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September23,2011
StephanieDouglas
SpecialAgentinCharge
FBISanFrancisco
450GoldenGateAve.,13thFloor
SanFrancisco,CA94102
EMail:[email protected]
Fax:(415)2641770
RE:FBITrainingMaterialsonIslam,MuslimsandCounterTerrorism
SpecialAgentinChargeDouglas,
We,theundersignedSanFranciscoBayAreaorganizations,writetoyouwithgreatconcernregardingtheuseof
inaccurateandoffensivematerialstotrainagentsaboutIslam,Muslims,andcounterterrorism.
Arecentarticle
byWired.comfeaturingleakedFBIdocumentsrevealedthatagentsweretaughtinatrainingthattheProphet
MuhammadwasacultleaderandthatthereligiousobligationinIslamtogivecharityisnothingmorethana
fundingmechanismforcombat.1
Weareextremelyconcernedaboutthepotentialimpactofthistrainingand
similarlyinaccurateandoffensivetrainingmaterialsonSanFranciscoBayAreaFBIagentsandthecommunities
theyserve.
TheofficialFBIresponsefurtheraugmentedourapprehension.
Afterthisreportwasmadepublic,theFBI
claimedthistrainingsessionwasusedonetimeonlyandthetrainersservicesendedinApril2011.However,
earlierthisweekWired.comreleasedanotherreportshowingthesametrainerpresentingatanotherFBIevent
inNewYork,withnodiscernableimprovementincontent.2
Asyouknow,thetrainerinquestionisWilliam
Gawthrop,whoisemployedbytheFBIasanintelligenceanalyst.
BeforebeinghiredbytheFBI,Gawthrop
statedthathebelievesMuhammadsmindsetisasourceforterrorism.3ItisimportanttonotethatGawthrop
doesnothaveabackgroundoranycredentialsinthestudyofIslamnordoeshehaveexperienceinteracting
withMuslimcommunitiesintheUS.Assuch,heispatentlyunqualifiedtopresentonthesubject.
Wefear,however,thatGawthropstrainingmaybeonlythetipoftheiceberg.
FreedomofInformationAct
requestsmadelocallybytheAsianLawCaucus,AmericanCivilLibertiesUnionNorthernCaliforniaandSan
FranciscoBayGuardianhaveresultedinthediscoveryofadditionalinaccurateandoffensivetrainingmaterials
authoredandusedbyFBIagents.
OnePowerPointtraining,forexample,statedthatIslamtransforms[a]
countryscultureinto7thcenturyArabianways.4AnothertextbookclaimsthatregularvisitstotheMosquefor
prayerandsympathyfortheplightofPalestiniansaresomehowindicativeofmilitancy.
Theseteachings,in
additiontobeinginaccurateandprejudicial,havethepotentialtoimpedetheFirstAmendmentprotections
guaranteedbyourConstitution.
TheUSSenateCommitteeonHomelandSecurity&GovernmentalAffairshasexpressedconcernabout
antiMuslimtraininginaletterdemandingactionattheFBI,andacknowledgingtheimpactthistraininghason
localoffices.Theletterstatesinpart:
1SpencerAckerman.
FBITeachesAgents:MainstreamMuslimsAreViolent,Radical
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/09/fbimuslimsradical/all/12SpencerAckerman&NoahShachtman,FBITrainerSaysForgetIrrelevantAlQaeda,TargetIslam
3Id.Page2
4SpencerAckerman,FBIIslam101GuideDepictedMuslimsas7thCenturySimpletons,wired.com,July27,2011.Available
at:http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/07/fbiislam101guide/#more53126
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2
"Stateandlocallawenforcementoftenhavelittletonoguidancefromthefederal
governmentonwhatcounterterrorismtrainingshouldentail[and]Theresulthas
oftenbeencasesoftrainersspewinginaccurateorevenbigotedinformationtostate
andlocallawenforcementpersonnel,stigmatizingMuslimAmericansgenerally,andin
effect,lendingsupporttothefalsenarrativethatweare'atwar'withIslam.5
Justasgoodtrainingsresultingoodinvestigations,biasedtrainingswillinevitablyresultinbiasedinvestigations.
ThenumberofinstancesinwhichtheFBIhasusedinaccuratetrainingmaterialsaboutMuslimswhichmislead
agentshasmovedustocontactyou.Notethattheseconcernsarenotsimplyabstractquestionsabouttraining
materials,butratherarereflectiveoftheexperiencesofthecommunitiesandclientsweserve.Wecontinueto
hearcomplaintsfromdozensoflawabidingBayArearesidentsthatFBIagentsareaskingquestionsabouttheir
religiousandpoliticalbeliefsininterviews.Accordingly,wearerequestingthefollowing:
1.
Anaccountingofhowmany,ifany,FBIagentscurrentlyassignedtotheSanFranciscoBayAreaattendedtrainingsconductedbyGawthrop?Ifanydid,whatspecificstepshavebeentakentoreviewandensuretheir
workhasnotbeenaffectedbytheinaccurateandantiMusliminformationtheyreceived?Willtheyreceive
anyretrainingtocounteractthemessagingtheFBIhasstateditrejects?
2.
Howmany,ifany,ofthestateandlocalofficersassignedtothelocalJointTerrorismTaskForce(JTTF)havereceivedtrainingatQuantico?HaveanyofthemreceivedanyofthetrainingmentionedintheWiredstoriesand/ordocumentsreleasedtotheALCandACLU?
Ifanywereexposedtothismaterial,whichlocal
orstateagenciesdotheyrepresentandwhatstepsisyourofficetakingtoinformlocalelectedandlaw
enforcementofficialsthattheirpersonnelhavereceivedinappropriatetrainingfromtheFBI?
3.
GiventheserevelationsraiseadditionalquestionsaboutwhetherlocalofficersassignedtotheJTTFarereflectinglocalcommunityvaluesintheirwork,willyoupubliclycommittoensuring
asfederalofficials
didinPortlandthatlocalagenciescanparticipateintheJTTFundertheirownpoliciesandoversightrather
thanundertherestrictiveFBIMemorandumofUnderstanding?
Ifnot,willyoupubliclyexplainwhythis
solutionworksforPortlandbutnotfortheBayArea?
Biasedtrainingswasteresourcesandreflectpoorlyontheagencyasawhole.Inordertoprotectournational
security,lawenforcementofficersshouldbegiventhepropertoolstoassesssituationswithclearheaded
objectivity.Thesebiasedtrainingscreateaclimateofhysteria,confusionandmisunderstanding,whichdistracts
lawenforcementfromkeepingournationsafe.
Weappreciateyourofficeseffortstoprotectourcountryand
lookforwardtoatimelyresponsetoourquestionsandconcerns.
Sincerely,
AfghanAmericanBarAssociation
AmericanCivilLibertiesUnion,NorthernCalifornia
AmericanMuslimVoice
AsianLawAlliance
5RyanReilly,Lieberman,Collins:IfObamaWontDoSomethingAboutAntiMuslimCounterterrorismTraining,WeWill,
TalkingPointsMemo[TPM],September12,2011.Availableat:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/09/lieberman_collins_to_obama_if_you_dont_do_somet
hing_about_antimuslim_counterterrorism_training_we_will.php
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AsianLawCaucus
BayAreaAssociationofMuslimLawyers
ChristianPeaceWitness
CodePink
CouncilonAmericanIslamicRelations,SanFranciscoBayArea
FellowshipofReconciliation
FreedomArchives
GlobalExchange
InterfaithCoalitionofImmigrantRightsCLUECA
InterfaithCommunitiesUnited,EastBayHousingOrganizationsofOakland
JusticeforPalestinians
Lawyers'CommitteeforCivilRightsoftheSanFranciscoBayArea
LutheranPeaceFellowship
MicahsCall.org
MultifaithVoicesforPeace&Justice
MuslimAmericanSociety,BayAreaChapter
MuslimSupportNetwork
NationalLawyersGuildAntiRacismCommittee
NihonmachiOutreachCommittee,SanJoseNorthernCaliforniaIslamicCouncil
PaxChristi,EastSanJose
ThePeople'sTribunalOnRacismandPoliceViolence
SanJosePeaceandJustice
SiliconValleyAllianceforImmigrationReform
SouthAsianBarAssociationofNorthernCalifornia
CC: USAttorneyfortheNorthernDistrictofCalifornia,MelindaHaag
SanFranciscoMayorEdwinLee
SFPDPoliceChiefGregSuhr
Members,SanFranciscoBoardofSupervisors
Members,SanFranciscoHumanRightsCommission
Members,SanFranciscoPoliceCommission
