Britain

November 24, 2004

ID cards for all to fight terrorism
By Philip Webster and Stewart Tendler

IDENTITY cards will be issued within four years after ministers
yesterday made them the centrepiece of their programme for the 
run-up to the general election.

A fierce battle over the issue became certain when Tony Blair backed
compulsory ID cards as essential to the fight against terrorism,
illegal immigration and organised crime.

From 2008 people applying for passports will have to accept an ID
card. Eventually people will need them to obtain public services, such
as healthcare. Mr Blair admitted that it would be a obig changeoe for
Britain but added they were olong overdueoe. The aim is for everyone to
have cards by 2010-12. 

(snip / snip)

Applicants for the new passports and ID cards will have to go to a
special centre to provide biometric details, such as a fingerprint, 
or to have their face or iris scanned and converted into a machine-
readable chip. The cards will then be linked to a national register.
People will not be required to carry them all the time, but they would
have to possess one.

(snip / snip)

Full article at TIMES Online ....
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1372554,00.html

Cheers, Steve..

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