WASHINGTON, June 20, 2002 -- Stopping terrorists before they can strike depends on government officials being able to search for clues in "a mass of data." Defense researchers are working on a project that will enable just such a capability. The Total Information Awareness System is an experimental prototype-in-the-works that will "determine the feasibility of searching vast quantities of data to determine links and patterns indicative of terrorist activities." Pete Aldridge, undersecretary of defense for acquisition technology and logistics, took reporters' questions on the project this afternoon in a Pentagon briefing. He explained the project has three parts: researching technologies...