I don't think the FBI is actually incompetent. Maybe at the higher ranks, but at the basic level I'm pretty sure the FBI and the CIA are some of the most well trained people in the world. I think at the top ranks there are people who just don't care enough. If H.W. Bush can make it to the top, then there's got to be a lot of politics going on at the top.

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Is our children learning? -George W. Bush

"I think—tide turning—see, as I remember—I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of—it's easy to see a tide turn—did I say those words?"—Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

"[T]he illiteracy level of our children are appalling."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

There are millions of arab-americans, hundreds of thousands of whom speak arabic fluently. All the FBI can manage to get on the payroll is 33 guys who aren't even that fluent. Iraq was a priority with this administration from day one, and it's been 5 years since 9/11, that's a lot of lead time to onlly have 33 people on the payroll with the skills.

Either they are totally incompetant or they aren't really trying. There are people who speak arabic fluently and can understand the subtle nuances of particular dialects, that are driving cabs, do you think you might lure them away from the glamourous life of a cab driver, with a high paying office job, with great benefits?

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“ The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state.”

Adam Smith , The Wealth of Nations 1776

"We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics"
FDR's second Inaugural Address

I hear ya. I think it's the higher up who are at fault though. I don't think the average FBI agent has the authority to determine who and how to go about recruiting people. I would also have to wonder about how they are trying to encourage this from within. Are the managers offering promotions and a pay raise to learn the language? Probably not.

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Is our children learning? -George W. Bush

"I think—tide turning—see, as I remember—I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of—it's easy to see a tide turn—did I say those words?"—Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

"[T]he illiteracy level of our children are appalling."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004

k'sukdik sharmuta. Shoofee mafee?

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I think at this point there needs to be a focus on an immediate increase in spending and I think this is a time when deficit fear has to take a second seat . . . I believe later on there should be tax increases. Speaking personally, I think there are a lot of very rich people out there whom we can tax at a point down the road and recover some of the money."
-- Barney Frank, October 20, 2008

First, there's a president who hasn't asked how the intelligence program is going for at least six years. Oh, he talks about it in his speeches, so he is aware of the problem, he just doesn't do anything more than use it to scare people.
Because if the president was serious about counter terrorism, we would have more than 33 FBI agents who spoke some arabic.

Heres a guy who wants to listen in to millions of phone calls, does he expect them to speak english? Is there a flaw in a plan that taps a million phone calls and has less than 3 dozen people who can analyze them?

Unless he's really only interested in the callls that are in english?

__________________
“ The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state.”

Adam Smith , The Wealth of Nations 1776

"We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics"
FDR's second Inaugural Address