Nearly 500 inmates escaped an Afghan prison last April, highlighting some major deficiencies in the country’s security infrastructure. Despite that, U.S. efforts in Afghanistan may be much more high-tech than many realize. Recently, U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan and Iraq have been taking eye scans and fingerprints to compile a large database of biometric information on prisoners and civilians alike. About 35 escapees have been recaptured after their identities were confirmed using this data. Thom Shanker, Pentagon correspondent for our partner, The New York Times, has a story about the new technology in today’s paper.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.