How suspected terrorists gamed the U.S. witness protection program

The U.S. Marshals Service lost two suspected or known terrorists who snitched on their pals, got new identities — then left the U.S.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz's office released the report explaining just how two suspected terrorists slipped through the cracks.
(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

"Should you ever be accused of terrorism, here's what you should do," says Spencer Ackerman at Wired: "Snitch on your friends, demand to be placed under witness protection, then fly out of the country." That's one takeaway from a surprising, and somewhat alarming, report released by the Justice Department's inspector general's office on Thursday. (Read the unclassified version of the report below.)

According to the document, the U.S. Marshals Service lost track of two "known or suspected terrorists" who flipped sides, testified against their former conspirators, then entered the Witness Security Program (WitSec). When it became aware of the missing terrorists in July 2012, the Marshals Service investigated and concluded that "one individual was [living outside the U.S.,] and the other individual was believed to be residing outside of the United States," the report says.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.