Fighting Against Terrorism Using DNA Testing
Earlier this month when London experienced the first series of bombings on their subway and bus systems, I wrote a post about terrorists and the kinds of genes they might have that makes them different from the rest of us (see Terrorism Genes). It was all conjecture, of course, wondering if people who are able to go so far as to become suicide bombers need an extra push from risk-taking or anti-social behavior genes in addition to indoctrination. Studying the DNA of terrorists hasn’t been far from the minds of government officials, although for different purposes.
In the fight against terrorism, Italy is proposing to collect DNA from potential terrorists as well as from immigrants.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said his government approved a package of measures to fight terrorism including DNA testing for suspects or immigrants who can’t be otherwise identified.
~Bloomberg, July 22, 2005
The difficulty in identifying immigrants puzzles me. I assume that everyone entering Italy whether Italian or not requires a passport. So how is it possible that certain immigrants can’t be identified? Are they entering the country in a bodybag or sneaking in under the barbed wire fence?
In 2003, the United States proposed a Terrorist Identification Database under PATRIOT Act II which would seek to collect the DNA of anyone deemed to be associated with a “terrorist organization.” Anyone who refuses to have their DNA collected could be punished by a one-year prison sentence and a $100,000 fine.
Human Rights First is particularly concerned about the misuse of DNA information.
Providing genetic information is far more invasive than a fingerprint, and provides personal information that is particularly subject to abuse by either government agencies or the private sector. DNA may, for example, disclose a predisposition to certain physical or mental illnesses. Requiring genetic information is troubling because it invades the privacy of not just individuals but entire families and their descendants. The DNA database provision of PATRIOT II would put information that comprises the very essence of personal identity into unregulated government control.
I would be wary of indiscriminately collecting people’s DNA just as I would be of phone tapping and other methods of surveillance. However, given that the national U.S. DNA database of criminal offenders is already available and not being fully utilized by law enforcement (see Forensic DNA Underutilized), I am not confident that a DNA database of suspected terrorists would be of any more use.
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POSTED IN: Genetics: Legislation, Policies, Ethics, Law
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