Winning hearts?

by Claude Salhani April 1, 2004

written by Claude Salhani April 1, 2004

A CIA job advertisement currently posted on the agency’s web site is offering up to $55,000 a year for “qualified and motivated Language Instructors of Arabic, Chinese, Dari/Pashto,” to work in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. And for “qualified individuals who are able to read and translate Arabic, Dari and/or Pashto into English to serve the CIA as Middle Eastern Language Specialists in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with limited opportunities in other areas,” the pay is even more interesting; up to $70,000 a year. For those Lebanese who fancy quadrupling their salary, there are basic qualification criteria: for a start you must be a US citizen. Furthermore, the vetting process is strict. Candidates must pass background security checks, a polygraph (lie detector) test, and so on. Even though in 2002, the FBI, reportedly had only 25 Arabic speakers, of the 73,000 resumes received by the NSA since 9/11, only

Claude Salhani

Claude Salhani (1952-2022) was a Lebanese, French, and American photographer and journalist, best known for his work with UPI and Reuters. He later served as the head of UPI Photos and as Foreign Desk Editor. Salhani gained widespread recognition for his powerful photographic coverage of significant historical events, including the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings. His career spanned major global events such as Black September, the Lebanese Civil War, and the Gulf War, marking him as one of the leading journalists of his time in conflict reporting. In addition to his international work, Salhani was also a journalist at Executive Magazine in Lebanon, further solidifying his influence in the region's media landscape.

Winning hearts?

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