Center will consolidate terrorist watch lists.

• Author: Fein, Geoff S.
• Position: Security Beat

The U.S. government is setting up a Terrorist Screening Center to consolidate terrorist watch lists and provide information to federal, state and local investigators and agents.

The center, which begins operations on December 1, will be administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, with support from the Departments of Homeland Security and State, as well as the Central Intelligence Agency, officials said.

"The Terrorist Screening Center will provide 'one-stop shopping' so that every federal anti-terrorist screener is working off the same page--whether it's airport screener, an embassy official issuing visas overseas or an FBI agent on the street," said Attorney General John Ashcroft, in a written statement.

"The creation of the new center means that all government agents will be able to run name checks against the same comprehensive list with the most accurate, up-to-date information about potential terrorists."

The TSC will receive the vast majority of its information from the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, a joint CIA, FBI and...