FBI Arab translators cheered Sept. 11

WND ^ | 1/7/04 | Paul Sperry

[Jeff Head]

Dang...don't wait. Go ahead and get Volume III at either Amazon or at Barnes & Noble. It's a real clincher and contains critical info and gripping accounts that lead to Vol. IV. Youll really like that read and get knock down two one after the other.

[Squantos]

OK........ but remind me to bring it to dinner so ya can ink it up fer me !

Stay safe !

[Jeff Head]

I'll be happy to. it'll be the ole John Henry routine next time through.

[Travis McGee]

Dang! I gotta get on the ball and make an E-book!

[B4Ranch]

"When I read stuff like this and couple it with things like the proposed immigration policy, I am afraid if anything, that reality could be much worse."

The correction is so simple that I get angry about it.

Have two teams reading the same Intel, UNKNOWN to each other. When one team continues to label material 'not pertinent to be translated' that the other team with good reason finds pertinent, you know who your traitors are. Quietly execute them and continue the program.

[PoorMuttly]

Yes...anthropologists worry about "interviewer bias" and there needs to be a system of redundancy to get at ALL the local meanings of a word, concept or phrase....because there are even assumptions and references made by native speakers which another person from elsewhere would not even suspect.

Let us hope that our Gov't does a better job than even the academics...who are limited by budgets, too. This is critical stuff.

[Squantos]

First thing I learned in Arabic was "Kel Zeggi".........aka......... "consume cowpie" !

After that it was all traffic circle slang and screaming threats and questions as to who is making moonshine (sediki) and such. I was into the nuances of the verbage fer sure..........;o).....What I could'nt get across the launguage barrier I forced with gun barrel diplomacy ! With a little help from a Randall 14.

Stay Safe !

[PoorMuttly]

Randall is a helpful person.

[Squantos]

I'm wasting some time watchin CSPAN...The RATS are all lying to each other and wandering around looking confused. Really funny stuff to hear their reasoning and watch em scurry about.

Stay Safe !

[PoorMuttly]

You must be
A)a very tolerant person
B)someone who takes amusement in the shameful self-degradation of the less fortunate
C)a guy with a lot of extra t.v.s, and ammunition

[MissAmericanPie]

This doesn't suprise me. D.C. and every agency in it is broken and corrupt beyond repair. No agency fulfills the reason they were created in the first place to the tune of billions of taxpayer dollars, in fact they actively work against the reason they were created to the detriment and danger of the American citizen.

And here Ashcroft and by default Ridge are attempting to sweep it all under the carpet.

[Squantos]

It's actually funny stuff....watching some POS call an 800 number and repeat out loud his PIN number for the cameras to report the vote. Albeit a delayed recording it's just damn funny !

Did shoot a TV with the 460 Weatherby Magnum once though.....all it took was once of course and it was dead ! BTW check out Knoxx.com for new recoil pad for gunstocks.

Stay Safe !

[geopyg]

I was 19 (once long ago) and went to a language school in Norway for 4 (maybe 6 weeks). Afterwards I went hiking. Was buying some snacks at one of the mountain huts (ordering in Norwegian). The gal asked me what kind of chocolate bar I wanted, but I couldn't understand her (all I knew in Norwegian was "chocolate bar"!), so I asked her if she spoke English. She said, "Are you a Norwegian that speaks English"? I said no - I'm an American that speaks some Norwegian. I imagine growing up in Minnesota helped with the accent! Don't know if I'd want to risk my life as a spy on only 6 months of training though.

[expatguy]

You are correct in how things should be done, but it not being done like this and like I said, translators are the least of your worries.

A lot of the current intelligence data is actually being processed overseas by other governments and so the information that you get is in reality what someone else wants you to get.

Americans should be up in arms over the fact that Osama Bin Laden and his supporters are allowed to travel back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is clearly an intelligence problem.

My suggestion would be for the US government to try to make use of US citizens who live and work overseas. Or at least have a few people stationed overseas in each country that work independently of the embassy and State department.

Because of my work, I have been overseas now for almost 20 years and I find it extremely frustrating many times that our intelligence network is so completely dependent on foreigners and foreign governments.

Do you expect that foreigners truly have your best interest in mind? Do you think that paying them buys their loyalty or their disdain? The truth is that you make yourself out to be a idiot and you gain no one's respect.

There should be a very deep shame when you have one of your own loyal citizens that knows more about Al Qaeda's operations in a particular country that you do and yet you choose to rely on a citizen of that country to provide intelligence information for you. This is not "intelligence", this is sheer "stupidity" like some kind of politically correct intelligence gathering gone mad.

If you need someone to translate that speaks, reads and writes Farsi or Arabic them look for an loyal AMERICAN citizen FIRST instead of a foreigner. Our government automatically gravitates toward a foreigner each and every time. Why?

I know caucasians that speak, read and write better Chinese that Chinese Americans.

The excuse sometimes seems to be that there is a "shortage", that is a complete crock of BS. There is no "shortage" ~ logic would seem to dictate that if you can't find one in America then you might find one overseas.

[The Westerner]

Great post. Maybe the cause is the anti-American attitude that exists in the CIA. Maybe the CIA feels a kinship with the foreign attitude vs. the pro-American one. Maybe the CIA is ashamed of its Americanism and bought into the idea of the "ugly American" back in the 60's. Any agency that would have George Bush I as its head has to be a weak operation, IMO.

[B4Ranch]

"My suggestion would be for the US government to try to make use of US citizens who live and work overseas. "

Being a citizen won't guarantee patriotism.

"I know caucasians that speak, read and write better Chinese that Chinese Americans."

But we must have Diversity in our Bureau! /sarcasm

[Squantos]

Excellant points......I think I covered most of that in my post above......When I lived in Italy for 4 years I learned to speak and discuss issues with the locals and learn their way of life and such. It worked well for me. I did the same when I lived in the Gulf Region for 2 years. I still have my kindergarden level arabic lesson books that locals gave me to learn from as they did. Spending a few hours a day with em and making them "teach me" their language and slang added to what I would read and study on my own time.

I'm of the opinion ,as are you, that Americans working and living in the regions should be employed as NOC sources of intel for RAW data.

Stay Safe !

[PoorMuttly]

Hey, that Knoxx stuff looks great! I NEED the slings a LOT for every day use.

So...what was on the t.v. when it needed shootin'?

The best t.v. destruction I almost witnessed...since I decided (fighting temptation) to prevent it...was when a rock musician shooting his video brought in a t.v. and cheap chromed battle-axe....he said..."O.K...plug it in"...when we protested (smirking)..he said..."we can put electrical tape on the handle!"
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Please Insert PIN# Here - to continue with Important Muttly Communication -
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[Squantos]

Trust me on this one.....after humping everything from M60's to ruger 10-22's thru boonies and brush the best single cheap solution for all who carry for "hunting" is a Uncle Mikes Neoprene and Nylon web sling. I still have the standard issue leather on my M1A and garand and AR's but when I have to walk into a hunting area or wear the rifle while draggin my deer out to the road I love the Uncle Mikes Neoprene and web slings.

Cheap, durable and comfy !

Gotta get outta here for now will check back this PM !........Stay safe !

[eno_]

I do NOT want to believe this story.

NOW do you see why many people here are VERY VERY critical of the domestic component of the War on Terror? Maybe the clowns at the FBI and HSA deserve criticism.