The Taliban Have Seized U.S.
Military Biometrics Devices
Biometric collection and identification
devices were seized last week during the
Taliban’s offensive.
August 17 2021, 3:11 p.m.

The Taliban have seized U.S. military biometrics devices
that could aid in the identification of Afghans who assisted
coalition forces, current and former military officials have
told The Intercept.

The devices, known as HIIDE, for Handheld Interagency
Identity Detection Equipment, were seized last week during
the Taliban’s offensive, according to a Joint Special
Operations Command official and three former U.S. military
personnel, all of whom worried that sensitive data they
contain could be used by the Taliban. HIIDE devices contain
identifying biometric data such as iris scans and
fingerprints, as well as biographical information, and are
used to access large centralized databases. It’s unclear how
much of the U.S. military’s biometric database on the
Afghan population has been c*********d.

While billed by the U.S. military as a means of tracking

terrorists and other insurgents, biometric data on Afghans
who assisted the U.S. was also widely collected and used in
identification cards, sources said.

“We processed thousands of locals a day, had to ID, sweep
for suicide vests, weapons, intel gathering, etc.” a U.S.
military contractor explained. “[HIIDE] was used as a
biometric ID tool to help ID locals working for the coalition.”

A spokesperson for the Defense Intelligence Agency
referred questions to the Office of the Secretary of Defense,
which did not respond to a request for comment.

An Army Special Operations veteran said it’s possible that
the Taliban may need additional tools to process the HIIDE
data but expressed concerns that Pakistan would assist
with this. “The Taliban doesn’t have the gear to use the data
but the ISI do,” the former Special Operations official said,
referring to Pakistan’s spy agency, Inter-Services
Intelligence. The ISI has been known to work closely with
the Taliban.

The Taliban Have Seized U.S.
Military Biometrics Devices
Biometric collection and identification
devices were seized last week during the
Taliban’s offensive.
August 17 2021, 3:11 p.m.

The Taliban have seized U.S. military biometrics devices
that could aid in the identification of Afghans who assisted
coalition forces, current and former military officials have
told The Intercept.

The devices, known as HIIDE, for Handheld Interagency
Identity Detection Equipment, were seized last week during
the Taliban’s offensive, according to a Joint Special
Operations Command official and three former U.S. military
personnel, all of whom worried that sensitive data they
contain could be used by the Taliban. HIIDE devices contain
identifying biometric data such as iris scans and
fingerprints, as well as biographical information, and are
used to access large centralized databases. It’s unclear how
much of the U.S. military’s biometric database on the
Afghan population has been c*********d.

While billed by the U.S. military as a means of tracking

terrorists and other insurgents, biometric data on Afghans
who assisted the U.S. was also widely collected and used in
identification cards, sources said.

“We processed thousands of locals a day, had to ID, sweep
for suicide vests, weapons, intel gathering, etc.” a U.S.
military contractor explained. “[HIIDE] was used as a
biometric ID tool to help ID locals working for the coalition.”

A spokesperson for the Defense Intelligence Agency
referred questions to the Office of the Secretary of Defense,
which did not respond to a request for comment.

An Army Special Operations veteran said it’s possible that
the Taliban may need additional tools to process the HIIDE
data but expressed concerns that Pakistan would assist
with this. “The Taliban doesn’t have the gear to use the data
but the ISI do,” the former Special Operations official said,
referring to Pakistan’s spy agency, Inter-Services
Intelligence. The ISI has been known to work closely with
the Taliban.