Transcript Excerpt from CNN Paula Zahn 1-14-2005
ZAHN: A Justice Department report out today backs up much of what a whistle blower told us last year about lax security and the FBI's translator program after 9/11.
Sibel Edmonds says her complaints got her fired. Last August, Edmonds told me that she had warned her FBI supervisors about a colleague she claims had a connection to a group on an FBI watch-list.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIBEL EDMONDS, FBI WHISTLE BLOWER: This particular translator was hired by the bureau and was granted top-secret clearance.
A few months after she was hired, the agent in charge of her translation unit realized that translation to certain targets of FBI, hundreds of pages of translations were all marked as not pertinent to be translated.
So the agent decided to double-check and find out if actually there were some pertinent information there that was blocked, and sure enough, there were many. Well, how many others are there?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Well, today's report from the Justice Department's inspector general did not determine whether Edmonds' charges of espionage were true, but it did criticize how the FBI dealt with those accusations.
The report reads, in part, "With regard to some of Edmonds' allegations, the Office of Inspector General did not find evidence to support her allegations or the inferences that she drew from certain facts. However, Edmonds' assertions regarding a co-worker, when viewed as a whole, raised substantial questions and were supported by various pieces of evidence." The report also says the FBI has still not adequately investigated her claims.
Let's welcome back Sibel.
So first of all, what is your reaction to this report? What does this mean?
EDMONDS: Well, actually, this is a pretty good report. It basically verifies most of the core issues that I reported, the allegations that I took to the inspector general's office. And considering that this is an unclassified version of the report, I believe it vindicates my case and my allegation.
ZAHN: So if that's the case, do you want your job back at the FBI?
EDMONDS: Well, not only that, Paula, I want these issues to become public. First of all, the American people, they have the right to know. No. 2, I'm demanding accountability, rightfully so. And, of course, yes, I do want to get my job back.
ZAHN: Pursuing these charges have come at a great personal cost to you. What has been the most hurtful part of this process for you? EDMONDS: Well, actually, coming to this realization that the system doesn't work the way we are told it works, the way people point out or you thought that you're studying your Civic 101, that by just going around and voting and basically paying your taxes, you can't assume that your system is going to stay in place and work right.
However, there has been some good positive stuff, too, that has -- that has come through this case.
ZAHN: What impact do you think this report today will have on other potential whistle-blowers out there? They've seen what you've gone through to try to substantiate some of these allegations. It hasn't been a picnic?
EDMONDS: No, it hasn't, but I encourage people to actually do that.
On the other hand, with this report, it's discouraging to see that, well, potential whistle-blowers would look at it and say, "All right, you come forward and you notify the authorities of wrongdoings or criminal activities and now what happens? Is -- even after you're vindicated, these issues are not still being investigated and nobody's held accountable. So what am I going to do this for? Because I'm going to be retaliated against, I'm going to get fired. Yet they're not doing anything to correct these problems."
ZAHN: Which is why you filed a number of lawsuits?
EDMONDS: Correct.
ZAHN: Was is it that you want to get out of those if you're successful? You say it's more than wanting your job back. You want to see some policies change at the FBI. What else?
EDMONDS: Well, absolutely. No. 1, what I want is I want the American people to know the truth. And this has to do with the semi- legit organizations that I have referred to and also the wrongdoings and criminal activities that have not been exposed to the state.
No. 2, I want our Congress to do their jobs. I want them to exercise their oversight responsibility, to truly, you know, do it rather than just referring to it.
And also, I mean, as you know, without the transparency and accountability, basically we are not going to achieve anything, either in terms of securities or other issues. So that -- that's the place I'm heading toward.
ZAHN: I know in our last interview, you'd described what it's like to have your credibility constantly chiseled away at by a bureaucracy. You always felt that you were going to prevail. Was there any point of this where you thought you might break?
EDMONDS: Sometimes, yes. But on the other hand, I usually tell people, I have lived in other countries, where you can't even dream about what this country, what our country here offers, in terms of, as I said, of freedom of speech and your constitutional rights here, your civil liberties, your transparency, accountability.
Now we need to work it at. We need to have it preserved, because currently that is not working. And I believe, I feel as if I have more reason to stand for these issues and say, "You know what? The system is not working the way it's supposed to be working."
ZAHN: All right. Sibel, we've got to leave it there this evening. Sibel Edmonds, thanks for your time.
We should make it clear to all of you out there that we contacted the FBI for response to the findings in the inspector general's report, and the bureau issued this statement.
"The FBI has placed its Language Services Program within the Directorate of Intelligence, where language specialists and contract linguists are now a part of the FBI's intelligence career service."
That statement also addressed the issue of Sibel Edmonds' charges: "After the OIG's initial classified report, the FBI conducted further investigation into Ms. Edmonds' allegations. That investigation is continuing."
And finally, regarding whistle-blowers, "Director Mueller reiterated his commitment to protecting from retaliation all employees, including contractors, detainees, task force members or other personnel who work with the FBI and who raise good faith concerns."
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