CSO communication by email

UPDATED 20110407

Hi Greg here with my first post on Multistory. What follows is my communication with the CSO on the issue of the CACI contract…

11/03/2011 18:26

Subject
Ref 21013 CACI Ltd Irish Census
Contractor Links With Alleged Abuse in Abu Ghraib

Dear Sirs

I am conducting an initial enquiry into CACI Ltd who are conducting
the data capture and analysis on your behalf for the up and coming
census. Could you please comment on the following:

Has there been due diligence conducted into the background of this
company and its US affiliates?

Are you aware that CACI Inc, a US subsidiary of CACI Ltd has been
involved in a number of court cases in the USA relating to
allegations
made against the company and members of its staff of abuse of
prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq?

Are you aware that in September 2009 CACI Inc sought immunity from
prosecution in the US Court of Appeals and won on the basis that it
operated under the US military chain of command was this afforded
government contractor immunity?

Do you not feel, that under the current provisions of the Patriot Act
in the United States, that allowing a company whose subsidiary is
protected in law as part of the US military chain of command, access
to the personal data of every Irish person could pose threat to the
human rights of Irish citizens and a breach of trust with the Irish
public?

I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely

Greg Manahan
Production Director

iDirect Productions

——————–

On 14 Mar 2011, at 15:06, copfieldmanagement@cso.ie wrote:

Dear Mr Manahan

The census is a major undertaking for the CSO and contractors have been
employed to assist with specialized parts of the work. For 2011 the
contract for the design and print of the census forms, and the provision
and onsite support of the hardware and software required for the scanning,
capture and coding of the census forms was awarded to CACI UK, which is an
independent subsidiary of CACI International. CACI UK were first awarded
the contract for the processing of the 2002 and 2006 censuses and won the
2011 contract after an open competitive procurement process run under EU
competitive tendering law which applies to all public bodies. Of the
proposals received by the CSO, CACI (UK)’s gave best value for the
taxpayer. EU rules do not allow bidders to be excluded because they are
foreign companies. The census forms were printed by a Dublin printer.

In August 2003, CACI International Inc provided staff to the US Army to
conduct IT and intelligence work in Iraq including interrogation services.
Subsequently, in spring 2004 an allegation was made that a CACI employee
had been involved in the mistreatment of detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison
in Iraq. This allegation was not substantiated by any evidence or proof at
the time it was made, and subsequent investigations by both CACI and the US
government could not confirm it. CACI have stated publicly that they take
this allegation extremely seriously, that they do not condone, tolerate or
endorse any illegal behavior by its employees in any circumstances or at
any time and they have, and always will, hold themselves to the highest
ethical standards.

The Central Statistics Office is fundamentally committed to ethical and
proper conduct in all matters and would never have any dealings with a
company convicted of human rights abuse. EU procurement rules do allow
bidders to be excluded if they have been convicted of certain criminal or
other offences but none of these exclusions applies to CACI (UK) – or
indeed to its US parent. The US parent company strongly denies the
allegations made against it and makes clear its abhorrence of human rights
violations.

Confidentiality is the cornerstone of all work conducted by the CSO. All
information collected in the census is treated as strictly confidential by
the CSO and will be used only for statistical purposes. This
confidentiality is guaranteed by law. Under the Statistics Act 1993 the
Central Statistics Office is prohibited by law from divulging any
individual information to any third party, be it a Government Department or
agency, or a private enterprise. The CSO is the only organisation that
will have access to identifiable census information relating to individuals
or households.

All staff working on the census (HQ, field or contract) have been signed up
as Officers of Statistics. The penalty for any breaches of confidentiality
by staff, permanent or contract, can be as high as €25,000. All are made
fully aware of their legal obligations in this respect.

The CSO is justifiably proud of its unblemished record in protecting the
confidentiality of data. It is one of the CSO’s top priorities to maintain
this record.

With regards

Census Field Management

————

From: Greg Manahan
Date: 14 March 2011 18:24:09 GMT
To: copfieldmanagement@cso.ie
Cc: joe@rte.ie, newsdesk@irishtimes.com
Subject: Re: Ref 21013 CACI Ltd Irish Census Contractor Links With Alleged Abuse in Abu Ghraib

Dear Census Field Management

Thank you for your prompt reply, although I am unsure as to who is replying as there is no person associated with this email. In the interests of accountability could you please inform as to who is communicating with me.

I have no issue whatsoever with the manner in which your tenders have been conducted.

The problem is with the fact that your contractor is associated with human rights abuses even if they themselves did not actually torture people directly. There is also compelling evidence to suggest that these abuses have continued and still continue with either the blessing or indifference of the US military. Did CACI Inc report incidences of abuse or did they express any concern about how their data was being collected? There is no record of this.

Furthermore, and what every citizen of this state should be concerned about is that, nothwithstanding any statutory instruments we have to protect our data, US intelligence service could access this information and use it in accordance with their Patriot Act to target irish citizens. The Patriot Act affords the US security agencies far reaching powers beyond its shores. Your quoting of your statement of ethics and the laws in relation to data protection, though well intentioned, are meaningless.

Your subcontractor has legal immunity as a part of the US military chain of command and works with the largest and most sophisticated intelligence machinery in the world. If they wanted access to your data you would probably not know about it.

In summary, the appointment of this company was not an ethical one and the appointment puts Irish citizens at risk. I hope that I’m wrong but the track record of the United States intelligence services in breaking international law, whatever about the laws of a sovereign state, have been quite frankly appalling.

Yours sincerely

Greg Manahan
Production Director

iDirect Productions

————-

On 16 Mar 2011, at 13:56, copfieldmanagement@cso.ie wrote:

Dear Mr Manahan,
The suggestion that the US Patriot Act can be enacted to request Irish

census information is completely bogus and without any substance

whatsoever.

The company contracted to provide specialist services in relation to the

processing of the Irish census, CACI UK Limited, is a corporate UK entity

and is subject to the laws of the United Kingdom. It is not subject to the

laws of the United States. Furthermore CACI UK’s American parent company is

not involved in any way in the preparation or delivery of systems for the

Irish Census. Regarding the US Patriot Act this can only apply to data that

is held on IT systems owned and operated by the company and cannot under

any circumstances be employed to request data held by the CSO. All census

2011 forms will be processed in our census office in Swords where all

information is stored on a dedicated closed CSO network wholly owned by

CSO. At no time will any of this detailed census information be copied or

otherwise removed from this network; all staff (contract or direct

employees) who will be employed to work on the processing of the 2011

census data will be signed-up as officers of statistics which legally

prohibits them from divulging confidential statistical data of any sort

with the penalty for doing so set at €25,000.

As stated in the previous reply the CSO has an unblemished record regarding

the protection of the confidentiality of census data entrusted to us. It is

our view that your concerns regarding the protection of census data are

completely unfounded.

With regards

Census Field Management

——————

Greg Manahan
to copfieldmanagement@cso
cc joe@rte
newsdesk@irishtimes
date 16 March 2011 14:48
subject Re: Ref 21013 CACI Ltd Irish Census Contractor Links With Alleged Abuse in Abu Ghraib

Dear Faceless CSO Person

I am stuck for words. First of all, get your facts right before you fob off my genuine concern as bogus and without substance. I strongly suggest that you read Ttile II of the US PATRIOT Act 2006 which has just ben extended by President Obama.

” In particular, the title allows government agencies to gather “foreign intelligence information” from both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens, and changed FISA to make gaining foreign intelligence information the significant purpose of FISA-based surveillance, where previously it had been the primary purpose.[25] The change in definition was meant to remove a legal “wall” between criminal investigations and surveillance for the purposes of gathering foreign intelligence, which hampered investigations when criminal and foreign surveillance overlapped.[26] However, that this wall even existed was found by the Federal Surveillance Court of Review to have actually been a long-held misinterpretation by government agencies. Also removed was the statutory requirement that the government prove a surveillance target under FISA is a non-U.S. citizen and agent of a foreign power”

Without substance, indeed!

To suggest that the US agencies such NSA or CIA would ring you up and request the information is naive to the point of absurdity. The can and probably will take it from your closed network in Swords without your knowledge.

Please remember that CACI is a military intelligence contractor to the United States. It advocates legal sanctions against whistleblowers in defiance of the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution and regardless of the outcome of court cases, was working for and was present whilst people were being tortured in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. The final point I mentioned in my previous email but which you have not commented from.

CACI Ltd may be a separate entity but it is subject to the ethos and values of its parent. The parent quite frankly disturbing values. Its motto “Ever Vigilant” says it all.

I am very disappointed with your responses to date. You are refusing to acknowledge genuine concerns, you are more interested in reiterating your own “unblemished” record and are naively exposing the citizens of this country to intelligence agencies of a foreign power in doing so. I wonder how many Irish people will be on watch lists this summer as a result of your “unblemished” work?

Yours sincerely

Greg Manahan
Production Director

iDirect Productions

—————–

—————

28/03/2011 09:42 copfieldmanagement@cso
cc
joe@rte
newsdesk@irishtimes, iTiSoN

Subject
Re: Ref 21013 CACI Ltd Irish Census
Contractor Links With Alleged Abuse
in Abu Ghraib

Dear CSO

It would seem that your Scottish counterparts are more concerned with
the potential threat posed by CACI’s involvement in their census than
you are about ours. Please read article in the Daily Express
newspaper on link below.

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/237072/Fears-CIA-may-hack-Scottish-census-secrets/

Apart from an ineffective potential fine, what actual counter measures
have you put in place to put the minds of a now growing number of
Irish citizens’ concerns at ease?

If you haven’t, what counter measures will you introduce prior to
April 11th, the date that I am assuming scanning and analysis shall
commence?

Do you still think that your reputation is unblemished in hiring a
company that is associated with gross violations of human rights?

I look forward to your replay.

Yours sincerely

Greg Manahan
Production Director

iDirect Productions

———

On 29 Mar 2011, at 13:50, copfieldmanagement@cso wrote:

Dear Mr Manahan

The situation regarding the Scottish Census is not comparable to the
situation pertaining in Ireland. CSO retains ownership of the IT systems
on which Census data will be stored. Furthermore these IT systems will be
operated by CSO staff during Census processing. The US Patriot Act only
applies to data that is held on IT systems which are owned and operated by
a US company.

With regards

Census Field Management

————

Greg Manahan
to copfieldmanagement@cso
cc joe@rte.
newsdesk@irishtimes

date 29 March 2011 14:37
subject Re: Ref 21013 CACI Ltd Irish Census Contractor Links With Alleged Abuse in Abu Ghraib

Dear CSO

The USA PATRIOT Act, if you read Title II of the act, allows agencies working for the US government to access any information from any source domestically or overseas without a court order or any recourse to anyone in the interests of US national security. The only exception is organisations who are solely involved in the protection of the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution.

There is nothing to stop a person working for or on behalf of CACI downloading information onto a USB key or a more clandestine means of data carriage and allowing the NSA or Homeland Security officials access to that information other than a €25,000 fine. Given the choice of risking a breech of Irish law or going up against US Homeland security who do you think these people could bat with.

I am very concerned that you are trying to rubbish the argument instead of admitting that this could happen no matter how unlikely you feel that it could and what measures you have in place to prevent and detect it.

You still have not addressed the very serious issue of using the subsidiary of a US defense contractor who still has very grave question marks hanging over it in relation it’s involvement in torture in Abu Ghraib and who knows where else. Why should the Irish tax payer contribute to coffers of war profiteers?

Specifically, a report published in the Observer in 2005 charged Steven Stefanowicz from CACI as being involved instructing soldiers to abuse and torture, that CACI staff were alleged to have used dogs to intimidate prisoners and to have placed prisoners in illegal or “unapproved” stress positions. Many of these prisoners were repeatedly beaten. The BBC in a recent Panorama programme has accused the US of systematically breaking down prisoners through the regular use of water boarding, a barbaric torture whereby the prisoner thinks they are drowning. The FBI were and are highly critical of this behaviour but were powerless to intervene.

What is particularly disturbing about this sorry episode was the motive for torture. Former US Army psychiatrist testified that “a large part of the time we were focused on trying to establish a link between Al Qaeda and Iraq. The more frustrated people got in not being able to establish this link…there was more and more pressure to resort to measures that might produce more immediate results.” In other words the frequency and severity of abuse was increased to achieve a political goal of legitimising the invasion in Iraq that was based on a lie.

Don’t take my word for any of this though, you are well capable of researching the dark history of your subcontractor’s parent.

In view of this, do you think that it is right or ethical for Irish tax payers money to be given to CACI? Do you sleep at night?

I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely

Greg Manahan
Production Director

iDirect Productions

———–

from Greg Manahan
to copfieldmanagement@cso
cc joe@rte
newsdesk@irishtimes.

date 30 March 2011 14:25
subject Re: Ref 21013 CACI Ltd Irish Census Contractor Links With Alleged Abuse in Abu Ghraib

Dear CSO

I am hoping that you are formulating a response to my last email. I would like your view as to the alleged behaviour of “Big Steve” from CACI in the article herewith. Again do you think that it is right that we the Irish people should give our tax money to a company who on the balance of probability were directly involved in the torture of Iraqi human beings?

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/03/31/big_steve

As CACI is protected from prosecution in the US, do you think that people like this should be tried in Irish Courts under the Criminal Jurisdiction Act and various other anti SI’s relating to human rights abuses where such suspects could be tried in Ireland for offenses committed outside the jurisdiction?

I await your reply.

Yours sincerely

Greg Manahan
Production Director

iDirect Productions

——–

From: copfieldmanagement@cso.
Date: 31 March 2011 16:55:34 GMT+01:00
To: Greg Manahan

Subject: Re: Ref 21013 CACI Ltd Irish Census Contractor Links With Alleged Abuse in Abu Ghraib

Dear Mr Manahan

In response to your query, the allegations of human rights abuses were made
against an employee of CACI International. CACI International has no role
in the Irish Census and CSO has no dealings with CACI International. CACI
(UK) has been contracted to provide support services to the Irish Census
and no such allegations exist against employees of CACI (UK). CACI (UK)
does not provide services in the military or intelligence areas.

In response to your previous query, the US Patriot Act only applies to data
that is held on IT systems owned and operated by an American company.
Neither CACI (UK), nor indeed CACI International owns or operates the
Census IT systems. CACI (UK) is a British company and while working on the
Census in Ireland its employees are subject to Irish legislation, which
strictly prohibits any breach of the Census confidentiality guarantee. The
CSO network is secure and closed and cannot be accessed by a USB device.

We are not attempting to rubbish your query or your concerns. We have
dedicated significant resources to ensure the security of the Census data
and treat it with the utmost gravity. We take this approach because we are
aware that public confidence in the Census and indeed all CSO surveys is
contingent on CSO being able to offer a full confidentiality guarantee of
the personal data. This is the reason why strong and clear legislation
underpins all CSO’s activities. CSO has a very strong record in maintaining
the security of collected data and the maintenance of this record is
mission critical to all of our operations.

With regards

Census Field Management

——

from Greg Manahan
to copfieldmanagement@cso
cc joe@rte
newsdesk@irishtimes
iTiSoN
date 7 April 2011 11:54
subject Re: Ref 21013 CACI Ltd Irish Census Contractor Links With Alleged Abuse in Abu Ghraib

Dear CSO

Thank you again for your response. It is clear at this stage that you are abdicating responsibility from your actions in the interests of protecting your own good name as an organisation. This I’m afraid will come back to bite you.

Your assertion that CACI UK is in some way independent frankly doesn’t stand up. CACI International Inc describes itself as a global corporation in the area of defense intelligence boasting nearly 8,000 employees in the organisation. Depending on what projects are current CACI as whole receives 92% of its income from the US Department of Defense. That statistic should set off alarm bells alone.

CACI has told you that there is no evidence that they did not do anything illegal or breech human rights in Iraq. This is a lie. There is plenty of evidence including testimony of Sgt Michael J Smith at this Court Marshal that he was to use unmuzzled attack dogs to intimidate detainees in Abu Ghraib under the instruction of Steven Stefanowicz an “interrogator” employed with CACI.

A General working on a Pentagon investigation into these allegations recommended that six people should face criminal prosecution for these abuses but CACI sought immunity.

What should also be of concern to you and the Irish people was in the way in which CACI tendered for this “interrogation” work. The DOD found out after the 2003 Iraq invasion that it did not have enough specialised personnel on the ground so the outsourced this to CACI and another company called Titan.

CACI jumped into this without trained personnel, they just took on the contract and then placed advertisements like this:

“Description: Under moderate supervision, provide intelligence support for interviewing local nationals and determining their threat to coalition forces.

“Required: Requires a Top Secret Clearance (TS) that is current and US citizenship. Must have at least two years experience as a military policeman or similar type of law enforcement/intelligence agency whereby the individual utilized interviewing techniques. Develop and present reports and briefings to the Military Chain of Command.

“Desired: Experience in conducting tactical and strategic interrogations in accordance with local standard operating procedures (SOP) and DOD regulation. Knowledge of the reporting tools used in tactical interrogation operations.”

They are also recruiting experienced analysts with top secret clearances to provide “intelligence analytical support to the interrogation team during development and execution of the interrogation plan/cycle. Interface with higher, lower and adjacent intelligence organizations to fully prepare interrogation team for exploitation of detainees, as well as prepare post interrogation analytical products/assessments that support further targeting efforts, source development and analysis of the threat.”

Source Barry Lando 60 Minutes

US Military Intelligence sources said that they were shocked when they discovered that none of these civilian interrogators had any real training in this area.

Jack London then CEO, now Executive Chairman of CACI, complemented Stefanowicz on doing “a fine job.”

When Robert Greewald made his now famous movie documentary Iraq for Sale, London and his lawyer William Koegel tried on a number of occasions to stop the production of the movie through threats and bullying. They also have threatened online journalists and more recently a radio show host with a suet of up to $10,000.

In 2009 the Courts, after many years of battling by CACI to prevent them, have approved the go ahead of civil actions against CACI by their victims. The link below is a clip from Greenwald’s movie where we here from the victims and where you can see for yourself the evidence of abuse by CACI employees.
http://iraqforsale.org/video_caci.php

Can we the Irish people trust a company that clearly has lied and has attempted to cover up appalling behaviour through legal manipulation and sheer bullying?

Again I ask, why are Irish tax payers paying for the services of this corporation or its subsidiaries? Why will you not acknowledge that you made a mistake and that you will not repeat this mistake in future?

Will you in future include a section in your tender called “ethics and human rights declaration” making it a compulsory part of the tender process for the applicant to declare that they or their parent company, affiliates or agents do not or have not been involved in human rights abuse or crimes against humanity anywhere in the world?

I would like to hear what your CACI colleagues have to say about this email.

By the way, stating in writing that my comments are “bogus and without substance” is rubbishing my concerns. I find that type of response from s State body disrespectful and unprofessional to say the least.

I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely

Greg Manahan
Production Director

iDirect Productions