On Tuesday, the U.S. fully implemented its controversial program of requiring visitors from certain countries to register and be fingerprinted.

"The U.S. government will fingerprint, photograph and register tens of thousands of foreign visitors in an anti-terrorism policy that has angered Arab groups and some nations."

"The program was launched in part on Sept. 11, a year after the attacks on New York and Washington and put fully into effect around the world on Tuesday, with immigration officials focusing on citizens of certain countries or those who fit a specific profile. They include nationals of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria, five countries designated by the United States as 'state sponsors of terrorism,' " according to Justice Department spokesman Jorge Martinez.

"The new program, announced by Attorney General John Ashcroft in June, outraged lawmakers and Arab and rights groups in the United States."

A memo from the I.N.S. last month said the program would apply to "all people who have made unexplained trips to the five 'state sponsors of terrorism' or to North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, Somalia, Pakistan, Indonesia or Malaysia."

And this is just the beginning of a larger program which intends to have all foreign visitors registered by 2005.