U.S. lowers threshold for watch lists

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/TRAVEL/01/05/terrorism.watch.list/story.passenger.checking.afp.gi.jpg caption="CNN has learned the U.S. government has loosened the criteria that it takes to be put on a no-fly list." width=300 height=169]

Elise Labott
CNN State Department Producer

The U.S. government has lowered the threshold for information deemed important enough to put suspicious individuals on a watch list or no-fly list, or have their visa revoked, senior State Department officials tell CNN.

The government overhauled criteria it uses for putting possible terrorists on such lists as a result of the failed Christmas Day attack, officials said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the material

Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian who allegedly launched the failed attack, was not put on a no-fly list. That's because the information his father provided a U.S. embassy about his son becoming radicalized and possibly going to Yemen did not meet then-applicable standards to put him on such a list or to cancel his visa.

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