Silenced
Sibel Edmonds was hired by the FBI as a contract linguist immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to translate backlogged material. She is fluent in several Arabic languages and was hired to help translate intelligence from electronic wiretaps.
She discovered the Dept. of Justice established rules which intentionally withholds certain intelligence and undermines the efforts of agents in the field from fighting the war on terror. Intelligence regarding terrorist cells and their activities, as well as, intelligence about certain countries and certain American business interests was not forwarded to agents no matter how vital.
Edmonds alleged that after 9/11 FBI translators were told to sit on much of the growing documentation in order to create a backlog of intelligence, which would create a favorable situation for those responsible for acquiring additional funding.
She raised these concerns with her superiors and was able to provide documentation. Other agents agreed to serve as corroborating witnesses, when she filed a complaint with the inspector generals of both the Department of Justice and the U.S. Air Force. Edmonds testified for over 31⁄2 hours in a closed session with the 9/11 Commission, but her testimony was reduced to a footnote in the official report.
She followed proper channels, but after the Inspector General of the Dept. of Justice found her complaints credible, she was fired by the FBI in March 2002 for alleged security breaches. Edmonds sued the Justice Department, but Attorney General John Ashcroft invoked the state secrets privilege in the case, which has prevented her and Congress from publicly discussing the matter. Lawyers for Sibel Edmonds filed a petition last week asking the Supreme Court to review her case.
We have an administration that has effectively silenced a former FBI agent who has proof that the war on terror is being selectively waged. The Bush administration is willing to betray the identity of a covert C.I.A. intelligence agent and withhold vital information from F.B.I. field agents. Why?
She discovered the Dept. of Justice established rules which intentionally withholds certain intelligence and undermines the efforts of agents in the field from fighting the war on terror. Intelligence regarding terrorist cells and their activities, as well as, intelligence about certain countries and certain American business interests was not forwarded to agents no matter how vital.
Edmonds alleged that after 9/11 FBI translators were told to sit on much of the growing documentation in order to create a backlog of intelligence, which would create a favorable situation for those responsible for acquiring additional funding.
She raised these concerns with her superiors and was able to provide documentation. Other agents agreed to serve as corroborating witnesses, when she filed a complaint with the inspector generals of both the Department of Justice and the U.S. Air Force. Edmonds testified for over 31⁄2 hours in a closed session with the 9/11 Commission, but her testimony was reduced to a footnote in the official report.
She followed proper channels, but after the Inspector General of the Dept. of Justice found her complaints credible, she was fired by the FBI in March 2002 for alleged security breaches. Edmonds sued the Justice Department, but Attorney General John Ashcroft invoked the state secrets privilege in the case, which has prevented her and Congress from publicly discussing the matter. Lawyers for Sibel Edmonds filed a petition last week asking the Supreme Court to review her case.
We have an administration that has effectively silenced a former FBI agent who has proof that the war on terror is being selectively waged. The Bush administration is willing to betray the identity of a covert C.I.A. intelligence agent and withhold vital information from F.B.I. field agents. Why?
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