FBI move to classify data draws anger in Congress

[Fish Inspector]

This is my first attempt to post something here. I hope this meets all DU breaking-news requirements.


"The officials said Wednesday that the secrecy surrounding the translator, Sibel Edmonds, was essential to protecting information that could reveal intelligence-gathering operations. . . . What the FBI is up to here is ludicrous," Senator Charles Grassley, Republican of Iowa, said in an interview. "To classify something that's already been out in the public domain, what do you accomplish? It does harm to transparency in government, and it looks like an attempt to cover up the FBI's problems in translating intelligence."

-- Eric Lichtblau
International Herald Tribune
http://www.iht.com/articles/520910.html

Fish Inspector

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Surprising that it's Grassley.

I wish a few more pols would get on this one.

And Welcome to DU.

[Just Me]

9. AND,...he actually used the words "cover up"!!!

I mean, seriously,...is this not the "cover-up administration"!!!

[alcuno]

14. Grassley is the architect of the whistleblower protection.

It's his "thing."

[never cry wolf]

2. Nice article, thanks

And nice first post, FI! Welcome to DU (entering in style with a star!!)

:hi:

[lovedems]

3. Protect intelligence gathering operations?

It is pretty obvious how we "gather intelligence" and the intelligence we get is bunk! I know it is the FBI and not the CIA but still, the FBI has that disasterous Patriot Act!

Welcome to DU Fish Inspector! :hi:

[Don_G]

4. Dimbo Has A Mania For Secrecy

It was probably at his direction and because he knows there is a huge collection of tar and feathers waiting for him on his way to a Federal Prison.

[Webster Green]

5. Gee, I wonder what they are trying to hide......

Welcome to DU, Fish Inspector!

How are the fish looking anyway?

[whistle]

6. Welcome Fish Inspector....

:hi:

[Cooley Hurd]

7. I guess this means Sibel Edmonds was telling the truth...

...their attempt to cover it up is proof! :wow:


And welcome to DU, Inspector Fish! ;)

[Just Me]

8. Hey, "Fish Inspector",...great 1st post!!!!

I've been wondering about what's happening with Sibel!!!

Wecome to DU!!! :hi:

Glad to have another member posting important info!!!

:kick:

[Old and In the Way]

10. National Security = Bush personal security

sad that our media doesn't make this rather obvious inference.

Welcome aboard Fish Inspector!

[Tinoire]

11. Thanks for posting this- I had forgotten all about her!

The FBI told congressional officials that it was classifying topics including what languages Edmonds translated, what types of cases she handled, and what employees she worked with, officials said. Even routine and widely disseminated information - like where she worked - is now classified.

Edmonds, who is Turkish-American, began working for the FBI shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks as a translator in the FBI's Washington field office with top-secret security clearance, but she was dismissed in the spring of 2002. She first gained wide public attention in October of that year when she appeared on the CBS program "60 Minutes" and charged that the FBI's translation services were plagued by incompetence and a lack of urgency and that the bureau ignored her concerns. The Justice Department's inspector general is investigating her claims.

Edmonds testified in a closed session this year before the Sept. 11 commission, and she has made increasingly strident charges about the FBI's intelligence failures, saying that the United States had advance warnings about the attacks. Families of the Sept. 11 victims - who are suing numerous corporate and Saudi interests whom they accuse of having links to the attacks - have sought to call her as a witness, but the Justice Department has blocked the move by saying her testimony would violate "the state secret privilege."

<snip>




Welcome to DU Erich the Fish Inspector! :toast:

I pasted a few more paragraphs because 4 months from now when the article is archived, this could come in handy ;)

Peace

[Just Me]

12. She had some info that made LIHOP turn into MIHOP!!!

Then, she was shut down and shut up.

I am amazed that she is still A-O-K.

Quite the "strong woman number", that Sibel.

:bounce:

[arwalden]

13. Welcome To DU!!!!

A very fine first post!!

-- Allen

[Samantha]

15. Welcome to DU

and thank you very much for the interesting info.

[Wind Dancer]

16. Welcome Fish to DU!

I read this article earlier today from DemocracyNow:

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/31/1616221

Very interesting!