Audio excerpts from a depositon by FBI Director Robert Mueller given on April 26 and obtained by The Associated Press. Meuller was interviewed as part of a lawsuit brought by agent Bassem Youssef, who says he was passed over for top counterterrorism jobs at FBI headquarters despite his expertise.

On seeking language skills at the FBI: Mueller tells questioner Stephen Kohn that a lack of knowledge of Middle Eastern culture or arabic language skills is no barrier to advancement in the field of counterterrorism at the FBI.
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On Mueller's own expertise in Middle Eastern terrorism: Mueller tells Kohn he was unaware of the role blind cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman played in Osama bin Laden's life.
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On Mueller's guidance to top FBI managers to seek out counterterrorism experts: Mueller tells Kohn he left it to his managers to make their best efforts in hiring staff after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
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On Mueller's selection of Gary Bald as the FBI's executive assistant director in charge of terrorism: Mueller tells Kohn Bald's experience in Baltimore as special agent in charge (SAC) and working on the D.C. sniper case gave him terrorism experience.
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