed to have CLASS installed at all portsof entry byJanuary 2002, although it is currently in use in only two ports.We asked if CA had data to show how many terrorists were denied visas.They said that the Bureau for Intelligence and Research (INR) couldprovide us with this information.Mr. Lannon said that there might be some staffing changes forthcoming.There are 135 consular associate positions worldwide that CA would liketo convert into Foreign Service officer (FSO) positions. Consularassociates are usually family members of FSOs. CA is ready to finance 300new consular positions (this includes the 135). However, there areproblems with the plan. State's human resources department cannot hireand clear new FSOs fast enough to fill the new positions and manyembassies simply lack the physical space to accommodate more staff.4. How do the Departments of State, Justice, andother agenciesensure Canada and the 29 countries participating in the visawaiver program have sufficient controls in place to justify the U.S.policy of not requiring avisa for citizens of these countries toenter the U.S.? Should the visa waiver program be scaled back?The Departments ofState and Justice are currently investigating six visawaiver countries to assess whether they should still be included in theprogram. Teams have completed tours of two countries but have notdrafted reports yet. Action based on those reports could take even longer.The implication for staffing would depend on the country, hi the case ofArgentina (initial reaction from the team that went to Argentina is that it ison a slippery slope due to economic instability), it would not be toodifficult for consular services to begin issuing visas again. The amount ofvisas issued inArgentina was never very large and many Argentines stillhold valid 10 year multiple entry visas. The impact would be greater inhigh-volume posts. State did an impact study last year, which concludedthat in other countries it could take 3years before they could engage invisa issuance again.Mr. Lannon said that proposed legislation by Senators Kennedy, Feinstein,and Kyi might make the visa waiver program a moot point. The bill wouldrequire the visa waiver countries to issue tamper-resistant, machine-readable passports in one year. Furthermore, the bill would require that,after 2years, all countries that participate in the program include



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by: Kate Brentzel>te: 12/07/01Job Code: 320087

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biometric data on their passports. The U.S. would set this biometricstandard, although there does not seem to be agreement on what type ofdata to include. The State Department favors facial recognition biometricdata.

Facial RecognitionBiometric Data

Documents/BriefingsRequested

State was already experimenting with facial recognition software beforethe September 11 attacks. It tested the utility of facial recognition for theDiversity Visa program in an attempt to catch applicants who applied for aDV more than once. State also used facial recognition in some high fraudposts to see if applicants who were denied visas applied again. Facialrecognition has worked well when a limited number of photographs are inthe system but it breaks down if millions of photographs have to beprocessed. Since key facial features such as hairlines must be visible inthe photographs, headdresses must be removed before the photographsare taken.5. How is the State Department participating in interagencyforums to improve border security and is it effectively supportingthe Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Department ofJustice?W e did not discuss this objective in detail.Ms. Barry will set up several briefings for us. She will get Jean Louis inINR/IC to demonstrate how V isa Viper leads feed into TIPOFF. Ms.Louiscan also provide us with data on the number of terrorists that have beendenied visas and she will show us the new visa foil. Wewill also seedemonstrations of the facial recognition software and CLASS. W e shouldcontact Michael Chang in the Hbureau to get the replicated data sheets onthe 19 hijackers and also for the report that is being prepared for SenatorShelby.The primary contact for our work will be George Lannon.
