Fighting Terror: A New Consensus

It’s time to bury the myth of American divergence from the rest of the world in the fight against terrorism. Contrary to popular opinion, we are constantly working with our international partners to create a better, safer world.

Late last week I spoke in Dublin, Ireland at the Institute of European Affairs and then met in Germany with my security counterparts from six European nations, with the goal of strengthening transatlantic cooperation.

As I stressed in Ireland and in Germany, I remain struck by how remarkably our paths converge.

For starters, most nations, including those of Europe, clearly grasp the danger that terrorism poses to them and to our entire global system of security, safety, and prosperity. They know that Osama Bin Laden, his cohorts, and their ideology have become a major threat to the freedom- loving world. They recall the bombings in Madrid and in the United Kingdom (UK), and the thwarted plot against transatlantic airliners in London last year.

Our paths also converge on three key principles on how best to respond. First, nations are realizing that security begins beyond our own borders and ports of entry. So, we’re stressing the importance of partnerships with other nations. And our allies join us in pursuing a strategy that seeks to manage risk, not to eliminate it, since complete eradication is impossible.

And finally, there’s a growing consensus that information is a critical tool for applying these principles in an effective, risk-based way. By collecting only a few pieces of key commercial information, we can zero in on the handful of potentially dangerous individuals, without violating privacy rights or harming commerce by inconveniencing the vast throngs of legitimate travelers.

Through using personal name record (PNR) data, we can identify previously unknown individuals who are dangerous. In cases where we have no travel data, we will be using our new 10-point fingerprint program to match visitors’ prints against latent prints we’re collecting from battle fields, safe houses, and terrorist training camps abroad. And to guard against dangerous operatives masquerading as innocent visitors, we are creating secure identification through our Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

Other countries now have adopted strikingly similar approaches. Earlier this month, the European Union released a proposed requirement for its member states that mirrors our own rules for PNR data usage in border management processes. The UK has embarked on a seven-year eBorders program. Ireland will roll out a similar program to secure its common travel area with the UK. The Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, the UK, and Malaysia have expedited entry and/or registered travel programs enabling pre-approved travelers to move quickly through passport control. Australia has long had an Electronic Travel Authorization program to facilitate travel while mitigating risks associated with visa-free travel. Japan has begun recording the fingerprints and photos of all foreign visitors.

When it comes to security, no two nations can ever be exactly alike, but clearly convergence is accelerating. Together with our international partners, we are working hard to enhance security, here and across the globe.

Michael Chertoff