Whistle-Blowing Said to Be Factor in an F.B.I. Firing (Sibel Edmonds!)

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON, July 28 - A classified Justice Department investigation has concluded that a former F.B.I. translator at the center of a growing controversy was dismissed in part because she accused the bureau of ineptitude, and it found that the F.B.I. did not aggressively investigate her claims of espionage against a co-worker.

The Justice Department's inspector general concluded that the allegations by the translator, Sibel Edmonds, "were at least a contributing factor in why the F.B.I. terminated her services," and the F.B.I. is considering disciplinary action against some employees as a result, Robert S. Mueller III, director of the bureau, said in a letter last week to lawmakers. A copy of the letter was obtained by The New York Times.

Ms. Edmonds worked as a contract linguist for the F.B.I. for about six months, translating material in Turkish, Persian and Azerbaijani. She was dismissed in 2002 after she complained repeatedly that bureau linguists had produced slipshod and incomplete translations of important terrorism intelligence before and after the Sept. 11 attacks. She also accused a fellow Turkish linguist in the bureau's Washington field office of blocking the translation of material involving acquaintances who had come under F.B.I. suspicion and said the bureau had allowed diplomatic sensitivities with other nations to impede the translation of important terrorism intelligence.

The Edmonds case has proved to be a growing concern to the F.B.I. because it touches on three potential vulnerabilities for the bureau: its ability to translate sensitive counterterrorism material, its treatment of internal "whistle-blowers," and its classification of sensitive material that critics say could be embarrassing to the bureau.

http://nytimes.com/2004/07/29/politics/29fbi.final.html

[johnfunk]

1. Partial vindication for a patriot

Sibel Edmonds is a white hat if there ever was one.

[TahitiNut]

2. We need far stronger whistle-blower protection laws.

The vast majority of whistle-blowers receive absolutely no protection or compensation. Their careers come to a halt, the black-ball is dropped, and they find themselves (mysteriously) unable to find a job.

Both corporations and government agencies establish internal procedures that require all employees to report such "concerns" internally before going outside. When they do so, sometimes to an internal ombudsperson, they're often fired soon thereafter ... or get "transferred" to some closet job in a remote location. Then the scuttlebutt starts, and they're treated like lepers by both intimidated employees and brown-shirted employees. (Ever try to get a job done in any organization without the cooperation and support of other people?) The current whistle-blower protection laws don't protect people who only report (like "good employees") internally. Unless they report wrong-doing externally to a regulatory or law-enforcement authority, they don't come under the protections.

There're a host of other complications and "gotchas" with the current state of affairs. Even if someone is able to get protection, it doesn't come close to compensating them either for the risk or the long-term impact on their earning power. Not everyone can write a book.

Wrong-doing (stock fraud, book-cooking, fake science, overt discrimination, etc.) in our nation's institutions, whether publicly-licensed or governmental, is far too damaging and pervasive to let it go on on without far greater protections for the boat-rockers and white-hats - by far the best source of information that needs sunlight and exposure.

[faithnotgreed]

3. "contributing factor" ?? more like entire factor

[Rockholm]

4. kick

[TacticalPeek]

5. Big kick.

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[struggle4progress]

7. Yes indeed.

:kick:

[goforit]

6. I wonder if "Bobby three sticks" is gonna take the dive for Ashcroft???