New York Times, October 17, 2006

Washington Post, October 16, 2006

Arabic at the FBI

Language Log, October 14, 2006

Washington, D.C. October 11, 2006.  Today the National Whistleblowers Center released a copy of a sworn affidavit of Michael J. Heimbach, the Section Chief for the FBI’s top operational counterterrorism program – the International Terrorism Operations Section (“ITOS”).  In this affidavit, Mr. Heimbach admitted that the FBI has no agents employed within ITOS who are fluent in Arabic.  He also conceded that there are “no agent positions” in ITOS that “utilize the Arabic language as part of their ITOS duties or responsibilities.”

FBI Agents Still Lacking Arabic Skills

Washington Post, October 11, 2006

Washington, D.C. July 18, 2006. The Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility (“OPR”) found that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) violated the Whistleblower Protection Act and engaged in a “prohibited reprisal” against FBI Supervisory Special Agent/Unit Chief Bassem Youssef in retaliation for his “protected” whistleblower “disclosure.”

Dan Eggen,
Washington Post, Tuesday, July 18, 2006; A03

By Mike German, Th., Jul. 28, 2005

By William E. Odom, Washington Post
Wednesday, June 29, 2005; Page A21

BBC News, Tuesday, 21 June, 2005