Here follow four letters pertaining to the case of 9/11 whistleblower Sibel Edmonds, who has formed an alliance of many watchdog and 9/11 family groups in support of Whistleblower protection and the reinstatement of her suit against the FBI. Post 9/11 Ms. Edmonds discovered evidence that the FBI has in fact recieved specific warnings in April of 2001 of an attack involving airplanes on 4 or 5 American cities. The implications of this information surfacing and the cover-up by the government are obvious. --Kyle F. Hence, 9/11 CitizensWatch January 24, 2005

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL AND FACSIMILE

Joseph E. Schmitz
Inspector General
U.S. Department of Defense
400 Army Navy Drive Room 1000
Arlington, Virginia 22202-4704

Dear Mr. Schmitz:

I am writing on behalf of our client Sibel Edmonds who, since August 7, 2002, has been in touch with your office on several occasions to raise serious allegations of security concerns regarding Air Force Major Douglas Dickerson. In light of new information issued by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General, we reiterate Ms. Edmonds' request that the Department of Defense ("DoD") initiate and complete a thorough security investigation of Major Dickerson.

There exists credible documentary and witness evidence that Major Dickerson and his wife, Melek Can Dickerson, who formerly possessed access to TS/SCI through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, no longer possess the requisite degree of trust and integrity required to continue to have access to classified information. Indeed, our client believes Major Dickerson has committed numerous violations of the DoD Defense Personnel Security Program regulations. See, DOD Inspector General Regulation 5200.2-R. This would include activities that would render Major Dickerson subject to a revocation of his security clearance under the applicable adjudicatory guidelines involving, and perhaps not limited to, "allegiance to the United States", "foreign influence", "foreign preference", "personal conduct", "criminal conduct", "security violations", and "outside activities".

Based on her initial contact with your office, my client received a response letter dated August 22, 2002, that noted her complaint would be investigated under Hotline case number 85069. This was subsequently amended to include both case number 85069 and 85070. Less than three weeks later, Colonel James Worth, USAF, Director Inquiries Directorate, stated in a letter dated September 10, 2002, that there was "no evidence of any deviation from the scope of his [Major Dickerson] duties", and that "we have closed the matter". Ms. Edmonds contacted Colonel Worth's office, and was told that due to a request from the Department of Justice the matter had been transferred there. During this time, Major Dickerson and his wife left the country in September 2002, even though they were allegedly under investigation by the Department of Justice.

Subsequent contacts with your office that were initiated by Ms. Edmonds' prior counsel and the office of Senator Warner failed to achieve any substantive result. Your letter to Senator Warner dated April 16, 2004, claimed that no further inquiry is warranted, and that the Air Force Office of Special Investigation ("AFOSI") had interviewed Ms. Edmonds and investigated the allegations in 2002. However, this assertion is completely inaccurate.

The "interview" with Ms. Edmonds consisted of an unannounced visit to her home at which time she provided the agent only with the name and telephone number of her then attorney so that a proper interview could be arranged. However, her attorney was never contacted and therefore the interview never took place. It is inconceivable that the AFOSI could have completed a proper investigation without having interviewed the key witnesses, including and especially the individual who had filed the allegations that had led to the investigation.

As you know, I have handled many security clearance cases over the years and I am often involved in administrative and litigation cases that pertain to national security issues. Based on the historical record as I understand it, I am at a loss to explain the apparent failure of the DoD to take Ms. Edmonds' allegations seriously.

Nevertheless, you do not need to rely on my concerns and experiences for your basis to reopen and complete a proper and thorough investigation. The recent conclusions issued by your counterpart within the Department of Justice should be impetus enough to satisfy you that further action is warranted. Just last week, the DOJ-IG released its Unclassified Summary Report titled "A Review of the FBI's Actions in Connection With Allegations Raised By Contract Linguist Sibel Edmonds". A copy of the report is available online at http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/ oigspecr1.htm. Some of the conclusions included:

We found that many of Edmonds' core allegations relating to the co-worker [Melek Can Dickerson, wife of Major Douglas Dickerson] were supported by either documentary evidence or witnesses other than Edmonds.

[I]t is clear from the OIG's investigation that the facts giving rise to Edmonds' concerns could have been uncovered had the FBI investigated Edmonds' allegations further.

The majority of the allegations raised by Edmonds related to the actions of a co-worker [Melek Can Dickerson, wife of Major Douglas Dickerson]. The allegations raised concerns that, if true, could potentially have extremely damaging consequences for the FBI . These allegations warranted a thorough and careful review by the FBI.

Based on the public release of the above report, the FBI issued a statement on January 14, 2005, a copy of which is available at http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel05/011405.htm, claiming its investigation was continuing. Obviously, the references to the FBI and its investigation pertain predominantly, if not entirely, to its former contract linguist Melek Can Dickerson, and not to her husband. However, her husband, as an active Air Force Officer, remains under the control and authority of the Department of Defense, particularly with respect to his security clearance, and it is the DoD's responsibility to investigate his activities. This is particularly so when serious allegations of misconduct have been raised.

Please be reminded that Senators Patrick Leahy and Charles Grassley previously publicly revealed that the "FBI has confirmed that the contract linguist had 'unreported contacts' with [a] foreign official," and that the FBI confirmed many of Ms. Edmonds' allegations concerning the Dickersons. Copies of the letters sent by the Senators are enclosed for your convenience. Yet, as far as is known, Major Dickerson's activities and conduct have never been investigated and he remains able to access TS/SCI without regard to the potential risks to the national security interests of the United States that this causes.

Particularly in light of the damning conclusions issued by the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General, Ms. Edmonds' once again requests that your office initiate an investigation into the conduct and activities of Major Dickerson. Ms. Edmonds and her husband, who also possesses pertinent information, are available and willing to fully cooperate with the Department. All interview and information requests should, of course, appropriately be coordinated through our office.

I look forward to hearing from you soon, and to having Ms. Edmonds assist your office's efforts to protect the national security interests of the United States.

Sincerely,
Mark S. Zaid

Enclosures
cc: Defense Security Service
Office of Special Investigations
U.S. Department of Air Force
Senator Patrick Leahy
Senator Charles Grassley
Sibel Edmonds

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Letter To Senator John Warner

January 25, 2005

Senator John Warner, Chairman
U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services
228 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

RE: Major Douglas Dickerson.

Dear Senator Warner:

As you are aware, I have contacted your office several times regarding this matter, and wish to thank you again for your past efforts in contacting the Department of Defense. However, there still does not appear to have been a serious effort on the part of DoD to properly investigate this very serious issue; and they have given you a run-around in response to each of your inquiries, as is evidenced by their letter dated April 16, 2004 (copy attached). Their statement that AFOSI "interviewed" me during 2002 is misleading at best. The "interview" with me consisted of an un-announced visit to my home, during which I gave the "interviewer" the name and phone number of my attorneys so that a proper interview could be arranged; my attorneys were never contacted and the interview never occurred. How is it possible for the DoD-IG to claim that AFOSI conducted a serious investigation without having even interviewed key witnesses?

The DOJ-IG has just issued its Unclassified Summary report - January 2005 - titled "A Review of the FBI's Actions in Connection With Allegations Raised By Contract Linguist Sibel Edmonds". Which states, in part "We found that many of Edmonds' core allegations relating to the co-worker [Melek Can Dickerson, wife of Major Douglas Dickerson] were supported by either documentary evidence or witnesses other than Edmonds [emphasis added]". (10) (copy available at http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/igspecr1.htm )

Given the serious nature of the issues involved, including possible espionage against the United States by a member of the Armed Forces and/or his wife, I cannot understand nor accept the failure of the DoD to properly investigate. The DOJ-IG report does confirm my allegations, and the FBI itself has stated that it is now investigating Melek Can Dickerson. It is time for the DoD to quit stalling.

I am attaching a copy of my attorney's letter to the DoD-IG, with its attachments, again requesting a thorough investigation of Major Dickerson. I also request that in your capacity as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, with oversight responsibility, you take whatever action you deem necessary to insure that the DoD does what it has failed to date to do - properly conduct a thorough investigation of Major Douglas Dickerson. I stand ready to do my part to assist you and the DoD in your efforts to protect the security interests of the United States.

Sincerely yours,
Sibel D Edmonds

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September 2002 Letter to Alberto Gonzales

September 3, 2002

Via Fax to: 202-456-6279

Alberto Gonzales, White House Counsel
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. Gonzales:

I wish to bring to your attention a very urgent and serious security matter involving Major Douglas Dickerson, who is currently on assignment for the Department of the Air Force at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., and who is scheduled to depart the U.S. September 6 or 7 for assignment in Belgium, and his wife, Melek Can Dickerson.

Major Dickerson and his wife are currently under investigation in the U.S. for security related issues that are breaches of U.S. Department of Defense security regulations. Misconduct and serious security breaches caused by Mrs. Dickerson while she was employed by FBI are currently under investigation by the U. S. Senate Judiciary Committee and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General. Mrs. Dickersons activities at the FBI raise serious doubts concerning security in the FBI's WFO language department, and bring into question the ability of the department to provide effective translation services in the war on terrorism.

For further information matter, attached are copies of; a letter from the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, my letter to Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, statements issued by the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy, and a senior Judiciary Committee member, Senator Charles Grassley. Also attached are copies of recent Washington Post and Cox News Service articles.

The immediate urgency is that the Dickersons, who are the key figures in this matter, are leaving the U.S. September 6 or 7. Mrs. Dickerson holds dual citizenships, and once she leaves the U.S. there is no assurance that she can ever be brought back when the need arises. At the very least, the Dickersons should be required to remain in the U.S. until a thorough investigation has been completed and all issues resolved.

If you have any questions or desire additional information, please do not hesitate to contact my attorneys: David K. Colapinto and Stephen M. Kohn, at Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, P.C., 3233 P Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007-2756; telephone: (202) 342-6980; fax: (202) 342-6984.

Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter.

Sincerely yours,

Sibel D Edmonds

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