FBI under deluge of intercepted recordings

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2005

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The FBI is floundering under a deluge of intercepted conversation recordings as part of anti-terrorism and counter-espionage operations, a Senate committee was told.

About 27 percent of the 2.6 million hours of recordings made between 2002 and March of this year have not been analysed, according to a study by Justice Department official Glenn Fine. About seven percent involved terrorism and 33 percent spy intelligence.

One year ago, about 29 percent of the recordings had not been listened to.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller blamed a problem in recruiting analysts with special language skills, as well as a new management system, for the delays.

He told the Senate Judiciary Committee that since the report had...