“Several analysts said the rush to hire and train linguists [in the languages spoken in Afghanistan–Arabic, Farsi, and Pashto] was a late response to a dire shortage that had been apparent throughout the government for years. ‘We’re kind of caught flat-footed,’ [language expert for the federal government Ted] Crump said. ‘We should have seen this coming long ago.’ ”
– James Dao, “Defense Secretary Warns of Unconventional Attacks,” The New York Times, Oct. 1, 2001