Intelligence: May 5, 2003

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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. 

 

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