Outsourcing Intelligence in Iraq: A CorpWatch Report on L-3/Titan
ENDNOTES & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
1. Titan has been paid $2.51 billion for its translation work as of March 27, 2008, according to numbers furnished to CorpWatch by Bob S. Stone, Chief, Public Affairs, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command. In addition L-3 has been paid out the bulk of an intelligence support contract which had a ceiling value of $426.5 million
2. The original translation contract was DASC01-99-D-0001 issued in 1999. The intelligence contract is W912CM-05-D-0011 issued in 2005.
3. Hart Seely, "His 'Terps' Were Targets: Translation: A Local Man Recruited Interpreters To Help U.S. Troops in Iraq, But He Watched Too Many of Them DieThe Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York), August 19, 2007
4. "Cut-Throat Competition on Translation Market," Intelligence Online, January 12, 2007
5. Email from Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson to CorpWatch, dated August 8, 2006
6. Gopal Ratnam, "Interview: Frank Lanza," Defense News, January 16, 2006. See also Hoover's Profile of L-3
7. Ibid.
8. L-3 Annual Report, 2007 and company website. http://www.l-3com.com/
9. L-3 Annual Report, 2007.
10. Contract # W912CM-05-D-0011 issued July 8, 2005. "L-3 Communications' Government Services, Inc. Subsidiary Awarded Potential $426.5 Million U.S. Army Intelligence Support Services Contract," Company Press Release, July 13, 2005
11. Roseanne Gerin, "4 Firms to Vie for Army Intelligence Support Work," Washington Post, January 3, 2005. Special Forces contract mentioned in job posting made by L-3 on January 5, 2005
12. Shane Harris, "Technology contract used to purchase interrogation work," Government Executive, May 20, 2004
13. Author interview with William Golden, August 2006
14. W912CM-05-D-0011 documentation obtained through Eagle Eye, Inc. and FedSources.
15. Question and answer document issued March 9, 2005 by Wiesbaden Contracting Center.
16. Author interviews with L-3 interrogators in Iraq who asked to remain anonymous (2007 & 2008)
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Ibid.
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid.
24. Mark Bowden, "The Ploy," Atlantic Monthly, May 2007
25. Eric Schmitt and Carolyn Marshall, "Task Force 6-26: Before and After Abu Ghraib, a U.S. Unit Abused Detainees," New York Times, March 19, 2006. See also "No Blood, No Foul: Soldier's Accounts of Detainee Abuse in Iraq," Human Rights Watch, July 2006.
26. "By the Numbers," Human Rights First and Human Rights Watch, April 2006
27. CACI History. http://www.caci.com/about/hist.shtml and http://www.caci.com/about/history/timeline.shtml and CACI news releases: http://www.caci.com/news_main.shtml
28. ee "Interagency Contracting: Problems with DOD's and Interior's Orders to Support Military Operations," United States Government Accountability Office, April 2005
29. Author visit to Fort Huachuca in December 2005. André Verlöy and Daniel Politi, :Department of Interior releases Abu Ghraib contract," Center for Public Integrity, July 28, 2004. The actual task orders maybe downloaded at http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/report.aspx?aid=361
30. Ellen McCarthy, "CACI Contracts Blocked: Current Work in Iraq Can Continue," Washington Post, May 26, 2004
31. See http://www.caci.com/iraq_faqs.shtml
32. Eric Schmitt, "Army Report Says Flaws in Detention Did Not Cause the Abuses at Abu Ghraib," July 23, 2004
33. Mark Benjamin and Michael Scherer, "Big Steve" and Abu Ghraib, Salon, March 31, 2006
34. Ibid.
35. Mark Benjamin, "No justice for all," Salon, April 14, 2006
36. Ibid.
37. Ibid.
38. The original lawsuit - Saleh v. Titan was filed on June 9, 2004, a class action lawsuit brought under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern California. See http://ccrjustice.org/ourcases/current-cases/saleh-v.-titan
39. Joel Brinkley, "U.S. Civilian Working At Abu Ghraib Disputes Army's Version Of His Role In Abuses," New York Times, May 26, 2004
40. The judgement maybe viewed at http://ccrjustice.org/ourcases/current-cases/saleh-v.-titan.
41. Shane Harris, "GSA canceled Guantanamo interrogator contract," Government Executive, July 16, 2004. The contract was first reported in the Wall Street Journal on July 15, 2004.
42. "Lockheed Martin Agrees to Acquire the Sytex Group, Inc.," Company press release, February 18th, 2005. Job ads listed on IntelligenceCareers.com and NationJobs.com which have since expired. An archived version can be found at http://web.archive.org/web/20051123101623/http://www.nationjob.com/job/…
43. Billy House, "$257 Million for Border Camera Stirs Probe," Arizona Republic, June 17, 2005. Congressional Quarterly transcript of Homeland Security Subcommittee on Management, Integration and Oversight hearing, June 16, 2005
44. John Mintz, "Probe Faults System for Monitoring U.S. Borders," Washington Post, April 11, 2005. A map of the camera system can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/daily/graphics/border_04110….
45. "A Review of Remote Surveillance Technology Along U.S. Land Borders, Department Of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Report# OIG-06-15 December 2005. The audit can be downloaded at http://corpwatch.org/downloads/CameraScandal.pdf
46. Congressional Quarterly transcript of Homeland Security hearing. Op. Cit.
47. Email from Robert Samuels, General Services Administration, August 8, 2006
48. Mintz. Op. Cit.
49. Reyes job title was previously listed on L-3's website. She is still listed at http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=1068512286
50. Hoover's profile of Titan. Jonathan Karp Titan mutates to meet needs of Pentagon," Wall Street Journal, June 28, 2004. See also Gene W. Ray biography at http://www.titan.com/about/officers/ray.html?select=5
51. Jonathan Karp, "With Titan, L-3 Aims For Big Leagues," Wall Street Journal, June 6, 2005
52. Bruce V. Bigelow, "Titan Ex-Exec Admits Role in Benin: Bribery--$2 Million Payment Made to Candidate," San Diego Union-Tribune, June 24, 2006.
53. David Washburn, "Contractor Titan's hiring faulted," San Diego Union-Tribune, May 21, 2004. David Washburn and Bruce V. Bigelow, "In Harm's Way: Workers say 'Wild West' conditions put lives in danger," San Diego Union-Tribune, July 24, 2005
54. Titan job advertisements downloaded from company website. Advertisements may still be seen at http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/14/14-1886.html
55. Author interviews with Titan L-3 translators in Iraq in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008
56. Bruce V. Bigelow, "Titan hires Iraqi-born ex-state Sen. Deddeh to help recruit translators," San Diego Union-Tribune, June 2, 2004
57. Tara McKelvey, "The Unaccountables," The American Prospect, September 2006
58. Author interviews with Titan L-3 translator in Iraq in 2004, who asked to remain anonymous
59. Author interviews with L-3 interrogator in Iraq who asked to remain anonymous, 2007
60. Author interviews with Titan L-3 translator in Iraq in 2008, who asked to remain anonymous
61. Seely, Op. Cit.
62. Seeking Alpha transcript of Michael Strianese discussion with financial analysts, January 31, 2008.
63. Brinkley, Op. Cit.
64. Anthony R. Jones, "Investigation of the Abu Ghraib Detention Facility and 205th MI Brigade," Report # AR 15-6, August 23, 2004. The report can be downloaded at http://corpwatch.org/downloads/FayReport.pdf
65. The case history can be viewed at http://ccrjustice.org/ourcases/current-cases/saleh-v.-titan
66. Benjamin, "No Justice for All," Op.Cit.
67. McKelvey, Op. Cit.
68. Antonio Taguba, "Article 15-6 Investigation of the 800th Military Police Brigade," May 2004, The report can be downloaded at http://corpwatch.org/downloads/taguba.pdf
69. Joel Brinkley, "Translator Questioned by Army in Iraq Abuse," New York Times, May 22, 2004
70. Matthew Hay Brown, "Civilian Vetting Poses Obstacle For Military; Suspected Spying Raises Issues Of Private Contractors' Screening," Orlando Sentinel (Florida) October 12, 2003
71. Jonathan Finer, "Interpreter Pleads Guilty To Taking Data," Washington Post, January 11, 2005.
72. Ibid.
73. Josh White, "Translator Who Faked Identity Pleads Guilty To Having Secret Data," Washington Post, February 15, 2007
74. U.S. Army Translator Charged With Theft of Classified Documents Concerning Iraqi Insurgency," Department of Justice press release, March 30, 2006
75. Ibid.
76. Ibid.
77. Yochi J. Dreazen, "U.S. Arrests Iraq Translator On Bribery Charges," Wall Street Journal, March 25, 2006. James Glanz, "Iraqi translator is accused of bribery in kickback case," New York Times, March 25, 2006. See also "U.S. Civilian Translator Arrested For Offering Bribe to Iraqi Police Official," Department of Justice press release, March 24, 2006
78. Glanz. Op. Cit.
79. Author interview with Goran Habbeb, August 2006.
80. David Washburn and Bruce V. Bigelow, "In Harm's Way," Op. Cit.
81. Seth Hettena, "International spat upends lives of Turkish translators in Iraq: Men sue defense contractor for failing to keep them safe," Associated Press, December 20, 2005
82. Sabrina Tavernise, "Caught In Rebels' Cross Hairs: Iraqis Working For Americans," New York Times, September 16, 2004
83. Dean Calbreath, "Translator Hired By Titan Beheaded By Insurgents: Group also killed Turkish contractor working at air base," San Diego Union-Tribune, October 12, 2004
84. Seely, Op. Cit.
85. David Washburn and Bruce V. Bigelow, "In Harm's Way," Op. Cit.
86. Author interview with Goran Habbeb, August 2006.
87. Author interview with Goran Habbeb, August 2006
88. Author interview with Goran Habbeb, May 2007
89. David Washburn and Bruce V. Bigelow, "Friendly-fire victim says he's fighting for compensation," San Diego Union-Tribune, July 24, 2005
90. Email to CorpWatch from Bob S. Stone, Chief, Public Affairs, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, March 27, 2008.
91. Edmond Lococo, "Titan Competing With Northrop, L-3 to Keep Its Largest Contract," Bloomberg, June 7, 2004
92. Request for Proposals published on U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command website at http://www.inscom.army.mil/Contracting/DefaultContract.aspx?text=off&si… and FedBizOps website t tps://www.fbo.gov/index?cck=1&au=&ck=
93. Edmond Lococo, "L-3 loses $4.6B contract to supply Iraq linguists," Bloomberg, December 19, 2006. Shane Harris "Spider and the Flies," Government Executive March 15, 2005
94. "Army Challenges GAO Verdict on Deal," Associated Press, April 11, 2007
95. Author interviews with Titan L-3 translators in Iraq in 2008, who asked to remain anonymous
96. All Call, DynCorp Newsletter, March 2008
Written by Pratap Chatterjee (pratap@corpwatch.org)
Edited by Tonya Hennessey. Thanks also to Charlie Cray, Erik Leaver, Moira Mack, Philip Mattera, Tom Swan.
Cover Art: Sakura Saunders, Layout: Terry Allen
Cover Photo: Prisoners working at Camp Cropper, the main U.S. detention facility in Baghdad. Taken by Specialist Michael May (Task Force 134 - Detainee Operations) on April 3rd, 2008
Funding provided by the Educational Foundation of America and the Jeht Foundation
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