2/15/06 Letter from Senators Specter, Grassley, and Leahy to Inspector General Fine on Bassem Youssef

6/20/05 Follow-up Letter from NWC to Senators Specter, Grassley, and Leahy on Bassem Youssef

FBI Whistleblower Urges Strong Corrective Action

Washington, D.C.  January 20, 2010. Today the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General released a report that confirms the allegations regarding an illegal FBI domestic surveillance program, which were reported on the front page of the Washington Post yesterday, January 19, 2010.

Attorneys for Bassem Youssef , the highly decorated Chief of the FBI's Communications Analysis Unit in the Counterterrorism Division, are requesting that Attorney General Eric Holder take strong corrective action to ensure that civil liberties are protected and that the FBI properly conduct counterterrorism investigations.  According to a letter sent today by Mr. Stephen Kohn, the Executive Director of the National Whistleblower Center and one of Mr. Youssef's attorneys:

Washington, DC. January 19, 2010. In response to the front-page article appearing today in the Washington Post, the following statements were released by Stephen M. Kohn, attorney for Mr. Bassem Youssef (Chief of the FBI’s Communications Analysis Unit/Counterterrorism Division) and National Whistleblowers Center Executive Director:

“Since 2005, when he first learned of the abuses reported in today’s Washington Post, Mr. Youssef has attempted to ensure that the FBI complied with the law.  Between 2006-08 he provided extensive testimony before the DOJ Office of Inspector General.  In 2008 and 2009, his counsel provided three detailed letters to the Attorney General of the United States setting forth details on the misconduct committed within the FBI and urging that effective corrective actions be taken."

TAKE ACTION! Demand Congress protect all national security whistleblowers! 

Unit Chief discloses shortfalls in war on terror

Washington, D.C. May 22, 2008. FBI Counterterrorism Whistleblower Bassem Youssef testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on Wednesday, May 21, 2008.

Washington, D.C. March 10, 2008. Today the Department of Justice Inspector General’s office has released yet another report confirming that the highest ranking FBI counterterrorism officials violated the Patriot Act when authorizing warrantless searches of over 3000 phone numbers through the use of National Security Letters (“NSL”). These Letters, authorized under the Patriot Act, permit FBI managers to sign search warrants without judicial notification or approval.

Washington, D.C. December 13, 2006.  The National Whistleblowers Center, a nationally recognized FBI Watchdog group, has released to the public extensive sworn and documentary evidence concerning the FBI’s actual response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. The documents include the sworn deposition of every major FBI manager responsible for the creation the FBI’s post September 11 counterterrorism division and the implementation of the FBI’s “War on Terror.”  Sworn depositions of Director Robert Mueller, former Director Louis Freeh and numerous executive assistant directors and assistant directors for the bureau’s counterterrorism program are included.

Washington, D.C. December 4, 2006. Mr. Bassem Youssef, a supervisory unit chief currently employed in the FBI’s Counterterrorism Detection Unit (CTD), will speak out publicly for the first time regarding grave deficiencies in America’s counterterrorism program. Mr. Youssef’s case will be highlighted on NBC Nightly News segment airing tonight.

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.”