The introduction of a rapid, cheap DNA biometric technique presents additional issues over traditional biometric techniques. Two of the most worryingaspects of DNA are that it's not just some external 'measure of the man' that's involved, but rather something that's intrinsic to, and very detailed about, the person; and that DNA 'identification' is probabilistic in a particularly awkward way. YetBritish police will almost certainly be given access in the near future to US intelligence databases containing DNA samples, fingerprints and digital images of thousands of foreign nationals seized around the world by the US as terror suspects. As the war on terror increasingly comes to rely on biometric technology - the use of physical characteristics unique to individuals such as iris pattern, DNA and fingerprints to verify identify - western police and intelligence agencies are drawing up plans for sophisticated biometric databases which would allow them to share sensitive information. "The only way to trace a terrorist is through biometrics," said Mike Kirkpatrick, assistant director of the FBI's criminal justice services division. The FBI, which has more than 75m fingerprints on its criminal and civil computer records, is adding biometric details from suspects detained in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere."We are obtaining DNA from terrorists around the world as we encounter them," Mr Kirkpatrick said.