FBI Arab translators cheered Sept. 11

WND ^ | 1/7/04 | Paul Sperry

[Diogenesis]

If they cheered the 911 Atrocities, then let them translate from a hermetically-sealed cage in Cuba
with food for each complete and accurate translation.

[spodefly]

Another story for the major media to spike, and for "Homeland Security" to ignore.

[Hostage]

I studied French for four years and then went to France for a year of study abroad. Before the classes began, all foreigners were requuired to register for summer language training. It was a way of minimizing the amount of "broken French" spoken by foreign students. Broken French was particularly offensive to University Faculty and Staff.

The process of "relearning" how to speak French was painful in that every word needed repeating until it was spoken to the satisfaction of the instructor. We were not allowed to advance until even basic words were pronounced correctly. The classes were three hours with variable hours of language lab after, usually two to three hours.

At the end of three months we the foreign students were speaking much better and many were told their accents were undetectable.

I can imagine what the DOD would do to someone 24/7 for six months. It is not unreasonable at all to expect they could churn out a language speaker with no detectable accent over a variety of phrases and responses, including cultural gestures such as using one's hands in a provincial manner.

Anyways the point was that the DOD has backup in languages, all languages for translation and the subject article is probably irrelevant insofar as national security. Let's hope so.

[Cronos]

How about getting Christian Arabs as translators -- there are plenty of them. I nominate Yasmeen Bleeth and Salma Hayek. If they do get in, then I guarantee there'll be a large chunk of red-blooded American lads who'll know Arabic in no time at all!

[mo]

I happen to know Mrs. Edmonds and her husband-he has served the DOD in many capacities for a long time-she is sincere in her concerns.

[yarddog]

This story is just about exactly what most of us would have guessed to be the case.

[Peach]

I had so wished this was not true...

[Diogenesis]

"At the end of three months we the foreign students were speaking much better and many were told their accents were undetectable. "

Do you really think accent is enough?
Autant des hommes. Autant d'avis.

And why would one trust any of these instructors after this notice?

[RippleFire]

Fifth column bump

[GirlShortstop]

Edmonds says agents who don't speak Arabic have no way of knowing whether the information they receive from translators is tainted.

No kidding?!  </sarcasm>
The muhammaden cheerleaders pulling a fast one as alleged here certainly would not be surprising.  Did this article state what language Edmonds translated for the FBI?  That omission seems odd to me.  The following statement would make her firing all the more nonsensical:

The FBI blamed the security lapses on a chronic shortage of Arabic translators, which has forced it to hire mostly immigrants from the Middle East, which makes background checks more difficult.

[MEG33]

Sad bump.

[ml/nj]

Given that the FBI excludes all Jewish Americans from Arabic translations...

I think they exclude all Jews.

The ones from Israel are more likely to be fluent in Arabic and English, but we wouldn't want to employ them, would we?

ML/NJ

[ought-six]

"I do NOT want to believe this story."

You ignore it to the peril of our republic.

[ctonious]

She cited examples of mistranslations and security breaches within the FBI's language division, where translators with Top Secret clearance interpret sensitive terror-related information for agents.

As long as their extended background clearances indicated no drug use, wild frat/sorority parties, or late Macy's payments - I don't see the problem here.(/sarcasm)

I held a very high clearance several years ago - and the absolute morons in charge of giving out clearances were more interested in the above than anything truly threatening to the US. These idiots better get a clue about newer generations - or we'll all be living underground waiting for radiation half-lives to expire.

[Hostage]

Accent is not really the issue. Translation is. We got off on translation because I drew attention to the Defense Language Institute.

I think DOD has got the covered. Why they hired translators fromt he Middle East I do not know unless it was to recognize voices or cultural things not understood by a trained translator.

I would also wager there are plenty of Arab-Americans as well as Iranians in the USA who are itching to revenge themselves on the criminals back in their homelands, who would verify the translations.

The story is not unlike alot of stories in the immediate aftermath of 911. We saw and heard many accounts of foreigners and foreign students that commented that America was "getting a taste of their own medicine". I also saw this televised among our own kids in public schools, usually kids of color who had been taught to think of America as a country founded by old dead white Christian males. I attribute all of this to the rein of the Clintons and their cultural influence on America.

[rintense]

Me either. This is simply unreal, if true. It is long since time to purge the FBI, CIA, and Pentagon of all Clinton hire-es. Does anyone know when these translators were hired?

[eastforker]

Hey Dio, this really isn't breaking but by the sound of some replies it's probably good that you brought it to the newbies attention. Why do I have this feeling in my gut that somewhere in the upper management level of the FBI someone wants to see the destruction of America. This isn't the first time either. It's almost if someone is deliberately undermining any effort to stop terrorism.

[The Scorpion King]

"Former FBI translator Sibel D. Edmonds says translators of Middle Eastern origin working for the FBI's Washington field office maintain an "us"-versus-"them" attitude that's so strong it may be compromising al-Qaida investigations."

This comes as no surprise to me. Muslims try to portray themselves as peaceful. The reality is that if they aren't comitting acts of terror they're cheering on those that do!

[Diogenesis]

Good point, but there are no excuses.
ctonious, ought-six, and others appear closer to the correct issue.

[FierceDraka]

Governmental incompetence for no other reason than to appear politically correct.

And I thought we elected conservatives the last time around.

Just goes to prove that THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. Candidates may spout conservative principles during campaign season, but the only principle they practice once in office is the never-ending expansion of the State.

Am I angry? You bet your a$$ - and I'm only getting angrier.