David Szady, the senior FBI counter—intelligence officer heading up the pseudo—scandal investigation involving the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has a controversial background regarding Jews, according to a report by the prize—winning investigative journalist Edwin Black.
 
As background, we should recall that this media frenzy began a few weeks ago and, similar to the CBS Memogate affair, seems to be based on unreliable information and leaks. These stories were heavily criticized for creating a scandal where there appears to be none and ran the risk of inflaming anti—Semitism.
 
Now it appears that this sequence of events bears eerie similarity to a previous episode in Szady's past.
 
The story begins in 1996 when Adam Ciralsky joined the CIA legal staff. Within days, the CIA security personnel (according to documents obtained by Black) began a security file on Ciralsky. By early 1997, the CIA had created a "Jewish" resume on Ciralsky—listing teenage trips to Israel, his stint as a camp counselor at Milwaukee's Jewish Community Center camp, and a college minor in Judaic studies (his major in international studies was not mentioned).
 
One year later, Szady assumed his position as the chief of the CIA's Counterespionage group. Shortly thereafter, attempts began to terminate Ciralsky. Efforts to find incriminating evidence were unsuccessful so they were stepped up. Inquiries continued regarding his heritage: whether he was related to the Israeli President (a distant relative) was one of the questions posed. Disparaging remarks were made in this file concerning wealthy Jews donating to Israeli charities.
 
After numerous complaints and accusations by Jewish employees of discrimination at the Agency, George Tenet (the CIA head at the time) issued an apology and admitted that the investigation was tainted with anti—Semitism, was unprofessional, and did not follow customary CIA standards.

Ed Lasky   9 22 04