Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Gun lobby hinders FBI terror hunt: "The FBI now has the power to conduct extensive surveillance of suspected terrorists except if the suspect successfully buys a gun, because of a loophole backed by the gun lobby, the Washington Post has reported.
The Post said the FBI is alerted if a terror suspect enters a gun shop and applies to buy a weapon under the National Instant Check System. But federal agents will not be told details of the purchase, or its location. Nor can they stop the sale on the grounds that the buyer is a suspected terrorist.
If the sale is blocked (on other grounds), the FBI will have access to all available information. If it goes ahead agents will remain in the dark, because justice department rules reflect the National Rifle Association's (NRA) demands on privacy for gun-owners. "

Its spokesman, Andrew Arulanandam, said yesterday that a person intent on breaking a series of laws is unlikely to want to go through detailed federal and police background checks.

According to the Post up to 21 people on the US terrorist watch list had tried to buy guns, but it was not clear how many had succeeded.

An al-Qaida manual found in Afghanistan urged its followers to exploit the relaxed US gun laws and purchase guns legally.

I must be a little brain dead here. The only thing we can't check out about terrorists is if they try to get guns?!?! This is more than a little over the edge. Oh well, it'll all come out in the wash