Senators call for FBI bias investigation

MSNBC ^ | February 16, 2006 | Jim Popkin

[Daralundy]

Discrimination against Arab-American agent alleged

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee is calling for an investigation into whether the FBI retaliated against its highest-ranking Arabic-speaking agent, a new letter reveals. The public airing of the private workplace squabble is a potential embarrassment for the FBI, which faced criticism after 9/11 for its failure to hire many Arab-speaking agents and for failing to better understand the radical Islamic community inside the United States.

Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and the committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., asked the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate whether the FBI's treatment of agent Bassem Youssef is "another instance in a pattern of retaliatory actions against whistleblowers," according to a letter released Thursday by Sens. Specter, Leahy and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.

The FBI would not address the allegations, saying only "it would be inappropriate to make any comment," since Youssef’s complaints are part of an ongoing discrimination lawsuit against the FBI. "It is important to add that Director Mueller has stated the FBI will not tolerate any form of retribution against any employees and that the Bureau strives to treat every person fairly and professionally," an FBI spokesman added.

The letter from the three senators states that Youssef, a veteran counterterrorism agent, believed that the FBI moved him to a back-bench position after 9/11. After Youssef complained to his FBI managers and then to Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., that his skills were not being fully utilized, the letter states, Youssef faced apparent retaliation as a whistleblower. The situation further deteriorated, the senators add, when FBI Director Robert Mueller was called into a meeting with Youssef at Wolf’s office to discuss the Arab-American agent's complaints.

[Texas_Jarhead]

Perhaps he was just another 9-11 celebrator.

[peyton randolph]

I suggest the U.S. Attorney General conduct an investigation of Specter's ties to organized crime...starting with his days on Philly City Council.

[Prime Choice]

Small wonder. Muslim agents repeatedly put their Islamist alliances ahead of their sworn oath to the Bureau.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=20487

[Texas_Jarhead]

Oh wait, scratch my last comment. I forgot that most of those FBI employees were promoted.

[jveritas]

Very true. Unfortunately for the "majority of Muslims" their loyalty for islam is ahead of family and ahead of country, and in particular much more ahead of a non muslim country.

[philetus]

believed that the FBI moved him to a back-bench position after 9/11"

so what, he's an employee.The BOSS can move him any where he wants to.

After Youssef complained to his FBI managers and then to Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., that his skills were not being fully utilized

meow

[ConservativeChinese]

Why don't they call for an investigation into the bias against serial killers? You know, serial killing is just another life style, we can't discriminate against them just because we don't like the way they live (and not let live).

[Squeako]

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