Whistle-blower accuses FBI of blocking memoir
A lawyer for FBI whistle-blower Sibel Edmonds said Tuesday the bureau's prepublication review office has adopted overly expansive restrictions that are preventing Edmonds from publishing a book about her life at the FBI.
Edmonds, once a contract linguist at the bureau, was fired a decade ago after complaining to FBI managers about shoddy wiretap translations and alleging that an interpreter with a relative at a foreign embassy might have compromised national security by blocking translations in some cases and notifying targets of FBI surveillance.
Edmonds sued for unlawful termination, but Attorney General John Ashcroft stopped her lawsuit by invoking the state secrets privilege. He said her claims might expose government secrets that could damage national security. Attorney Stephen Kohn said his client's book, "Classified Woman: The Sibel Edmonds Story," contains no classified information, yet has been under review by the bureau for the past year. Bureau regulations promise reviews will take only 30 working days. In all, reviews can cover a dozen different factors, which may significantly delay the 30-day limit, said FBI spokesman Paul Bresson.
