Nada Nadim Prouty
Encyclopedia
Nada Nadim Prouty, née Al-Aouar (born c. 1970) is a former American intelligence professional of Lebanese
descent who worked in counter-terrorism with the FBI and CIA. She worked on high profile cases like the USS Cole bombing
and was stationed in Baghdad during the Iraq War. She resigned after a government investigation into her brother-in-law, Talal Khalil Chahin, allegedly led to the discovery of her having committed immigration-related marriage fraud. Prouty claims she disclosed the sham marriage to the FBI when she applied, and the FBI has not denied this claim stating simply the FBI "never condoned" the marriage.
She is from the Druze
faith, which is often mistaken for being a sect of Islam.
war and her father's plans to put her in an arranged marriage. She came to the United States on a student visa (the American University in Lebanon had closed) and attended the Detroit College of Business. She married a US citizen to be able to afford her tuition and to help her stay in the US, and not have to go back to the situation in Lebanon. Her sister also came to the US. Prouty got an accounting degree and joined the FBI on the advice of a professor.
In the FBI she was a Special Agent on an international terrorism squad. She worked on the USS Cole bombing
case, the Khobar Towers bombing
case, the Laurence Foley
case, and other terrorism cases. In about 2003 she joined the CIA. She thought the CIA would allow her cultural background and linguistic abilities to be used more effectively in her work. She felt that in the FBI, linguists were treated as "second class citizens".
She worked for the CIA in Baghdad, trying to prevent terrorist attacks in the wake of the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. She had believed Colin Powell
's presentation about Iraqi WMDs, and that Iraq had connections to al-Qaeda. She later described herself as having felt "fooled" by the authorities when it was discovered there were no WMDs. Despite this, she felt obligated to stay in her job and help save lives.
In mid-November of 2011, Prouty's usual "stellar carreer" and unjustly tarnished reputation were under "rescue" by the federal government.
Eventually the investigations of Chahin led some people in the DOJ to investigate Prouty. The government interviewed her and implied that she had accessed information about Hezbollah and her relatives on the FBI's computer systems, which the DOJ argued was a misdmeanor violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
. She called the idea that she had used the system to look up information on Hezbollah or her relatives "absolutely false and absurd". U.S. officials later said that there was no evidence that Prouty had improperly disclosed any information to anyone. There was also no evidence that she passed secrets to Hezbollah or to other groups the United States considers terrorist.
However the investigation allegedly uncovered that Prouty, her sister and a female friend, had all committed immigration fraud in 1989, when she was 19 years old, by paying a man to marry her so she could obtain United States citizenship. Prouty claims she disclosed the sham marriage on her application to the FBI and that the FBI could not have been unaware of the marriage given the extensive background investigations required by her FBI duties. She voluntarily waived the 10-year statute of limitations
on immigration fraud
, and, in 2007, pled guilty to two felonies related to the sham marriage and to one misdemeanor count of unauthorized use of a FBI computer. The tactics used against her to force a plea deal included freezing of bank accounts, threatening family members, threatening to go after her husband, threating her with deportation, threatening to charge her with dozens of felonies, and threatening to publicly reveal her identity as an FBI and CIA agent. She also described that if she was deported to Lebanon, it would be a "death sentence" and she feared torture or murder by groups there. She had a young child to care for and her decision to plea was heavily influenced by her position as a mother. She was also influenced by the high costs of putting up a legal defense. She was given no jail time although her plea agreement left that option open for the judge in her case.
The structure of the plea required the judge to revoke her United States citizenship, but she was granted withholding of deportation/removal by a judge on account of the perceived threat to her life and safety in her native country for her activities in the United States.
The US Attorney who prosecuted her was promoted to the position of a Federal Judge in Michigan.
, have been highly critical of Prouty. Schlussel's New York Post
article on Prouty used the moniker "Jihad Jane"., although other people have also been associated with that title, such as Colleen LaRose
.
A 60 minutes story on Prouty was more sympathetic. They interviewed her and asked "Was a traitor exposed? Or did America lose a patriot?".
She wrote a book, Uncompromised, published by Pargrave Macmillan in 2011.
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
descent who worked in counter-terrorism with the FBI and CIA. She worked on high profile cases like the USS Cole bombing
USS Cole bombing
The USS Cole Bombing, or the USS Cole Incident, was a suicide attack against the United States Navy destroyer on October 12, 2000 while it was harbored and refueled in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen American sailors were killed, and 39 were injured...
and was stationed in Baghdad during the Iraq War. She resigned after a government investigation into her brother-in-law, Talal Khalil Chahin, allegedly led to the discovery of her having committed immigration-related marriage fraud. Prouty claims she disclosed the sham marriage to the FBI when she applied, and the FBI has not denied this claim stating simply the FBI "never condoned" the marriage.
She is from the Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
faith, which is often mistaken for being a sect of Islam.
Biography
She grew up in Lebanon. When she was 19 she fled the Lebanese Civil WarLebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
war and her father's plans to put her in an arranged marriage. She came to the United States on a student visa (the American University in Lebanon had closed) and attended the Detroit College of Business. She married a US citizen to be able to afford her tuition and to help her stay in the US, and not have to go back to the situation in Lebanon. Her sister also came to the US. Prouty got an accounting degree and joined the FBI on the advice of a professor.
In the FBI she was a Special Agent on an international terrorism squad. She worked on the USS Cole bombing
USS Cole bombing
The USS Cole Bombing, or the USS Cole Incident, was a suicide attack against the United States Navy destroyer on October 12, 2000 while it was harbored and refueled in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen American sailors were killed, and 39 were injured...
case, the Khobar Towers bombing
Khobar Towers bombing
The Khobar Towers bombing was a terrorist attack on part of a housing complex in the city of Khobar, Saudi Arabia, located near the national oil company headquarters of Dhahran. In 1996, Khobar Towers was being used to house foreign military personnel.Al-Qaeda has incorrectly been described by...
case, the Laurence Foley
Laurence Foley
Laurence Michael Foley, Sr. was an American diplomat assassinated outside his home in Amman, Jordan....
case, and other terrorism cases. In about 2003 she joined the CIA. She thought the CIA would allow her cultural background and linguistic abilities to be used more effectively in her work. She felt that in the FBI, linguists were treated as "second class citizens".
She worked for the CIA in Baghdad, trying to prevent terrorist attacks in the wake of the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. She had believed Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
's presentation about Iraqi WMDs, and that Iraq had connections to al-Qaeda. She later described herself as having felt "fooled" by the authorities when it was discovered there were no WMDs. Despite this, she felt obligated to stay in her job and help save lives.
In mid-November of 2011, Prouty's usual "stellar carreer" and unjustly tarnished reputation were under "rescue" by the federal government.
Investigation
Her brother in law was Talal Khalil Chahin, owner of the La Shish restaurants in Michigan. Chahin was later investigated for numerous alleged activities including tax evasion, bribery, extortion, and associating with Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah. In 2007 Chahin was a fugitive living in Lebanon.Eventually the investigations of Chahin led some people in the DOJ to investigate Prouty. The government interviewed her and implied that she had accessed information about Hezbollah and her relatives on the FBI's computer systems, which the DOJ argued was a misdmeanor violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is a law passed by the United States Congress in 1986, intended to reduce cracking of computer systems and to address federal computer-related offenses...
. She called the idea that she had used the system to look up information on Hezbollah or her relatives "absolutely false and absurd". U.S. officials later said that there was no evidence that Prouty had improperly disclosed any information to anyone. There was also no evidence that she passed secrets to Hezbollah or to other groups the United States considers terrorist.
However the investigation allegedly uncovered that Prouty, her sister and a female friend, had all committed immigration fraud in 1989, when she was 19 years old, by paying a man to marry her so she could obtain United States citizenship. Prouty claims she disclosed the sham marriage on her application to the FBI and that the FBI could not have been unaware of the marriage given the extensive background investigations required by her FBI duties. She voluntarily waived the 10-year statute of limitations
Statute of limitations
A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
on immigration fraud
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
, and, in 2007, pled guilty to two felonies related to the sham marriage and to one misdemeanor count of unauthorized use of a FBI computer. The tactics used against her to force a plea deal included freezing of bank accounts, threatening family members, threatening to go after her husband, threating her with deportation, threatening to charge her with dozens of felonies, and threatening to publicly reveal her identity as an FBI and CIA agent. She also described that if she was deported to Lebanon, it would be a "death sentence" and she feared torture or murder by groups there. She had a young child to care for and her decision to plea was heavily influenced by her position as a mother. She was also influenced by the high costs of putting up a legal defense. She was given no jail time although her plea agreement left that option open for the judge in her case.
The structure of the plea required the judge to revoke her United States citizenship, but she was granted withholding of deportation/removal by a judge on account of the perceived threat to her life and safety in her native country for her activities in the United States.
The US Attorney who prosecuted her was promoted to the position of a Federal Judge in Michigan.
Portrayal in media
Some writers who consider themselves conservative, such as Debbie SchlusselDebbie Schlussel
Debbie Schlussel is an American attorney, film critic, political commentator, and a conservative blogger who focuses particularly on Islam and American Muslims. Her writing frequently targets the largely Muslim population of the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, which she refers to as "Dearbornistan"...
, have been highly critical of Prouty. Schlussel's New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
article on Prouty used the moniker "Jihad Jane"., although other people have also been associated with that title, such as Colleen LaRose
Colleen LaRose
Colleen Renee LaRose , also known as JihadJane and Fatima LaRose, is an American citizen charged with terrorism-related crimes, including conspiracy to commit murder and providing material support to terrorists. Most recently, she lived in the Philadelphia suburb of Pennsburg, in Montgomery...
.
A 60 minutes story on Prouty was more sympathetic. They interviewed her and asked "Was a traitor exposed? Or did America lose a patriot?".
She wrote a book, Uncompromised, published by Pargrave Macmillan in 2011.
External links
- "The Persecution of Nada Prouty" by Radley Balko for reason.com
- "The haunting of Nada Prouty, a counterterrorism heroine" by Jeff Stein for the Washington Post