the amorphous blob of nothingness

otherwise known as the Department of Homeland Security... "Red Alert" , from motherjones.com :

Hamstrung by special interests, staffed with B-team political appointees, and crippled by a lack of funding and political support, DHS is a premier example of how the administration's misplaced priorities—and its obsession with Iraq—have come at the direct expense of homeland security. From my vantage point, standing for the first time outside its bleak, back-alley entrance, DHS seemed cruelly cut down to size, more like a minor, ill-favored bureaucratic outpost than the largest government agency in America. That it could be both at once spoke volumes about how cynically the political process in our nation's capital can work.

Amanta Nagayeva and Satsita Dzhebirkhanova

the names of the 2 women currently suspected of planting explosives on the 2 Russian airliners that crashed last week. from The Scotsman

"Amanta Nagayeva and Satsita Dzhebirkhanova aroused accident investigators' suspicion because they purchased tickets at the last minute and were the only victims relatives had not asked about after news of the crashes. Neither of their bodies have yet been identified. Nagayeva's brother disappeared three years ago in Chechnya; the family believes he was abducted by Russian forces. A brother of Dzhebirkhanova, who had been an Islamic court judge under Chechen separatist president Aslan Maskhadov, was killed in 1998."

Republican Terrorists: MMDXXXI

"God's Official Party"?.... sounds an awful lot like...

Monday's "Alan Keyes is a total lunatic" update

from Taegan Goddard's political wire... In Illinois, Keyes Flips Out on News Anchor. Make sure to check out the video.

Broward County Board of Elections for Bush

this from law.com. It never ceases to amaze me the extent to which this crew will corrupt the political system in order to maintain the upper hand. Your right as an American to an honest vote be damned...

Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes is facing sharp criticism for her decision to hire a law firm with close ties to the Republican Party to represent the nonpartisan supervisor's office in the upcoming elections. Snipes, who was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush, hired the four-lawyer firm Blosser & Sayfie in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., several months ago to represent her in any election-related litigation. Name partner Justin Sayfie is a former spokesman for Gov. Bush and currently is co-chair of the Bush/Cheney re-election campaign in Broward County, Fla. The other name partner, James Blosser, was the local finance chair for Jeb Bush's 1998 gubernatorial campaign and is a top fund-raiser for President Bush's re-election campaign. "She should know better in such a politically charged atmosphere," said Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, a partner at Duane Morris in Miami who heads the nonpartisan Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition. "This erodes the confidence of voters." Broward County Commissioner Lori Parrish, a Democrat who is running for county property assessor, also criticized Snipes' decision. "Why would she do that?" Parrish said. "Of all the law firms in Broward County, she had to pick one that was so involved in politics?"

my grandmomma

gave me that bike

John Edwards gets today's Quote of the Day

"I, like most Americans, have no idea what that means"

re: President Bush's claims that his policy in Iraq has been a "catastrophic success"...

Steve Clemons: WHO IS LARRY FRANKLIN?

from The Washington Note, which has quickly become a favorite daily read.

good news for pot heads

Marijuana Extract Fights Brain Cancer in Mice

Quantum Teleportation across the Danube Demonstrated

huh?

Mr. Soros goes at Washington

from the Christian Science Monitor.

Counsel for Swift Boat Liars for Bush

resigned today from the Bush re-election campaign, once he dealt with the reality that he couldn't continue to hide his double-dipping routine. The saddest part of this whole affair is that Bush really really really wants people to believe that the Swiftboat Prevaricators are acting independantly, and that their actions hadn't been coordinated w/ the Bush re-election campaign. Ginsberg's resignation (seems to me) to blow that theory out of the water.

bad news for Caterpillar

World Bank loan targets Brazil's environment.

"except as otherwise permitted by law or as directed by the president"

If Porter Goss has his way, the CIA may soon be able to spook out Americans in domestic law enforcement operations. Also, check out this wrap up of the newly appointed, yet to be confirmed, and self-proclaimed "unqualified" DCI.

“It is true I was a case officer, clandestine services officer, and yes, I do understand the core mission of the business. But I couldn't get a job with the CIA today. I am not qualified." - Porter Goss, March 2004

Questions of nepotism

Contracts awarded to sons of GSA officials... from Federal Times Online

some smart guy

wrote a bunch of white papers on stuff about the internet. So, Marcus P. Zillman, I dedicate this blog entry to you.

Republican Terrorists in Texas

from CNN Texas county sued over 'reign of terror'

HEMPSTEAD, Texas (AP) -- African-American leaders filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against several white officials in Waller County, alleging "an extensive illegal reign of terror against African-American" officials.

DOJ does Bush's bidding

curtail dissent.

UberPooch

Maybe it doesn't take much to impress me, but I found this totally fascinating.

"become dangerous"

Someone please tell Bob Ehrlich that he is overusing this phrase. Earlier this year at a meeting in Baltimore, Ehrlich gave similar specious advice to the business community, asking them to 'be dangerous' in advancing their agendas with Maryland's legislature. Time for some new material.

Good question

Why Can't Ex-Felons Vote

Those Greeks sure love their tragedies

Greek sprinters withdraw from Olympics

regime change for iran

Back in April we heard Bush state "Iran will be dealt with", an eerily similar statement to the ones he made regarding Iraq in 2002. Now as the election draws nearer, and new details emerge regarding Iran possibly harboring (or offering safe passage) to the 9/11 hijackers, and with Iran's defiance of IAEA inspections, etc... the pieces are falling into place nicely for the hawks to bring more war! Yay! After reading this piece from the NY Times (Bush Vows to Pressure Iran on Nuke Goals), I decided to see what they're saying over at the Project for New American Century. Prior to Bush's comments in April, they had circulated this memorandum to 'opinion leaders', showing that they're not gun shy since being burned by Chalabi & Co. Still looking to flex its influence and ideologies, they're helping prepare everyone for the potentiality of war... again... but this time in Iran. So, what ARE they saying over at the PNAC? How's this sit with you? "the time is now ripe for a policy of "engagement" with Iran." Nice eh? The doofballs who spent the past 8 years buying off Chalabi and listening with baited breath to each word he muttered, who then realized they were snookered by a hustler with ulterior motives and an off-the-radar greed factor, are now re-sharpening their swords to help up bring more war. Someone needs to lock these fools up. Start with Kristol.

Weekend un-blogged link dump

Securities Class Action Lawsuit Accuses Halliburton of Fraud Ramsey hopes for better communication in the future Wired News: Probe Set to Test Einstein Theory The New York Times: Rice Says World Is Determined to Prevent a Nuclear-Armed Iran Firefighter Red Adair dies at 89 WashingtonPost.com: As Darfur's People Die Bush Warns Americans They Are 'Still Not Safe'

Fox News Memos: The Whole Batch

Figured since I just watched "Outfoxed" this weekend, I would repost the FoxNews Memo piece from the Poynter Institute again... so I quickly googled 'fox news memo' and voila! I actually ran across the whole batch! So, thanks to Wonkette, here they are.

"some people say"

So, my wife bought "OUTFOXED" this weekend, which I highly-recommend to anyone who is a) human, b) owns a television, and c) still believes that FOX "News" maintains any jounalistic integrity in its "Fair and Balanced" "No Spin Zone". If you don't agree with me, then shut up.

Maryland's oddest carpetbagger

Alan Keyes, will challenge Barak Obama for the US Senate seat from Illinios. This wouldn't be very interesting news if it weren't for Keyes' penchant for sounding like he's completely insane... and for this doozy of hypocrisy, aimed at Hilary Clinton after her decision to run for Senate in New York:

“I deeply resent the destruction of federalism represented by Hillary Clinton's willingness to go into a state she doesn't even live in and pretend to represent people there. So I certainly wouldn't imitate it.” – Alan Keyes, 2000

niagara falls

The Values of the GOP

Openly Racist Candidate Wins GOP Primary In Tenn.

Hart, 60, vows if elected to work toward keeping "less favored races" from reproducing or immigrating to the United States. In campaign literature, Hart contends that "poverty genes" threaten to turn the United States into "one big Detroit."

Nice guy.

monarch butterfly

field hydrant

summer storm

steps up Sugarloaf Mountain, Dickerson, MD

Quote of the day: 08/05/04

"Had I been reading to children and had my top aide whisper in my ear that America is under attack, I would have told those kids very nicely and politely that the president of the United States has something that he needs to attend to" - John Kerry, on George Bush's behavior after learning of the 2nd plane hitting the WTC.

1/2 vigilant police + 1/2 stupid criminal

= 1 (relatively) easy arrest.

the long process of

correcting Bush's mistakes. Nan Aron, President of Alliance for Justice, has this op-ed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution: Restore Bar Association's judicial role

you said a mouthful

Bush Insists His Administration Seeking 'New Ways to Harm Our Country'

The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush offered up a new entry for his catalog of "Bushisms" on Thursday, declaring that his administration will "never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people." Bush misspoke as he delivered a speech at the signing ceremony for a $417 billion defense spending bill. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we," Bush said. "They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." No one in Bush's audience of military brass or Pentagon chiefs reacted. AP-ES-08-05-04 1228EDT

Helicopter Crash Thursday

Bad day for helicopter pilots:

Russia helicopter crash kills 15 Pakistan helicopter crash kills 13 US helicopter downed over Najaf

TNR's "I told you so"

Today, TNR has a follow-up piece to last month's "Pakistan for Bush: July Surprise?" article, basically claiming victory in their prediction that Pakistan would unveil a high-value target sometime in late July; coordinated to benefit the Bush re-election campaign. As the piece mentions, Faisal Hayyat, Pakistan's interior minister, made the announcement at midnight, 4 days after they reportedly captured Ahmed Ghailani, and right before Kerry's speech at the Democratic National Convention. Intentionally timed or coincidence? That seems to be the question that few can answer but many have contemplated.

Wake Up

I'm having an emergency!

"The operator can be heard audibly snoring on the 911 tape. The snoring went on for 1 minute 48 seconds before Berg said something and the operator again asked what the problem was."

Steve Clemons

(via TPM) The Blogsphere has a new tenant. This blog, hosted by Steve Clemons, Executive Director of New America Foundation, is going on my blogroll. Thanks Josh.

Hmmmm

Is this the July Surprise? Pakistan 'al-Qaeda breakthrough' from BBC NEWS

seems a good time to bring this back to the top

"Abusing Secrets" - from TomPaine.com

Quote of the Day - 8/03/04

"it is becoming more and more clear that the Republican Party is trying to use 9/11 in a way that is more and more improper." Eliot Spitzer, NY State Attorney General

Spitzer gives 9/11 warning to GOP Attorney general says Republican convention shouldn't exploit tragedy BOSTON -- Democratic state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer on Thursday warned Republicans not to "dare" use the memory of 9/11 for political purposes when they convene for their convention in New York City next month. "Do not go there," Spitzer said at a breakfast he sponsored for the New York delegation at the national convention Thursday. "We have seen in the 9/11 report how many errors were made and opportunities were missed. No one, and I mean no one, should use it for politics." "It would not be fair or right," the attorney general continued. "And we will not let you do it."

full story here.

Because lying once just isn't enough

just repeat it over and over again, and eventually enough people will believe you. This from In These Times: "They Knew... Despite the whitewash, we now know that the Bush administration was warned before the war that its Iraq claims were weak"

As opposed to... ?

"We wouldn't be contacting authorities at the local level unless something was real." - George W. Bush, on reports that information that led to terror alert was years old

Michael Glaser: new poet laureate of Maryland

Well whattya know? My least favorite English professor is now the poet laureate of Maryland. Nice guy... kinda strange though. I got a "B" in his class. If he would have given me an "A" I would say something nicer.

striking quote

(from the "what do you mean by that?" file) "If they were to do real investigations we would see several significant high level criminal prosecutions in this country. And that is something that they are not going to let out. And, believe me; they will do everything to cover this up." -Sibel Edmonds, former FBI translator

full text of Sibel Edmonds' letter to 9/11 Commission

Public Letter to 9/11 Commission Chairman from FBI Whistleblower August 1, 2004 Thomas Kean, Chairman National Committee on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States 301 7th Street, SW, Room 5125 Washington, DC 20407 Dear Chairman Kean: It has been almost three years since the terrorist attacks on September 11; during which time we, the people, have been placed under a constant threat of terror and asked to exercise vigilance in our daily lives. Your commission, the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, was created by law to investigate "facts and circumstances related to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001" and to "provide recommendations to safeguard against future acts of terrorism", and has now issued its "9/11 Commission Report". You are now asking us to pledge our support for this report, its recommendations, and implementation of these recommendations, with our trust and backing, our tax money, our security, and our lives. Unfortunately, I find your report seriously flawed in its failure to address serious intelligence issues that I am aware of, which have been confirmed, and which as a witness to the commission, I made you aware of. Thus, I must assume that other serious issues that I am not aware of were in the same manner omitted from your report. These omissions cast doubt on the validity of your report and therefore on its conclusions and recommendations. Considering what is at stake, our national security, we are entitled to demand answers to unanswered questions, and to ask for clarification of issues that were ignored and/or omitted from the report. I, Sibel Edmonds, a concerned American Citizen, a former FBI translator, a whistleblower, a witness for a United States Congressional investigation, a witness and a plaintiff for the Department of Justice Inspector General investigation, and a witness for your own 9/11 Commission investigation, request your answers to, and your public acknowledgement of, the following questions and issues: After the terrorist attacks of September 11 we, the translators at the FBI's largest and most important translation unit, were told to slow down, even stop, translation of critical information related to terrorist activities so that the FBI could present the United States Congress with a record of 'extensive backlog of untranslated documents', and justify its request for budget and staff increases. While FBI agents from various field offices were desperately seeking leads and suspects, and completely depending on FBI HQ and its language units to provide them with needed translated information, hundreds of translators were being told by their administrative supervisors not to translate and to let the work pile up (please refer to the CBS-60 Minutes transcript dated October 2002, and provided to your investigators in January-February 2004). This issue has been confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee (Please refer to Senator Grassley and Senator Leahy's letters during the summer of 2002, provided to your investigators in January-February 2004). This confirmed report has been reported to be substantiated by the Department of Justice Inspector General Report (Please refer to DOJ-IG report Re: Sibel Edmonds and FBI Translation, provided to you prior to the completion of your report). I provided your investigators with a detailed and specific account of this issue and the names of other witnesses willing to corroborate this. (Please refer to tape-recorded 3.5 hours testimony by Sibel Edmonds, provided to your investigators on February 11, 2004). Today, almost three years after 9/11, and more than two years since this information has been confirmed and made available to our government, the administrators in charge of language departments of the FBI remain in their positions and in charge of the information front lines of the FBI's Counter terrorism and Counterintelligence efforts. Your report has omitted any reference to this most serious issue, has foregone any accountability what so ever, and your recommendations have refrained from addressing this issue, which when left un-addressed will have even more serious consequences. This issue is systemic and departmental. Why did your report choose to exclude this information and this serious issue despite the evidence and briefings you received? How can budget increases address and resolve this misconduct by mid-level bureaucratic management? How can the addition of a new bureaucratic layer, "Intelligence Czar", in its cocoon removed from the action lines, address and resolve this problem? Melek Can Dickerson, a Turkish Translator, was hired by the FBI after September 11, and was placed in charge of translating the most sensitive information related to terrorists and criminals under the Bureau's investigation. Melek Can Dickerson was granted Top Secret Clearance, which can be granted only after conducting a thorough background investigation. Melek Can Dickerson used to work for a semi-legit organizations that were the FBI's targets of investigation. Melek Can Dickerson had on going relationships with two individuals who were FBI's targets of investigation. For months Melek Can Dickerson blocked all-important information related to these semi-legit organizations and the individuals she and her husband associated with. She stamped hundreds, if not thousands, of documents related to these targets as 'Not Pertinent.' Melek Can Dickerson attempted to prevent others from translating these documents important to the FBI's investigations and our fight against terrorism. Melek Can Dickerson, with the assistance of her direct supervisor, Mike Feghali, took hundreds of pages of top-secret sensitive intelligence documents outside the FBI to unknown recipients. Melek Can Dickerson, with the assistance of her direct supervisor, forged signatures on top-secret documents related to certain 9/11 detainees. After all these incidents were confirmed and reported to FBI management, Melek Can Dickerson was allowed to remain in her position, to continue the translation of sensitive intelligence received by the FBI, and to maintain her Top Secret clearance. Apparently bureaucratic mid-level FBI management and administrators decided that it would not look good for the Bureau if this security breach and espionage case was investigated and made public, especially after going through Robert Hanssen's case (FBI spy scandal). This case (Melek Can Dickerson) was confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee (Please refer to Senator Leahy and Grassley's letters dated June 19 and August 13, 2002, and Senator Grassley's statement on CBS-60 Minutes in October 2002, provided to your investigators in January-February 2004). This Dickerson incident received major coverage by the press (Please refer to media background provided to your investigators in January-February 2004). According to Director Mueller, the Inspector General criticized the FBI for failing to adequately pursue this espionage report regarding Melek Can Dickerson (Please refer to DOJ-IG report Re: Sibel Edmonds and FBI Translation, provided to you prior to the completion of your report). I provided your investigators with a detailed and specific account of this issue, the names of other witnesses willing to corroborate this, and additional documents. (Please refer to tape-recorded 3.5 hours testimony by Sibel Edmonds, provided to your investigators on February 11, 2004). Today, more than two years since the Dickerson incident was reported to the FBI, and more than two years since this information was confirmed by the United States Congress and reported by the press, these administrators in charge of FBI personnel security and language departments in the FBI remain in their positions and in charge of translation quality and translation departments' security. Melek Can Dickerson and several FBI targets of investigation hastily left the United States in 2002, and the case still remains uninvestigated criminally. Not only does the supervisor facilitating these criminal conducts remain in a supervisory position, he has been promoted to supervising Arabic language units of the FBI's Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence investigations. Your report has omitted these significant incidents, has foregone any accountability what so ever, and your recommendations have refrained from addressing this serious information security breach and highly likely espionage issue. This issue needs to be investigated and criminally prosecuted. The translation of our intelligence is being entrusted to individuals with loyalties to our enemies. Important 'chit-chats' and 'chatters' are being intentionally blocked. Why did your report choose to exclude this information and these serious issues despite the evidence and briefings you received? How can budget increases address and resolve this misconduct by mid-level bureaucratic management? How can the addition of a new bureaucratic layer, "Intelligence Czar", in its cocoon removed from the action lines, address and resolve this problem? Over three years ago, more than four months prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks, in April 2001, a long-term FBI informant/asset who had been providing the bureau with information since 1990, provided two FBI agents and a translator with specific information regarding a terrorist attack being planned by Osama Bin Laden. This asset/informant was previously a high-level intelligence officer in Iran in charge of intelligence from Afghanistan. Through his contacts in Afghanistan he received information that: 1) Osama Bin Laden was planning a major terrorist attack in the United States targeting 4-5 major cities, 2) the attack was going to involve airplanes, 3) some of the individuals in charge of carrying out this attack were already in place in the United States, 4) the attack was going to be carried out soon, in a few months. The agents who received this information reported it to their superior, Special Agent in Charge of Counterterrorism, Thomas Frields, at the FBI Washington Field Office, by filing "302" forms, and the translator translated and documented this information. No action was taken by the Special Agent in Charge, and after 9/11 the agents and the translators were told to 'keep quiet' regarding this issue. The translator who was present during the session with the FBI informant, Mr. Behrooz Sarshar, reported this incident to Director Mueller in writing, and later to the Department of Justice Inspector General. The press reported this incident, and in fact the report in the Chicago Tribune on July 21, 2004 stated that FBI officials had confirmed that this information was received in April 2001, and further, the Chicago Tribune quoted an aide to Director Mueller that he (Mueller) was surprised that the Commission never raised this particular issue with him during the hearing (Please refer to Chicago Tribune article, dated July 21, 2004). Mr. Sarshar reported this issue to your investigators on February 12, 2004, and provided them with specific dates, location, witness names, and the contact information for that particular Iranian asset and the two special agents who received the information (Please refer to the tape-recorded testimony provided to your investigators during a 2.5 hours testimony by Mr. Sarshar on February 12, 2004). I provided your investigators with a detailed and specific account of this issue, the names of other witnesses, and documents I had seen. (Please refer to tape-recorded 3.5 hours testimony by Sibel Edmonds, provided to your investigators on February 11, 2004). Mr. Sarshar also provided the Department of Justice Inspector General with specific information regarding this issue (Please refer to DOJ-IG report Re: Sibel Edmonds and FBI Translation, provided to you prior to the completion of your report). After almost three years since September 11, many officials still refuse to admit to having specific information regarding the terrorists' plans to attack the United States. The Phoenix Memo, received months prior to the 9/11 attacks, specifically warned FBI HQ of pilot training and their possible link to terrorist activities against the United States. Four months prior to the terrorist attacks the Iranian asset provided the FBI with specific information regarding the 'use of airplanes', 'major US cities as targets', and 'Osama Bin Laden issuing the order.' Coleen Rowley likewise reported that specific information had been provided to FBI HQ. All this information went to the same place: FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC, and the FBI Washington Field Office, in Washington DC. Yet, your report claims that not having a central place where all intelligence could be gathered as one of the main factors in our intelligence failure. Why did your report choose to exclude the information regarding the Iranian asset and Behrooz Sarshar from its timeline of missed opportunities? Why was this significant incident not mentioned; despite the public confirmation by the FBI, witnesses provided to your investigators, and briefings you received directly? Why did you surprise even Director Mueller by refraining from asking him questions regarding this significant incident and lapse during your hearing (Please remember that you ran out of questions during your hearings with Director Mueller and AG John Ashcroft, so please do not cite a 'time limit' excuse)? How can budget increases address and resolve these problems and failure to follow up by mid-level bureaucratic management at FBI Headquarters? How can the addition of a new bureaucratic layer, "Intelligence Czar", in its cocoon removed from the action lines, address and resolve this problem? Over two years ago, and after two 'unclassified' sessions with FBI officials, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent letters to Director Mueller, Attorney General Ashcroft, and Inspector General Glenn Fine regarding the existence of unqualified translators in charge of translating high level sensitive intelligence. The FBI confirmed at least one case: Kevin Taskesen, a Turkish translator, had been given a job as an FBI translator, despite the fact that he had failed all FBI language proficiency tests. In fact, Kevin could not understand or speak even elementary level English. He had failed English proficiency tests and did not even score sufficiently in the target language. Still, Kevin Taskesen was hired, not due to lack of other qualified translator candidates, but because his wife worked in FBI Headquarters as a language proficiency exam administrator. Almost everybody in FBI Headquarters and the FBI Washington Field Office knew about Kevin. Yet, Kevin was given the task of translating the most sensitive terrorist related information, and he was sent to Guantanamo Bay to translate the interrogation of and information for all Turkic language detainees (Turkish, Uzbeks, Turkmen, etc.). The FBI was supposed to be trying to obtain information regarding possible future attack plans from these detainees, and yet, the FBI knowingly sent unqualified translators to gather and translate this information. Further, these detainees were either released or detained or prosecuted based on information received and translated by unqualified translators knowingly sent there by the FBI. Senator Grassley and Senator Leahy publicly confirmed Kevin Taskesen's case (Please refer to Senate letters and documents provided to your investigators in January-February 2004). CBS-60 Minutes showed Kevin's picture and stated his name as one of the unqualified translators sent to Guantanamo Bay, and as a case confirmed by the FBI (Please refer to CBS-60 Minutes transcript provided to your investigators). Department of Justice Inspector General had a detailed account of these problems (Please refer to DOJ-IG report Re: Sibel Edmonds and FBI Translation, provided to you prior to the completion of your report). I provided your investigators with a detailed and specific account of this issue and the names of other witnesses willing to corroborate this. (Please refer to tape-recorded 3.5 hours testimony by Sibel Edmonds, provided to your investigators on February 11, 2004). After more than two years since Kevin Taskesen's case was publicly confirmed, and after almost two years since CBS-60 Minutes broadcasted Taskesen's case, Kevin Taskesen remains in his position, as a sole Turkish and Turkic language translator for the FBI Washington Field Office. After admitting that Kevin Taskesen was not qualified to perform the task of translating sensitive intelligence and investigation of terrorist activities, the FBI still keeps him in charge of translating highly sensitive documents and leads. Those individuals in the FBI's hiring department and those who facilitated the hiring of unqualified translators due to nepotism/cronyism are still in those departments and remain in their positions. Yet, your report does not mention this case, or these chronic problems within the FBI translation departments, and within the FBI's hiring and screening departments. The issue of accountability for those responsible for these practices that endangers our national security is not brought up even once in your report. This issue, as with others, is systemic and departmental. Why did your report choose to exclude this information and these serious issues despite the evidence and briefings you received? How can budget increases address and resolve the intentional continuation of ineptitude and incompetence by mid-level bureaucratic management? How can the addition of a new bureaucratic layer, "Intelligence Czar", in its cocoon removed from the action lines, address and resolve this problem? In October 2001, approximately one month after the September 11 attack, an agent from a (city name omitted) field office, re-sent a certain document to the FBI Washington Field Office, so that it could be re-translated. This Special Agent, in light of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, rightfully believed that, considering his target of investigation (the suspect under surveillance), and the issues involved, the original translation might have missed certain information that could prove to be valuable in the investigation of terrorist activities. After this document was received by the FBI Washington Field Office and retranslated verbatim, the field agent's hunch appeared to be correct. The new translation revealed certain information regarding blueprints, pictures, and building material for skyscrapers being sent overseas. It also revealed certain illegal activities in obtaining visas from certain embassies in the Middle East, through network contacts and bribery. However, after the re-translation was completed and the new significant information was revealed, the unit supervisor in charge of certain Middle Eastern languages, Mike Feghali, decided NOT to send the re-translated information to the Special Agent who had requested it. Instead, this supervisor decided to send this agent a note stating that the translation was reviewed and that the original translation was accurate. This supervisor stated that sending the accurate translation would hurt the original translator and would cause problems for the FBI language department. The FBI agent requesting the retranslation never received the accurate translation of that document. I provided your investigators with a detailed and specific account of this issue, the name and date of this particular investigation, and the names of other witnesses willing to corroborate this. (Please refer to tape-recorded 3.5 hours testimony by Sibel Edmonds, provided to your investigators on February 11, 2004). This information was also provided to the Department of Justice Inspector General (Please refer to DOJ-IG report Re: Sibel Edmonds and FBI Translation, provided to you prior to the completion of your report). Only one month after the catastrophic events of September 11; while many agents were working around the clock to obtain leads and information, and to investigate those responsible for the attacks, those with possible connections to the attack, and those who might be planning possible future attacks; the bureaucratic administrators in the FBI's largest and most important translation unit were covering up their past failures, blocking important leads and information, and jeopardizing on going terrorist investigations. The supervisor involved in this incident, Mike Feghali, was in charge of certain important Middle Eastern languages within the FBI Washington Field Office, and had a record of previous misconducts. After this supervisor's several severe misconducts were reported to the FBI's higher-level management, after his conducts were reported to the Inspector General's Office, to the United States Congress, and to the 9/11 Commission, he was promoted to include the FBI's Arabic language unit under his supervision. Today this supervisor, Mike Feghali, remains in the FBI Washington Field Office and is in charge of a language unit receiving those chitchats that our color-coded threat system is based upon. Yet your report contains zero information regarding these systemic problems that led us to our failure in preventing the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In your report, there are no references to individuals responsible for hindering past and current investigations, or those who are willing to compromise our security and our lives for their career advancement and security. This issue, as with others, is systemic and departmental. Why does your report choose to exclude this information and these serious issues despite all the evidence and briefings you received? Why does your report adamantly refrain from assigning any accountability to any individuals responsible for our past and current failures? How can budget increases address and resolve these intentional acts committed by self-serving career civil servants? How can the addition of a new bureaucratic layer, "Intelligence Czar", in its cocoon removed from the action lines, address and resolve this problem? The latest buzz topic regarding intelligence is the problem of sharing information/intelligence within intelligence agencies and between intelligence agencies. To this date the public has not been told of intentional blocking of intelligence, and has not been told that certain information, despite its direct links, impacts and ties to terrorist related activities, is not given to or shared with Counterterrorism units, their investigations, and countering terrorism related activities. This was the case prior to 9/11, and remains in effect after 9/11. If Counterintelligence receives information that contains money laundering, illegal arms sale, and illegal drug activities, directly linked to terrorist activities; and if that information involves certain nations, certain semi-legit organizations, and ties to certain lucrative or political relations in this country, then, that information is not shared with Counterterrorism, regardless of the possible severe consequences. In certain cases, frustrated FBI agents cited 'direct pressure by the State Department,' and in other cases 'sensitive diplomatic relations' is cited. The Department of Justice Inspector General received detailed and specific information and evidence regarding this issue (Please refer to DOJ-IG report Re: Sibel Edmonds and FBI Translation, provided to you prior to the completion of your report). I provided your investigators with a detailed and specific account of this issue, the names of other witnesses willing to corroborate this, and the names of certain U.S. officials involved in these transactions and activities. (Please refer to tape-recorded 3.5 hours testimony by Sibel Edmonds, provided to your investigators on February 11, 2004). After almost three years the American people still do not know that thousands of lives can be jeopardized under the unspoken policy of 'protecting certain foreign business relations.' The victims family members still do not realize that information and answers they have sought relentlessly for over two years has been blocked due to the unspoken decisions made and disguised under 'safeguarding certain diplomatic relations.' Your report did not even attempt to address these unspoken practices, although, unlike me, you were not placed under any gag. Your hearings did not include questions regarding these unspoken and unwritten policies and practices. Despite your full awareness and understanding of certain criminal conduct that connects to certain terrorist related activities, committed by certain U.S. officials and high-level government employees, you have not proposed criminal investigations into this conduct, although under the laws of this country you are required to do so. How can budget increases address and resolve these problems, when some of them are caused by unspoken practices and unwritten policies? How can a new bureaucratic layer, "Intelligence Czar", in its cocoon removed from the action lines, override these unwritten policies and unspoken practices incompatible with our national security? I know for a fact that problems regarding intelligence translation cannot be brushed off as minor problems among many significant problems. Translation units are the frontline in gathering, translating, and disseminating intelligence. A warning in advance of the next terrorist attack may, and probably will, come in the form of a message or document in foreign language that will have to be translated. That message may be given to the translation unit headed and supervised by someone like Mike Feghali, who slows down, even stops, translations for the purpose of receiving budget increases for his department, who has participated in certain criminal activities and security breaches, and who has been engaged in covering up failures and criminal conducts within the department, so it may never be translated in time if ever. That message may go to Kevin Taskesen, or another unqualified translator; so it may never be translated correctly and be acted upon. That message may go to a sympathizer within the language department; so it may never be translated fully, if at all. That message may come to the attention of an agent of a foreign organization who works as a translator in the FBI translation department, who may choose to block it; so it may never get translated. If then an attack occurs, which could have been prevented by acting on information in that message, who will tell family members of the new terrorist attack victims that nothing more could have been done? There will be no excuse that we did not know, because we do know. I am writing this letter in light of my direct experience within the FBI's translation unit during the most crucial times after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, in light of my first hand knowledge of certain problems and cases within the Bureau's language units, and in light of what has already been established as facts. As you are fully aware, the facts, incidents, and problems cited in this letter are by NO means based upon personal opinion or un-verified allegations. As you are fully aware, these issues and incidents were found confirmed by a Senior Republican Senator, Charles Grassley, and a Senior Democrat Senator, Patrick Leahy. As you know, according to officials with direct knowledge of the Department of Justice Inspector General's report on my allegations, 'none of my allegations were disproved.' As you are fully aware, even FBI officials 'confirmed all my allegations and denied none' during their unclassified meetings with the Senate Judiciary staff over two years ago. However, neither your commission's hearings, nor your commission's five hundred sixty seven-page report, nor your recommendations include these serious issues, major incidents, and systemic problems. Your report's coverage of FBI translation problems consists of a brief microscopic footnote (Footnote #25). Yet, your commission is geared to start aggressively pressuring our government to hastily implement your measures and recommendations based upon your incomplete and deficient report. In order to cure a problem, one must have an accurate diagnosis. In order to correctly diagnose a problem, one must consider and take into account all visible symptoms. Your Commission's investigations, hearings, and report have chosen not to consider many visible symptoms. I am emphasizing 'visible', because these symptoms have been long recognized by experts from the intelligence community and have been written about in the press. I am emphasizing 'visible' because the few specific symptoms I provided you with in this letter have been confirmed and publicly acknowledged. During its many hearings your commission chose not to ask the questions necessary to unveil the true symptoms of our failed intelligence system. Your Commission intentionally bypassed these severe symptoms, and chose not to include them in its five hundred and sixty seven-page report. Now, without a complete list of our failures pre 9/11, without a comprehensive examination of true symptoms that exist in our intelligence system, without assigning any accountability what so ever, and therefore, without a sound and reliable diagnosis, your commission is attempting to divert attention from the real problems, and to prescribe a cure through hasty and costly measures. It is like attempting to put a gold-lined expensive porcelain cap over a deeply decayed tooth with a rotten root, without first treating the root, and without first cleaning/shaving the infected tooth. Respectfully, Sibel D. Edmonds CC: Senate Judiciary Committee CC: Senate Intelligence Committee CC: House Government Reform Committee CC: Family Steering Committee CC: Press

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Eschaton: Playing Politics With Terror Alerts

So, apparently Pakistan arrested a guy who chirped, and (best I can tell) that's why Ridge rolled out this weekend and jazzed up the terror alert routine w/ some new *specific* information. That doesn't really address the point though, which is "Is the Bush Administration playing politics with their terror alerts?". Generally, there's no argument from me on this question. In this case, machts nichts. Are you scared yet? ------------------------

Eschaton: Playing Politics With Terror Alerts Ridge, today: But we must understand that the kind of information available to us today is the result of the president's leadership in the war against terror, the reports that have led to this alert are the result of offensive intelligence and military operations overseas, as well as strong partnerships with our allies around the world, such as Pakistan.