The United States' "No-Fly" list has more than doubled in the last year, according to new figures released to the Associated Press. The jump comes after the Obama administration announced last October that it is closer than ever to defeating Al Qaeda.

A year ago roughly 10,000 known or suspected terrorists were placed on the list, according to the AP. This year that figure rose to 21,000, with roughly 500 American names on the list. Most individuals identified on the list are from other countries.

Here’s more from the AP report:

"The flood of new names began after the failed Christmas 2009 bombing of a Detroit-bound jetliner. The government lowered the standard for putting people on the list, and then scoured its files for anyone who qualified. The government will not disclose who is on its list or why someone might have been placed on it.

The surge in the size of the no-fly list comes even as the U.S. has killed many senior members of al-Qaida. That's because the government believes the current terror threat extends well beyond the group responsible for the September 2001 attacks."

Read the full report here.

 

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