Shortages of Arab Interpreters Still a Problem

Arab interpreter security breach - got classified material while operating in Iraq.

An Arabic interpreter assigned to Iraq, fabricated his identity to gain regular access to classified material, and was arrested and jailed on October 13. He had been granted a "high-level clearance to access classified information."

He has worked with U.S. military forces in Iraq for the last two years but was actually employed by a private Pentagon contractor. He has been charged with making a number of false statements to FBI and Department of Defense officials, in addition to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. His real identity is unknown.

The interpreter claimed to be a Lebanese citizen who fled to the U.S. from Beirut in the late 1970s after his home was bombed. He was deployed to Iraq in late-2003; and he is believed to be 45 years of age and of Moroccan descent.

In 1993, he was granted permanent resident status by the INS as part of an amnesty program for aliens who had lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years. He was naturalized in February 2000.