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Ear to the Ground

FBI Unable to Attract Arabic Speakers

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Posted on Oct 11, 2006

According to new FBI statistics, of the bureau’s 12,000 agents, only 33 speak even minimally functional Arabic.  It gets worse: Of the 33, none work on international terrorism.

(h/t: Think Progress)


Washington Post:

Five years after Arab terrorists attacked the United States, only 33 FBI agents have even a limited proficiency in Arabic, and none of them work in the sections of the bureau that coordinate investigations of international terrorism, according to new FBI statistics.

Counting agents who know only a handful of Arabic words—including those who scored zero on a standard proficiency test—just 1 percent of the FBI’s 12,000 agents have any familiarity with the language, the statistics show.

The numbers reflect the FBI’s continued struggle to attract employees who speak Arabic, Urdu, Farsi and other languages of the Middle East and South Asia, even as the bureau leads a fight against terrorist groups primarily centered in those parts of the world. The same challenge is facing the CIA and other agencies as the government competes with the private sector for a limited number of applicants with foreign-language proficiency, according to U.S. officials and experts.

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By Reality Check America, February 17 at 6:28 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Why do you suppose that the FBI CIA and other agencies don’t trust Muslim natives?  They have an islamic loyalty to Allah that super-cedes any “western” government.  Do you remember when an Arabic Army soldier threw grenades into a tent killing an officer?  He was trusted.  He was a soldier in green and he thought his actions would get him into heaven with 72 virgins.  The fact is that you cannot trust an individual with vital intelligence whose loyalty is openly against “western infidels.”  In 1942 would you tell an Aryan German where the rest of your Jewish buddies were hiding even if he said he was on your side?  I wouldn’t, just to be on the safe side.  Better to be called a racist from a Muslim than to be dead for giving invaluable intelligence to the POTENTIAL ENEMY.  If these Arabic people hate America so much and think it is unfair, try to voice your opinion to So-damn Insane.  He would kill you for thinking negatively about him.  He killed many of his own people.  (Kurds)  Remember those guys? 

If you are an Arabic woman in America and you think it is unfair, shut your face.  You would be slaving every day tending to the sheep and cows and babies and harvesting straw 16 hours a day while your husband sits outside drinking his chi (tea) with other men.  I’ve seen how women are beat and abused to the brink of death because they are worthless beings compared to men.  So if you are an Arabic woman complaining about America, I’ll give you a one-way ticket to the toilet you came from and no POLICE, LAWYER or BILL OF RIGHTS will hear your screams.  Any takers?

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By Fadel Abdallah, October 12, 2006 at 12:04 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

“Five years after Arab terrorists attacked the United States, only 33 FBI agents have even a limited proficiency in Arabic ....”

I strongly take exception to the way the statement is made by a goverment cheering organ like the Washington Post. If they had journalistic integrity they should, at worse, have said, “Five years after the alleged Arab terrorists…”

May I remind this ugly atupid cheering organ, calling itself a free newspater, that no one has yet provided credible evidence that Arab or Muslim terrorists are responsible for 9 /11. In fact, there is a growing evidence that 9/11 was an inside staged event.

As to the Arab linguists issue, I know few Arab-Americans who applied for the open jobs, but none of them was offered a job. Simply, the FBI and CIA do not trust them, and those among them who have dignity would not apply to work for the most two hated American institutions. I am one who believes that these two institutions were involed in planing and staging the 9/11 events.

As an Arab linguist with native proficiency, I trained many American students at several universities around the country. I had students who reached a high level of proficiency in two years. When the CIA came to the University of Minessota campus to recruit applicants, one of my best students went for an interview. That was in 1983, long time before 9/11. Do you know what was one the questions they asked him? They asked him whether he had any person from Arab background whom he would consider a friend. When he answered in the affirmative, the interviewr told him that because of that he might have a problem getting clearance. My dignified student told the interviewer that he was not interested in going through with his application. My student came and told me the story of that interview. Since then I realized that CIA is an ugly institution built on wrong attitudes and intentions. What applies to the CIA does apply to the FBI. They do not seek normal human beings; they seek thugs who are ready to be brainwashed to do dirty work in the name of serving their country! After they use people, they are willing to dumb them as a piece of garbage at the first minor mistake they might do. We know from history as well as from spy novels that many of them even end getting liquidated. These are no places where a decent person can hope to have a secure and fulfilling career.

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By Kaliforniya, October 11, 2006 at 4:18 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

As a fluent speaker of Arabic, citizen and DoD employee with clearances, I contacted the FBI after 9/11 and offered my services. A year later they returned my call and offered me piece work in Turkish!! Three years ago I received an e-mail from DoD saying they had combed their personnel files and discovered that I was an Arabic speaker and would I be interested in working “on the reconstruction of Iraq.” I said “yes” in principle. I have never received a response.

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By DivaJean, October 11, 2006 at 3:13 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I also seem to recall that several Arabic linguists were thrown out of military intelligence these past few years under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” (another big gov’t lie).
That’s what ya get.

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By Jon B, October 11, 2006 at 1:07 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I read the Capt. Yee’s incident. It is most unfortunate that a good man was wrongfully accused by the government because of his religion.

If I were a muslim or arab, I too would avoid all the potential allegations which could be deadly if I have no financial resources to fight the government. Note that one needs immense amount of money to litigate the government. If one has no money, then he/she is in the slaughterhouse.

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By C Quil, October 11, 2006 at 12:32 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I agree with #28241 by Raza.

No Arabic speaker would want to be on the FBI’s radar screen right now. Once in the great intelligence-gathering system, always in the system, and you’d never know when the sights would be turned on you.

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By Raza, October 11, 2006 at 10:46 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Three words: Captain James Yee

No American Muslim would want to go through what Capt. Yee went through as a Muslim chaplain in the army. Until the FBI/Homeland Security is under the neocon control where a Muslim can get locked up with no evidence and no legal rights, the FBI will have to make do with an Arabic dictionary.

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