'Friendly' visitors now subject to security checks

"Terrorists don't necessarily have a particular nationality, or a particular name, age," she said. "It's a moving target and we need to be able to adapt."

The security requirements were already in place for nearly all other nations. Yesterday, they were expanded to 27 countries whose citizens do not need visas for 90-day visits.

The program went into effect yesterday at the country's 115 international airports and 14 seaports, and will be expanded to border crossings later.

At the Los Angeles airport, passengers arriving on a Japan Air Lines flight moved quickly through customs.

After showing his passport, Toshikazu Kuki, 74, of Wakayama, Japan, placed his left index finger and then his right index finger on a glass plate that electronically captured his fingerprint. He also had a digital photograph snapped.

A customs agent then ran the information through a computer to determine if the visitor was listed in databases as a potential criminal or terrorist.

"It cannot be helped," Kuki said. He said that as a former bank loan officer, he was used to being photographed for security reasons. However, he said, "There will be many people who feel most strange about being fingerprinted."

International travelers arriving at several airports across the country expressed understanding, though some were surprised.

Pauline Shepherd of Portsmouth, England, said she was "a bit taken aback" by the security check at Boston's Logan International Airport.

"It seems a bit over the top to me, having your photograph and fingerprint taken. I said 'We're only over here for a fortnight,' " said Shepherd, visiting Boston with a group. "It wasn't a hassle; it was just unexpected."

Jonas Beckeman, a 30-year-old computer technician from Stockholm visiting New York on business, was checked at the Newark, N.J., airport.

"I understand the concerns," he said. "Also, I'm from Sweden, so I'm pretty used to being regulated by the government."

At the Los Angeles airport, travelers passed one-by-one by dozens of stands. They placed their hands on a red-lighted pad and then had photos digitally snapped by a ball-shaped camera on a flexible stand.

In a few seconds, a computer screen flashed a green bar with the message "No hit found." Had there been any reason to deny entry, the bar would have flashed red.

The 27 countries affected by the change are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Great Britain.