National ID Cards Solve Nothing

National ID Cards Solve Nothing

December 28, 2009
Department of Homeland Security Issues Terrorist ID Cards
Department of Homeland Security today said it was instituting a bold new series of security measures, including issuing an official “proof of terrorism” I.D. card.

“All potential terrorists must have the terrorist I.D. card in order to be barred from boarding,” said Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano. “If you want to get on the no-fly list you’ll need a completed application and the $25 fee. Ms. Napolitano said that while the terror suspect’s father had warned the U.S. about his son weeks before the incident, the Homeland Security Dept. was tightening rules in that area as well: “In the future, it will be necessary for a terrorist’s mom and dad to warn us before we take it seriously.” The Homeland Security chief said that her department would continue to crack down on the primary threat to air safety: shampoo.More

November 24, 2004
IDENTITY cards will be issued within four years after ministers yesterday made them the centrepiece of their programme for the run-up to the general election. A fierce battle over the issue became certain when Tony Blair backed compulsory ID cards as essential to the fight against terrorism, illegal immigration and organised crime.MORE



UK Compulsory National Identity Cards (ID Cards) Justifications To Fight Crime and Terror

“Whatever they do, it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country” – Tony Blair, 7/7/2005

Following the 11th September atrocity, the UK Government immediately began talking about introducing ID Cards. We were told they would help fight crime and specifically terrorism. In fact this was simply a case of Blunkett shamelessly taking advantage of the post-911 panic. Even David Blunkett himself didn’t really believe that ID cards will make a significant impact on the terrorists. In July 2002 he let this slip:

“Yes, I accept that it is important that we do not pretend that an entitlement card would be an overwhelming factor in combating international terrorism. That is precisely what I said three times on the radio within a fortnight of 11 September, and I reiterated it this afternoon.”

There is no evidence to support the claim that ID Cards will significantly cut down on crime and terror. Many other countries have ID Cards and still suffer from crime and terrorism. Spain has compulsory Identity Cards. That did nothing to prevent the Madrid massacre. In Northern Ireland, the authorities knew for years the identities of many of those behind the terrorist campaigns. The bombings continued.

The terrorists want to destroy our way of life. If our response to terrorism is to panic and give away the civil liberties we hold dear then the terrorists will have won. ID Cards might actually increase the risk of terrorism by making people complacent. Any ID Card, no matter how technologically advanced, will be forged within a few years. It is the well-funded international terrorist organisations who will be the first to get such fakes.More

The Mexican government calls it the “Matricula Consular” identification card and they distribute it widely. Too widely, warns U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (D-Colorado, 6th), who says the card could be used by terrorists to establish fictitious identities in the United States. Based on recent congressional testimony by the FBI on the validity of the Matricula Consular, Tancredo has written a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge urging him to issue a public statement denouncing the recognition and acceptance of the Mexican government’s identification card by any federal, state or local agency.”The US Government has done an extensive amount of research on the Matricula Consular, to assess its verifiability as a reliable means of identification. The Department of Justice and the FBI have concluded that the Matricula Consular is not a reliable form of identification, due to the nonexistence of any means of verifying the true identity of the card holder.”

McCraw’s testimony continued:

“As a result of these problems, there are two major criminal threats posed by the card, and one potential terrorist threat.”

And on the specific nature of the terrorist threat, the FBI says:

“Federal officials have discovered individuals from many different countries in possession of the Matricula Consular card….The ability of foreign nationals to use the Matricula Consular to create a well-documented, but fictitious, identity in the United States provides an opportunity for terrorists to move freely…without triggering name-based watch lists More

National ID Cards Won\’t Stop Terrorism or Illegal ImmigrationMay 9, 2005