FBI has trouble keeping up with intercept evidence

NY Times:

The F.B.I.’s collection of wiretapped phone calls and intercepted e-mail has been soaring in recent years, but the bureau is failing to review “significant amounts” of such material partly for lack of translators, according to a Justice Department report released Monday.

“Not reviewing such material increases the risk that the F.B.I. will not detect information in its possession that may be important to its counterterrorism and counterintelligence efforts,” said the report, which was issued by the office of the department’s inspector general, Glenn A. Fine.

In a statement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said that it was working to reduce its backlog of unreviewed audio recordings and electronic documents, and that it continued seeking to hire or contract with more linguists.

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Here I thought the military problem with getting linguists was its don't ask don't tell policy. I am pretty sure the FBI does not have such a policy.

The real problem if finding linguist that can pass a background check. I am sure that there are hundreds of "terps" in Iraq that would love the work. I suspect the same is true in Afghanistan. The problem is whether you can trust them to review classified material for an on going investigation.

In the meantime, we have to hope that there are no dots floating around in the unreviewed material that are connected to a planned mass murder for Allah event.