My neighborhood post office is just one of thousands that process Passport applications. Bless their hearts, the postal workers seem to treat this serious responsibility with the same high level of concern as the rest of their duties.
Many's the times I've watched while standing in the interminable line as applicants were short of the necessary background proof of citizenship - but the application was processed with a casual "Well, you'll need to bring that in soon, but we'll go ahead and start the process." Sure, what are the odds of that follow up?
Then I read this AP report this weekend:
Investigator uses phony documents to get passports
By EILEEN SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writer
Sat Mar 14, 2009
WASHINGTON – Using phony documents and the identities of a dead man and a 5-year-old boy, a government investigator obtained U.S. passports in a test of post-9/11 security. Despite efforts to boost passport security since the 2001 terror attacks, the investigator fooled passport and postal service employees four out of four times, according to a new report made public Friday.
The report by the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, details the ruses:
_One investigator used the Social Security number of a man who died in 1965, a fake New York birth certificate and a fake Florida driver's license. He received a passport four days later.
_A second attempt had the investigator using a 5-year-old boy's information but identifying himself as 53 years old on the passport application. He received that passport seven days later.
_In another test, an investigator used fake documents to get a genuine Washington, D.C., identification card, which he then used to apply for a passport. He received it the same day.
_A fourth investigator used a fake New York birth certificate and a fake West Virginia driver's license and got the passport eight days later.
Criminals and terrorists place a high value on illegally obtained travel documents, U.S. intelligence officials have said. Currently, poorly faked passports are sold on the black market for $300, while top-notch fakes go for around $5,000, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigations.
The State Department has known about this vulnerability for years. On February 26, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary of passport services issued a memo to Passport Services directors across the country stating that the agency is reviewing its processes for issuing passports because of "recent events regarding several passport applications that were approved and issued in error."
Like I said up on top -- can't imagine why I am not surprised at this level of incompetency! The most valuable identification document in the world -- a U.S. Passport -- and as easier to get than a forged drivers license!! Shame on us all!!!!
Like many of our ole' Dads used to say -- "Fool me once - shame on you -- Fool me twice - Shame on me!" Here we are with 15 - 20 thousand (who knows) illegal aliens already in the country and we can't even process passports with any degree of honest efficiency!
Many's the times I've watched while standing in the interminable line as applicants were short of the necessary background proof of citizenship - but the application was processed with a casual "Well, you'll need to bring that in soon, but we'll go ahead and start the process." Sure, what are the odds of that follow up?
Then I read this AP report this weekend:
Investigator uses phony documents to get passports
By EILEEN SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writer
Sat Mar 14, 2009
WASHINGTON – Using phony documents and the identities of a dead man and a 5-year-old boy, a government investigator obtained U.S. passports in a test of post-9/11 security. Despite efforts to boost passport security since the 2001 terror attacks, the investigator fooled passport and postal service employees four out of four times, according to a new report made public Friday.
The report by the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, details the ruses:
_One investigator used the Social Security number of a man who died in 1965, a fake New York birth certificate and a fake Florida driver's license. He received a passport four days later.
_A second attempt had the investigator using a 5-year-old boy's information but identifying himself as 53 years old on the passport application. He received that passport seven days later.
_In another test, an investigator used fake documents to get a genuine Washington, D.C., identification card, which he then used to apply for a passport. He received it the same day.
_A fourth investigator used a fake New York birth certificate and a fake West Virginia driver's license and got the passport eight days later.
Criminals and terrorists place a high value on illegally obtained travel documents, U.S. intelligence officials have said. Currently, poorly faked passports are sold on the black market for $300, while top-notch fakes go for around $5,000, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigations.
The State Department has known about this vulnerability for years. On February 26, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary of passport services issued a memo to Passport Services directors across the country stating that the agency is reviewing its processes for issuing passports because of "recent events regarding several passport applications that were approved and issued in error."
Like I said up on top -- can't imagine why I am not surprised at this level of incompetency! The most valuable identification document in the world -- a U.S. Passport -- and as easier to get than a forged drivers license!! Shame on us all!!!!
Like many of our ole' Dads used to say -- "Fool me once - shame on you -- Fool me twice - Shame on me!" Here we are with 15 - 20 thousand (who knows) illegal aliens already in the country and we can't even process passports with any degree of honest efficiency!
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