FBI Slow to Review Intercepted Communications

The FBI's collection of wiretapped phone calls and intercepted e-mail has been soaring in recent years, but the bureau is failing to review "significant amounts" of such material partly for lack of translators, according to a Justice Department report released Monday. "Not reviewing such material increases the risk that the F.B.I. will not detect information in its possession that may be important to its counterterrorism and counterintelligence efforts," said the report, which was issued by the office of the department's inspector general, Glenn A. Fine. In a statement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said that it was working to reduce its backlog of unreviewed audio recordings and electronic documents, and that it continued seeking to hire or contract with more linguists.