Interpol expanding foreign fighter database

PARIS (AP) — An international database of foreign fighters that started 18 months ago with little fanfare — and just three countries participating — has expanded to include 33 countries and 1,300 names, the head of Interpol said Friday, detailing new efforts to stem the flow of would-be jihadis joining extremists in Iraq and Syria.

The international police organization is also considering expanding access to its separate system of flagging lost and stolen passports — now available only to governments, border control officers and law enforcement — to banks, hotels, airlines and cruise lines, said Ronald Noble, Interpol’s secretary general.