Sun editorial:

A shortage of talent

FBI needs more linguists to interpret foreign languages in terrorist and criminal probes

Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.

When the FBI conducts counterterrorism operations and criminal investigations, it gathers substantial material written or uttered in a foreign language. Digesting that material requires sufficient interpreters who can translate the information quickly and efficiently.

An audit released Monday by the inspector general’s office in the Justice Department reported, though, that the FBI is buried under vast backlogs of information that is not translated because the agency does not have enough interpreters.

The FBI in recent years failed to review one-quarter of the foreign language audio evidence and nearly one-third of the written material gathered in investigations, the audit found.

Audits in 2004 and 2005 also found backlogs, meaning this is a chronic problem that represents a significant hole in national security. That fact was not lost on Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who aptly criticized the agency for the “big hole” in its translation department, saying: “These shortcomings just make it harder to get the bad guys.”

His point is well taken because the failure to interpret foreign language material on a timely basis can give terrorists a greater ability to plot deadly activities under the radar.

Most troubling is that the FBI had 40 fewer linguists last year than in 2005, and has achieved its hiring goals in only two of 14 critical languages.

The FBI clearly should stop dragging its feet and do a better job recruiting and training interpreters. But it also needs some outside help.

Officials in the agency’s Language Service Section told auditors that the FBI has limited funding to improve its hiring practices and must compete with other intelligence agencies for linguists. We hope the Justice Department can persuade Congress to increase funding for additional linguists.

The Office of Management and Budget, which manages the federal budget and sets funding priorities, also should make sure the FBI gets its fair share of interpreters so it does not lag behind other intelligence agencies.

After all, the task of hunting down terrorists and other criminals should be a team effort.

Discussion: 8 comments so far…

By Future

10/29/09 at 2:25 a.m.

Suggest removal

Obama must be continuing the Bush secret wiretaps.

If he had not moved this out of the CIA into the FBI maybe we would not have this problem.
By dwms

10/29/09 at 3:25 a.m.

Comment removed by staff.
By Phargo

10/29/09 at 7:02 a.m.

Suggest removal

I think the whole problem can be solved in about 25 years. Start teaching 5 year old kids Spanish. In time everybody in the United States will be able to converse.
By Harley

10/29/09 at 11:12 a.m.

Suggest removal

Those engaged in espionage operations are the "bad guys," the "terrorists," the "criminals" of privacy, liberty and freedom.

"He who forfeits his liberties for the promise of security deserves neither". -- Benjamin Franklin

: (
By mred

10/29/09 at 12:45 p.m.

Suggest removal

maybe they can hire the lite in the loafers crowd that was kicked out of the military under Clinton's DADT
By Purgatory

10/29/09 at 12:59 p.m.

Suggest removal

Mr. Sun, do you merely visit 3rd grade classrooms, and ask the students to give their opinions and then sort of clean up the grammar?...please make an effort to connect the dots...explain it to us...give us a why...don't just 'expose' the problems...c'mon...
By Burrittobandit2

10/29/09 at 2:04 p.m.

Suggest removal

Holla Jose, do you speeka Ingush? Jus. Hired!!!
By samah

11/1/09 at 3:28 a.m.

Suggest removal

Anybody knows exactly what languages' interpretors they need?