26 March 2009

http://www.nctc.gov/docs/Tide_Fact_Sheet.pdf

National Counterterrorism Center

Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE)

March 9, 2009

What is TIDE?

The Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) is the US Government’s (USG) central repository of information on international terrorist identities as established by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. TIDE supports the USG’s various terrorist screening systems or “watchlists” and the US Intelligence Community’s overall counterterrorism mission. The Terrorist Identities Group (TIG), located in NCTC’s Information Sharing & Knowledge Development Directorate (ISKD), is responsible for building and maintaining TIDE.

The TIDE database includes, to the extent permitted by law, all information the U.S. government possesses related to the identities of individuals known or appropriately suspected to be or have been involved in activities constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or related to terrorism, with the exception of Purely Domestic Terrorism information.

What types of conduct warrant inclusion in TIDE?

A non-exclusive list of types of conduct that will warrant both entry into TIDE and terrorist screening nomination includes persons who:

· Commit international terrorist activity;

· Prepare or plan international terrorist activity;

· Gather information on potential targets for international terrorist activity;

· Solicit funds or other things of value for international terrorist activity or a terrorist organization;

· Solicit membership in an international terrorist organization;

· Provide material support, i.e. safe house, transportation, communications, funds, transfer of funds or other material financial benefit, false documentation or identification, weapons, explosives, or training;

· Are members of or represent a foreign terrorist organization.

Federal agencies nominate individuals for inclusion in TIDE based on evaluations of intelligence and law enforcement terrorism information.

How is information from TIDE used for watchlists?

Each day analysts create and enhance TIDE records based on their review of nominations received. Every evening, TIDE analysts export a sensitive but unclassified subset of the data containing the terrorist identifiers to the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) for use in the USG’s consolidated watchlist. This consolidated watchlist, which is a critical tool for homeland security, supports screening processes to detect and interdict known and suspected terrorists at home and abroad – for example, the Transportation Security Administration’s “No Fly” list and the Department of State’s visa database, among others. For more information see www.fbi.gov/terrorinfo/counterterrorism/tsc.htm.

How many names are in TIDE?

As of January 2009, TIDE contained more than 564,000 names, but only about 500,000 separate "identities" because of the use of aliases and name variants. U.S. Persons (including both citizens and legal permanent residents) make up less than five percent of the listings. [>28,000.]

Why are people without terrorist ties sometimes delayed when traveling?

Both TIDE and many of the end user screening systems are names based, which means that people with names similar to those in the database may be stopped for additional screening by TSA or at a port of entry. The Department of Homeland Security (DHA) Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS Trip) was launched in February 2007. Travelers can use this program to request resolution of possible watchlist misindentification issues with any of the component agencies at: http://www.dhs.gov/trip.

Are names ever removed from TIDE?

Yes. In 2008 more than 27,000 names were removed from TIDE when it was determined that they no longer met the criteria for inclusion.