August 21, 2007.
Why is the government of the United States of America so suspicious of area studies students? And why have 12 of 14 applicants from a certain area studies program failed the security clearance process? It’s not just any area studies program. It is one that includes Afghanistan. These students, either with a Master’s or with a PhD in the works, have been told that they are insufficiently loyal to work in any sort of job that requires a security clearance.
Pic: Did someone drop this?
I have been at or affiliated with this area studies program for a long time, since before 9-11 actually (when people would say directly to me that my planned studies were “stupid”). Soon after 9-11 I was pointed to a photo in a newspaper of an alumnus of my program trying to look inconspicuous in Afghanistan while wearing civilian clothes and dodging incoming fire. I thought at that moment that my program would surely serve as a great resource in the years to come. But fast-forward 6 years and out of fourteen applicants that I’m aware of only two have passed the security clearance process.
The students applied to the CIA, NSA, State Department and the US military. The rejections came for a variety of reasons:
1. Participation in a study abroad program in Turkey.
2. Dated a Chinese girl for a few months.
3. Friends with a non-Persian Iranian who has been an American for quite some time.
4. Currently dating a girl from an extremely moderate “Muslim” country.
5. Taught English in Turkey.
6. Studied in Kazakhstan.
7. Dual citizenship with NATO country.
8. Married to a foreigner.
9. Polygraph examiners rejected guy who was too calm.
10. Dated someone from Latin America.
11. Traveled in the Middle East.
12. Etc….
I know these people and I can assure you that if Al Qaeda approached them with a bag full of coke and a roll of cash, they would not be persuaded to betray their country. If you say that “too bad, the requirements are rightfully strict.” I would point out that the US government is in no position to have such standards. This is not like applying to be a Navy flier along with many other extremely qualified candidates. I have met people in our intelligence community and they are good people, but they do not compare to someone who speaks Farsi-Dari and Uzbek and has studied the region in-depth for the last five years.
The trend that is emerging is one of rejecting anyone who has spent any amount of time overseas or who has any friends from countries where people name their kids Muhammad (or Ahmet or Aslanbek). The fact that loyal and over-qualified people are being rejected is not new. Everybody knows this. Even people on the inside of this process will acknowledge that it is a broken system. The paranoia left over from the Cold War is still in the bureaucratic machinery. But this is not the 1950s where numerous Americans had Soviet sympathies. This is 2007 and you won’t find many Americans looking to hook-up with Al Qaeda or the Taliban.
And the two people who made it through? One had prior military service and the other didn’t do anything different than many people who were rejected. Perhaps he got in through their inconsistency.
PS: In my opinion one person deserved to fail. But every other person would be a strong asset and a loyal patriot. Also, I’ve not included people who were told “thanks, but no thanks” based on non-security related reasons.
Pic: This is my security clearance.
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