FBI Audit Leaves Vital Questions Unanswered - by Sibel Edmonds

[dqueue]

Sibel Edmonds sounds off in response to the redacted OIG report... is this the October surprise for the administration to which she alluded this week?

FBI Audit Leaves Vital Questions Unanswered
by Sibel Edmonds

Glenn A. Fine, Inspector General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 4322
Washington, D.C. 20530-0001

Dear Mr. Fine:

I have reviewed the recently released redacted and unclassified version of your department's audit of the FBI's Foreign Language Program. Your report helps to bring badly needed attention to serious problems within the FBI's translation department; problems that must be corrected for the department to be effective in its role on the frontline of the war on terror. As you are aware, over two years ago I reported serious issues and problems within the FBI's translation units, with serious consequences to our national security and the war on terror. I am still awaiting the results of your long due report on the specific cases and issues I reported to your office and to the United States Senate. On one hand, this report draws attention to the problem of the backlog of untranslated intelligence by putting forth shocking numbers. On the other hand, other equally or more serious problems with even more significant consequences were completely ignored. Inaccurate translations due to incompetence and/or intentional acts, intelligence sabotaged by high security risk translators with questionable loyalties, criminal activities ranging from serious security breaches to facilitating the acts of sabotage, corrupt hiring practices, and serious mismanagement are among those issues that greatly impact the reliability and integrity of intelligence gathered and analyzed on the front lines, for as you state in the report

"The FBI's linguists play a critical role in developing effective intelligence and Counterterrorism information. Linguists are the first line of analysis for information collected in a language other than English."
. . .

What is the number of "translated documents/audio" that were inaccurately translated due to incompetence and unqualified translators?
. . .

What was the number of "translated documents/audio" that were inaccurately translated or blocked by being stamped as "reviewed but not pertinent to be translated," due to intentional acts by certain translators who were hired despite their previous and ongoing ties with the targets of investigations and/or ideological sympathy for the targets of investigations?
. . .

[Francesca]

1. Thanks for this post and

excellent questions raised. I believe Kerry touched on this in the debate, I have not heard any one else discussing this however recently. is any of the media asking these questions? If you know of any links could you post them...