Since September 11, 2001, FBI counterterrorism expert Bassem Youssef  has fought within the FBI to end discrimination against Arab Americans and to protect the American people from another terrorist attack.  The DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility concluded that the FBI illegally retaliated against Mr. Youssef for making whistleblower disclosures.
Available to speak

Mr. Youssef is currently a Unit Chief in the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. He coordinated major investigations into Middle Eastern terrorist groups commencing in the late 1980s. He speaks fluent Arabic (the highest ranking FBI official with this skill. In 1994, he earned the Intelligence Community’s prestigious and coveted award, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, awarded by the Director of Central Intelligence. The award was for outstanding accomplishments in a terrorism case involving an al-Qaeda-related investigation. 

Mr. Youssef has on many occasions called attention to the deficiencies in the FBI's counterterrorism division, e.g., on September 11, 2001, the FBI's top counterterrorism official did not know the difference between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.

After obtaining the DCI award, he was selected by the former FBI Director Louis Freeh to head the FBI’s overseas office with responsibility for Saudi Arabia and the contiguous Gulf States, including UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Bahrain and Qatar. The FBI’s internal inspection of that office, conducted in 2000, highly praised Mr. Youssef’s performance.  Inspection reports are kept confidential within the FBI, and are tasked with identifying problems in various programs. 

Mr. Youssef is responsible for administering two highly controversial warrantless search programs created under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT ACT, including the "National Security Letters" program which was reported widely in 2007. 

In July 2006, the Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility concluded that the FBI illegally retaliated against Mr. Youssef because Mr. Youssef had made whistleblower disclosures to the Director of the FBI and a Member of Congress.

Read Bassem Youssef’s Sworn Testimony.

Bassem Youssef is available to speak about discrimination at the FBI and intelligence deficiencies in the "War on Terror".  Because Mr. Youssef still works for the FBI, the government must pre-approve all of his public speaking activities.

Inside the FBI's Counterterrorism Division