Arabic Translator Charged with Fraud

Believed to be 40-ish and Moroccan, a former Arabic translator for the U.S. Army has been charged with making false statements to the FBI, Department of Defense officials, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service. The criminal complaint filed last week identified the interpreter as "FNU LNU" (first name unknown, last name unknown).

Although he has used the aliases Almaliki Nour, Abu Hakim, Noureddine Malki, and Almalik Nour Eddin and claimed to be a Lebanese citizen who fled to the U.S. when his home was bombed in the 1970s, the FBI and the Defense Department are sure of nothing. Essentially, everything known about FNU LNU is a fabrication that he has acknowledged.

After being hired by the Titan Corporation, a Pentagon contractor, FNU LNU was deployed to Iraq and assigned to interpret for various groups, including the intelligence unit of the 82nd Airborne Division. It's not clear what his motives were in fabricating the identity nor whether he misused the classified information he had access to while working with the military.

The fraud surfaced during ongoing security interviews conducted last month, resulting in his arrest. Despite the outcome of the FNU LNU case, the Defense Department needs to review its process for granting security clearances. If it were my call, some people would lose their jobs.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.