Sibel Edmonds Won't Give Up: Files New Lawsuit

[G_j]

http://www.antiwar.com/edmonds/?articleid=5233

FBI Whistleblower Edmonds Files New Lawsuit

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sibel Edmonds, a former FBI contract linguist who was terminated in 2002 after becoming a whistleblower regarding the 9/11 tragedy, today filed the most detailed lawsuit to date outlining her allegations. The complaint, filed under the Federal Torts Claims Act (FTCA), reveals for the first time details surrounding Ms. Edmonds' interactions with a former FBI colleague who raised suspicions by her perceived efforts to recruit the Edmonds into at least two Turkish organizations. Also disclosed are the names of those within the FBI who went out of their way to undercut Ms. Edmonds' concerns.

"With Sibel's prior litigation wrapped in secrecy by the government, this case will reveal for the first time the full extent of wrongdoing by the FBI, drawn entirely from its own internal investigation and unclassified sources," said Roy W. Krieger, of the Washington, D.C., law firm of Krieger & Zaid, PLLC, which specializes in national security cases and represents Edmonds. Anticipating the government's response, Krieger added that "the assertion of the state-secrets privilege in this case would be manifestly disingenuous because everything Sibel needs to prove in court in order to win is already stated in her complaint. Nothing is secret."

Ms. Edmonds' allegations of wrongdoing within the FBI translation unit were the subject of a two-year investigation by the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG). On July 21, 2004, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, notified the Senate Judiciary Committee that the DOJ OIG had completed its investigation and concluded that Edmonds' allegations "were at least a contributing factor" in her firing. Additionally, Director Mueller noted that DOJ Inspector General Glenn Fine also concluded that the FBI failed to "adequately pursue" Edmonds' allegations of espionage against a co-worker. The 100-page report was classified secret in its entirety.


However, in January 2005, the Justice Department released an unclassified summary of its classified OIG report. Contrary to the statements issued by Director Mueller, the DOJ OIG conclusions were far more damning. Mr. Fine's investigation found that many of Ms. Edmonds' accusations "were supported, that the FBI did not take them seriously enough, and that her allegations were, in fact, the most significant factor in the FBI's decision to terminate her services."


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