Terrorism no-fly list doubles

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration has more than doubled, to about 21,000 names, its secret list of suspected terrorists banned from flying to or within the United States, including about 500 Americans, The Associated Press has learned. The government lowered the bar for the list, even as it says it is closer than ever to defeating al-Qaida.

The size of the list has jumped from about 10,000 in the past year, according to government figures provided to the AP. The surge comes as the government says it is close to defeating al-Qaida, after killing many of its senior members. But senior officials said the threat does not stop there.

"As long as we sustain the pressure on it, we judge that core al-Qaida will be of largely symbolic importance to the global jihadist movement," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Congress yesterday. "But regional affiliates and, to a lesser extent, small cells and individuals will drive the global jihad agenda."

"Both U.S. intelligence and law enforcement communities and foreign services continue to identify people who want to cause us harm, particularly in the U.S. and particularly as it relates to aviation," Transportation Security Administrator John Pistole said.

The flood of new names began after the failed Dec. 25, 2009, attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound jetliner. The government does not disclose who is on the list or why anyone is on it. -- AP