FBI agents 'lack skills to fight Islamic terror'

FBI counter-terrorism agents lack the language skills and cultural understanding needed to succeed, a high-profile whistleblower claims.

Bassem Youssef, a decorated FBI supervisor who was born in Egypt and speaks fluent Arabic, also said jealousy, discrimination and flawed directives hindered the bureau’s attempts to fight terrorism.

“The FBI has publicly stated that expertise in working counter-terrorism matters, and cultural understanding of the Middle East and the radical Islamic groups, as well as the language, are not necessary to run the counter-terrorism division,” said Youssef, speaking publicly for the first time on the subject at an American Library Association meeting in Philadelphia.

Mr Youssef, 49, the highest ranking Arab-American agent, has a discrimination case pending against the bureau. He has also raised concerns about the FBI’s alleged misuse of warrantless searches.

He cancelled plans to deliver prepared remarks, after what his lawyer called FBI censorship and threats of disciplinary action, and instead answered questions from the audience.

FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said speeches were reviewed to protect employees and classified information, but the agency respected its employees’ constitutional right to free speech.

Mr Youssef’s lawsuit, filed in 2004, alleges that he was passed over for several promotions after the September 11 2001 attacks despite his relevant skills and experience, including a stint in Saudi Arabia when he said he came to know Osama bin Laden’s brother.

The FBI denies discriminating against him and says it now has 46 agents and 285 language analysts who speak at least conversational Arabic.

“We have enough language qualified personnel to do our job, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want more and we are continuing our recruiting efforts in this area,” Mr Kolko said.

Mr Youssef earned a distinguished service medal from the CIA in 1994 after infiltrating the Islamic group led by blind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing.

In recent years, he has run an FBI communications analysis unit within the counter-terrorism division.

In July 2006, the US Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility concluded that the FBI had retaliated against Mr Youssef because of disclosures he made to the agency’s director and a member of Congress.

No trial date has been set for his discrimination lawsuit.