If the US is to clamp down on foreign visitors, at least it should do so with a modicum of efficiency. I flew back to New York, yesterday, from London. Fingerprint and face scans? Fine. The camera looks as unthreatening as a webcam. But, putting aside any question of civil liberties, the logic of the new system is hard to discern. Short-stay visitors from Europe aren't subject to the scans; but those with a permanent visa, who have submitted far more documentation, are checked again. And, last night at Newark airport at least, there were two spot checks on leaving the plane, before the usual passport and customs control. In each case, the questions are rote; and the answers easily rehearsed. Wouldn't it make more sense to have one serious interview, with unpredictable questions, rather than four cursory checks? More than two years on, homeland security is still a shambles.
BBC NEWS | Americas | US introduces new security checks [BBC]