It Costs A Lot To Monitor A Suspected Terrorist Or Militant

French authorities had removed Said Kouachi and his brother Cherif, the gunmen who attacked the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris (seen at rear), from the intelligence watch list. Still from video in Paris, January 7, 2015. REUTERS/Reuters TV

David Wise, Reuters: How much does it cost to watch a suspected militant? Lots.

In 2011, U.S. intelligence informed French authorities that a French citizen had slipped into Yemen, probably for terrorist training. In November, the French security services placed the man, Said Kouachi, under surveillance. They wiretapped his mobile phone, as well as that of his younger brother, Cherif. By the end of 2013, French intelligence had dropped its surveillance of Cherif, and Said’s was terminated in mid-2014. After three years, the brothers, born to Algerian immigrants, were judged to be no longer dangerous.

WNU Editor: With open borders and a system that is being overwhelmed .... I would say that it has now become impossible to even screen and monitor a fraction of the suspected violent militants that may be in our cities.