Sibel Edmonds Sues for Release of 9/11 Info

[G_j]

http://www.antiwar.com/news/?articleid=3629

Whistleblower Sues for Release of 9/11 Info

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sibel Edmonds, a former FBI contract linguist who was terminated in 2002 after becoming a whistleblower regarding the 9/11 tragedy, filed a lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts (FOIPA). The complaint seeks to compel the release of a secret investigative report, and related documents, compiled by the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Inspector General (OIG). The DOJ OIG investigated Edmonds' allegations for more than two years and has failed to abide by repeated promises – including those provided to Senators Charles Grassley (R, Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D, Vt.) in June 2002 – to complete its investigation in a timely fashion and release its findings.

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, DOJ Inspector General Glenn Fine also concluded that the FBI failed to "adequately pursue" Edmonds' allegations of espionage against a coworker. Although the DOJ promised the Committee that a declassified summary would be released, and notwithstanding the fact that Edmonds' FOIA request was granted expedited processing by the government in July 2004, to date not one page has been released.

"The Justice Department has continually sought to cover up the FBI's misconduct with respect to Sibel Edmonds. When the documents are eventually released, they will likely reveal that the government once again improperly abused the classification process," said Edmonds' attorney Mark S. Zaid, who is the Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C., law firm of Krieger & Zaid, PLLC, which specializes in national security cases. Zaid added that the Justice Department's classification assertions were primarily prompted by a desire to gain a litigation advantage against Edmonds.

Edmonds' efforts to expose the FBI's misconduct and the retaliation she has suffered has been plagued by the government's zealous and excessive classification of information. Although Edmonds' specific allegations were the subject of several unclassified congressional meetings held in 2002, the Justice Department refuses to allow her to discuss the information. In June 2004, the FBI notified all staff members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that the information was now considered classified. The FBI's move, allegedly at the behest of the Justice Department, prompted Senators Grassley and Leahy to remove two of their letters regarding Edmonds from their public Web sites. According to the e-mail notification, the government took this action because of "civil litigation in which the FBI is seeking to quash certain information."

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[G_j]

1. kick

[H2O Man]

2. Great news!

It would be nice to see the information that she has spoken of see the light of day.

[Stone_Spirits]

3. Go Sibel !

she just won't back down. Thank you Sibel Edmonds!

[LisaLynne]

4. Good luck to her!!!

I'm telling ya, it's all about people who won't give up, even when the government tries to silence them.

[cthrumatrix]

5. I'm sure faux will pick up this plea and fight for justice.......NOT

[G_j]

6. AP story

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20040922-1459-attacks-fbitranslators.html

Fired FBI translator sues over government records

By Ted Bridis

ASSOCIATED PRESS
2:59 p.m. September 22, 2004

WASHINGTON – An FBI contract linguist who alleged there were security lapses in the bureau's translator program sued the Justice Department on Wednesday to compel its inspector general to disclose results of an investigation into her firing.


The inspector general, Glenn Fine, has said he would work toward releasing parts of his office's investigation involving Sibel Edmonds, who was fired in April 2002. The report, classified at the "secret" level, has circulated among the FBI, Justice Department, the 911 Commission and some lawmakers on oversight committees.

"We're continuing to work aggressively with the FBI and the department to produce an unclassified version of this report," said Paul K. Martin, the deputy inspector general. "This lawsuit will have no impact on our efforts to achieve that end, efforts that are ongoing and vigorous."

Martin noted that his office cannot lawfully release the report because it was based on material classified as secret by the FBI. Under federal rules, the classifying agency must agree to the information's disclosure.


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