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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Everette Jordan

Aired November 09, 2003 - 09:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: It's a critical shortage at a critical time. There are not enough Arab-speaking government linguists to translate sensitive documents and tapes. So the CIA and the FBI have a plan to tackle the backlog. A plan some consider radical and risky.
A language specialist for the National Security Agency, Everette Jordan, is now director of the National Virtual Translation Center. Good morning to you. Thanks for being with us, Mr. Jordan.

Tell us, what is this new center all about? What will happen there?

EVERETTE JORDAN, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL VIRTUAL TRANSLATION CENTER: This new center is a virtual concept that we had put together through the Congress and the director of Central Intelligence and the director of the FBI. What we wanted to be able to do was get information to translators across the country wherever they are who can translate national security information that is unclassified, as well as classified.

Not everything that we will be sending out is classified. And the things that are will be held in controlled areas. But one of the things that we want to be able to do is reach those translators who can't come to Washington or can't travel overseas.

This is a new concept. And the way we'll do that -- historically, we have always done something that involves bringing people to Washington, or bringing people overseas, or bringing them to the material. This time we are bringing the material to them.

COLLINS: But, there are a couple other things that are in question about how this will be done and who will be chosen to do it. What about the screening process? What about possible infiltration as far as someone coming and wanting to do a job like this, but really not knowing who they are? Can you talk to us about that screening process?

JORDAN: Oh, yes. The screening process we use right now is the FBI's process. The FBI is supporting us, and the background investigations and all of the testing, and the elicitation that we ask anyone who is coming in to work with the National Virtual Translation Center. There will be a national agency check for warrants, credit history, work history and affiliations that we do for everyone who is going to be coming in, whether we are going to be allowing them a top secret clearance or not. This is the first step in bringing folks in. So we are doing our best to weed out the unsavory elements that might try to infiltrate even an NVTC type of operation.

COLLINS: But in fact, just to be clear, this is actually the lowest level of security clearance, is it not?

JORDAN: Yes, it is. It's the lowest level of security clearance. And the information that we'll be sending to them is not -- it's not classified. And the security clearance issue is -- a security clearance has to do with secret and top secret.

The information that we are doing is a check. If we are going to put someone through for security clearance for top secret, that's going to take several months, and perhaps a year, depending on when the person comes in, what their background is, and what they intend to do and what we need from them.

COLLINS: Let me ask you, just so people understand. How bad is the shortage? I mean, how many people are you looking for, for help here?

JORDAN: Oh, we're looking for hundreds of people. The issue here is not just the language. It has to do with various subject areas within the language.

We need translators who are capable of understanding legal terms, medical terms, financial terms, biological, chemical terms, military, paramilitary. It's very diverse. It's not just a matter of knowing the language, but having the skill to translate that language that we really need people in, and also the specific subject areas. And for that, you never have enough people to do this.

COLLINS: Well, in fact, you bring up a good point. I'm just curious what your reaction is. Back about a year ago, I believe it was November 14th of last year, there were level linguists, a number of nine that I have in my information here. Six of them who spoke Arabic who were released from the Army because they had admitted to being gay. Is that the sort of thing something that really takes a toll on how many people cannot only help with the situation but then train others as well?

JORDAN: Well, that specific issue, that's a U.S. Army issue. For the NVTC, we take anyone who is qualified. If they apply, we check them out, we test them for their skills in both the language that they claim to know, as well as English composition.

We do background checks on them. If everything is fine, everything is fine. We hire qualified people, whoever they are and wherever they are coming from. As long as they're U.S. citizens, of course.

COLLINS: All right. Everette Jordan, we appreciate your time this morning talking to us.

JORDAN: Oh, this has been great. COLLINS: All right. Talking to us about the American translators conference and what will happen with the National Virtual Translation Center. Appreciate your time.

JORDAN: Oh, you got it. Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 9, 2003 - 09:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: It's a critical shortage at a critical time. There are not enough Arab-speaking government linguists to translate sensitive documents and tapes. So the CIA and the FBI have a plan to tackle the backlog. A plan some consider radical and risky.
A language specialist for the National Security Agency, Everette Jordan, is now director of the National Virtual Translation Center. Good morning to you. Thanks for being with us, Mr. Jordan.

Tell us, what is this new center all about? What will happen there?

EVERETTE JORDAN, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL VIRTUAL TRANSLATION CENTER: This new center is a virtual concept that we had put together through the Congress and the director of Central Intelligence and the director of the FBI. What we wanted to be able to do was get information to translators across the country wherever they are who can translate national security information that is unclassified, as well as classified.

Not everything that we will be sending out is classified. And the things that are will be held in controlled areas. But one of the things that we want to be able to do is reach those translators who can't come to Washington or can't travel overseas.

This is a new concept. And the way we'll do that -- historically, we have always done something that involves bringing people to Washington, or bringing people overseas, or bringing them to the material. This time we are bringing the material to them.

COLLINS: But, there are a couple other things that are in question about how this will be done and who will be chosen to do it. What about the screening process? What about possible infiltration as far as someone coming and wanting to do a job like this, but really not knowing who they are? Can you talk to us about that screening process?

JORDAN: Oh, yes. The screening process we use right now is the FBI's process. The FBI is supporting us, and the background investigations and all of the testing, and the elicitation that we ask anyone who is coming in to work with the National Virtual Translation Center. There will be a national agency check for warrants, credit history, work history and affiliations that we do for everyone who is going to be coming in, whether we are going to be allowing them a top secret clearance or not. This is the first step in bringing folks in. So we are doing our best to weed out the unsavory elements that might try to infiltrate even an NVTC type of operation.

COLLINS: But in fact, just to be clear, this is actually the lowest level of security clearance, is it not?

JORDAN: Yes, it is. It's the lowest level of security clearance. And the information that we'll be sending to them is not -- it's not classified. And the security clearance issue is -- a security clearance has to do with secret and top secret.

The information that we are doing is a check. If we are going to put someone through for security clearance for top secret, that's going to take several months, and perhaps a year, depending on when the person comes in, what their background is, and what they intend to do and what we need from them.

COLLINS: Let me ask you, just so people understand. How bad is the shortage? I mean, how many people are you looking for, for help here?

JORDAN: Oh, we're looking for hundreds of people. The issue here is not just the language. It has to do with various subject areas within the language.

We need translators who are capable of understanding legal terms, medical terms, financial terms, biological, chemical terms, military, paramilitary. It's very diverse. It's not just a matter of knowing the language, but having the skill to translate that language that we really need people in, and also the specific subject areas. And for that, you never have enough people to do this.

COLLINS: Well, in fact, you bring up a good point. I'm just curious what your reaction is. Back about a year ago, I believe it was November 14th of last year, there were level linguists, a number of nine that I have in my information here. Six of them who spoke Arabic who were released from the Army because they had admitted to being gay. Is that the sort of thing something that really takes a toll on how many people cannot only help with the situation but then train others as well?

JORDAN: Well, that specific issue, that's a U.S. Army issue. For the NVTC, we take anyone who is qualified. If they apply, we check them out, we test them for their skills in both the language that they claim to know, as well as English composition.

We do background checks on them. If everything is fine, everything is fine. We hire qualified people, whoever they are and wherever they are coming from. As long as they're U.S. citizens, of course.

COLLINS: All right. Everette Jordan, we appreciate your time this morning talking to us.

JORDAN: Oh, this has been great. COLLINS: All right. Talking to us about the American translators conference and what will happen with the National Virtual Translation Center. Appreciate your time.

JORDAN: Oh, you got it. Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com