WASHINGTON, June 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. terror suspect watch list has come under criticism by a federal auditor for including low-threat level individuals.
Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine said nearly 32,000 suspects considered "armed and dangerous" were logged onto the watch list, but were designated the lowest level of security handling. That, the report said "places front-line law enforcement officers in a vulnerable position" because of uncertainty over the level of danger posed by a suspect.
The total number of names on the list remains classified, but it is thought to number in the hundreds of thousands, the New York Times said Tuesday.
The report also found some significant weaknesses in the project, including inadequate training and rapid turnover among employees staffing the screening center's 24-hour call center, computer problems, inaccurate or incomplete data, coordination errors and a lack of long-range planning.
