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APPENDIX A7

PTECH RAID/INVESTIGATION

Compiled by Indira Singh

Table 1 - Media Coverage on Ptech
Table 2 - Media Coverage of JTTF Raid Conducted 12/6/2002
Table 3 - Articles on Indira Singh



Table 1 - Media Coverage on Ptech

(These articles presented in no particular order, were selected from a larger database
to illustrate conflicting or supressed facts about the truth behind Ptech, terrorism
financing investigations that lead nowhere in this country, and 9/11)

SORT

Article Information Value

Partial Quote or Reference

1

Ptech is a prime contractor at FAA

Prime Contractor Information

... 15, Unitech, BIT, Calibre Systems, Inc., Conwal, CSI, ITS, JIL, NCI, Ptech, Quadratek, SAI ... Becky Umbaugh, (202) 484-1300, (202) 484-1510, becky.umbaugh@faa.com. …

www.faa.gov/ara/asu530/bits/contractors/ primeinfo.cfm?primecontractorid=15

2

Establish Ptech in FAA with Mitre Sept 2000

MTR 00W0000097 MITRE TECHNICAL REPORT FAA Data Registry (FDR) Concepts of Use and Implementation September 2000 Dr. Nels A. Broste Ronald G. Rhoades Ronald A
http://www.caasd.org/library/tech_docs/2000/mtr00w0000097.pdf

3

Illustrate partially, Ptech's FAA work Sep 1999

Adapting Information Engineering for the National Airspace System and Its Application to Flight Planning MITRE, Center for Advanced Aviation System Deveopment, McLean VA
http://www.mitre.org/work/tech_papers/tech_papers_99/broste_nas/broste_nas.pdf

4

The day of the raid, these Federal Officials knew the inside story on Ptech

Concern that Al Qaeda may have infiltrated US government computers examined; scenes shown from a Customs raid on the Ptech company in Boston. [Terrorism finance expert Jonathan WINER- says terrorist access could lead to a breakdown in national security.] [Computer Security Inst. Robert RICHARDSON- says Ptech knows about government branch computers.]
http://billstclair.com/911timeline/2002/bostonglobe120702.html

4

Consultants in FAA using Ptech:

 

4a

Josh speaks about Ptech's Flight Object

OMG meeting in California in 1999
http://www.omg.org/docs/transprt/99-07-01.pdf

5

Response of Government Employees:

 

5a

American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO

... bin Laden. Ptech has provided software and services to several federal agencies,
http://www.afge.org/Documents/GS19-1.pdf

6

IT news report links Ptech to IBM Global Services

"We are investigating the [situation] and are cooperating with authorities," said Jeffrey Gluck, a spokesman for IBM Global Services, which works with Ptech to build IT architectures for its customers. "But it's still too early in the investigation to know, with any degree of certainty, exactly what the allegations are," he said.
http://unlimited.co.nz/unlimited.nsf/0/496994074071EE0FCC256C890078E951?OpenDocument

7

IT news reports cites former CIA chief's comments on Ptech's Mirza and Qadi

Senior counterintelligence officials familiar with the case said the U.S. Customs Service initiated the investigation of Ptech after a disgruntled employee tipped off the agency to the company's alleged hidden ownership. As a result, Customs and the FBI began investigating Yacub Mirza, a former member of Ptech's board of directors who also manages a number of other businesses in the U.S. "Mirza was acting on behalf of Yassin Qadi, the Saudi financier who was on the U.S. [terrorism] watch list and whose accounts here are frozen," said Vince Cannistraro, the former chief of counterterrorism at the CIA. "Qadi is the guy behind Ptech."

8

IT news report cites other Ptech employees also under investigation

"several employees and two investors are under scrutiy for suspected terrorist ties".
http://www.irstreet.com/top/am/amfiles/e20021201_07.pdf

 

9

The source of the Ptech methodology is Martin-Odell


[PDF] Chapter 1 Introduction
scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/ etd-353622132974710/unrestricted/dstn.PDF

9a

..source of Ptech is …

... series of aircraft accidents on the ground has prompted the FAA to speed ... Martin-Odell

9b

..source of Ptech is …

(Ptech) The data view stresses a binary rather than Entity-Relationship ...(Ptech) The data view stresses a binary rather than Entity-Relationship …

10a

The origin of Ptech software is not w/ Ziade but Dr. John Edwards - see this citation in 1992

Towards a Standardization of Object-Oriented Modelling Languages? - Frank (1997) (Correct)
....Name Refs Type of Pub. Tool Support Edwards Ptech [Edw89] T Martin Odell [MaOd92] .... Goldberg, A.; Rubin, K.S.: Object Behaviour Analysis. In: Communications of the ACM. Vol. 35, No. 9, 1992, pp. 48-62 40
http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/context/166773/0

10b

The origin of Ptech software is not w/ Ziade but Dr. John Edwards - of ASSOCIATIVTE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY, 1989

J. Edwards. Basic Ptech skills. Course notes, Associative Design Technology, 1989.SiteSeer.IST - Copyright Penn State and NEC
http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/context/176990/0

11

Naval Postgraduate Computer Science Thesis on exfiltration subversion

A citation to the raid on Ptech which is commented on as "not surprisingly, nothing was
found"
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:KpmyLu9WgZ4J:www.cs.odu.edu/~tang...

12

Center for Security Policy gives connection to BCCI-Afganistan, pursuant to this article (pvt meeting)

The Center for Security Policy: ... and a lawyer familiar with the matter said BMI also was a Ptech investor. BMI, in which Mr. Qadi also invested, was the subject of an FBI terrorism probe in …
http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/index.jsp?section=static&page=ptech

13

Dec 6th DOJ says Ptech is no Security Risk

Justice: Ptech no security risk

... Department, NATO, Naval Air Systems Command, FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and the House of Representatives. Sullivan said because Ptech had provided …
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/17_18/datastream/19630-1.html

14

Senator Grassley gets involved with FBI over Ptech

Grassley Worried about "Not My Job, Not My Problem" Mentality at FBI
http://grassley.senate.gov/releases/2003/p03r01-22.htm

15

Joe Bergantino of the I-Team, WBZ4 TV Boton station looses Ptech scoop…reported by © 2002 The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

NMU (12/13/02 ): Boston station loses scoop after agreeing not to ...... After reviewing the information, the organization thought that the government should be alerted about Ptech's ties to terrorism. …http://www.rcfp.org/news/2002/1213wbztvh.html

16

Perilous Power Play - the investigations into the money behind 9/11 - pointed at Ptech - is moved into Homeland Security. Agents concerned…

Rita Katz & Josh Devon on FBI vs. Department of Homeland Security ...
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-katz-devon052703.asp

17

That Ptech employees alerted the FBI to Ptech links to Al Qaida

Wired News states Federal agents
http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,56758,00.html

18

Ptech's Johnson lies about Al Qadi's relationship with Ptech after raid.

"There isn't anything going on here," Johnson said.
http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,56758,00.html

19

Ptech at FAA in 2002 prior to raid

Agency applies enterprise architecture model to ISO 9001 challenge
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/0415/tec-faa-04-15-02.asp

20

Debka - Israel's intel magazine thinks "back doors"

Debka File is reporting that U.S. Customs has raided a software company in Boston called Ptech. Ptech supplies the FBI, Air Force and other government agencies; apparently, it is secretly owned by bin Laden supporter Qasin al-Kadi, a Saudi. According to Debka File, Ptech is suspected of being al Qaeda's "back door to top U.S. secrets." One thing I don't understand: Why Customs?

21

Qadi on CIA golden chain or dirty dozen list

American officials say al-Kadi and the other businessmen on the CIA list all have business and personal connections to the Saudi royal family.

http://www.g4techtv.com/techtvvault/features/19715/Hotlink_to_Terror.html

22

The Saudi Connection - the right wing view

Glenn Jackson's Article: It's still the Saudi's

http://www.americanreformation.org/Articles/GlennJackson/RandomThoughts.htm

23

War on Iraq had taken 9/11 and Al Qaeda off front pages in Dec 2002 - Ptech put it back - CNN

Well, it's nice to see the war against al Qaeda back in the news, because somehow in the last several weeks al Qaeda has been knocked right off all the front pages and everything has been all about Iraq. And I keep wondering, have we finished the job with those responsible for 9/11?

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0212/08/sm.04.html

24

WBZ TV story on Ptech Dec 6 2002

Feds Raid Software Firm

http://wbz4.com/news/topstories_story_340132238.html

25

Tenet says no one held accountable for 9/11 failures: Ptech mentioned in report

Accuracy in Media Report: Crisis in Accountability

Near the end of a congressional hearing, Senator Carl Levin asked the witnesses if anyone had yet been held accountable for the government's failure to prevent the 9/11 disaster. Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet replied, "No one." FBI Director Robert Mueller said, "It depends on what you mean by 'accountability.'"

http://www.aim.org/aim_report/A218_0_4_0_C/

26

Ptech trail leads to Saudi's

May 2003 Virginia Terror Probe Continues…

http://nationalreview.com/comment/comment-epstein052103.asp

27

Stanley Hilton, Bob Dole's former Chief of Staff says government ordered 9/11

... And now, obstruction of justice by attempting to use a federal judge and FBI agents to ... side note is people should check out the connections with PTECH and PNAC …

www.fateswarning.com/fwboard/messages/16800.html

28

Federal Government Employees state Ptech HAD access to sensitive government agencies…

Officials at the Association of Federal Government Employees point to the December raid by law enforcement on federal software contractor Ptech Inc., which U.S. Customs says may have ties to the al-Qaida terrorist network. Ptech handles software implementation for a number of sensitive federal agencies, including the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service. Officials at the union say that in the current environment contractors need more oversight. "This raid reveals the dangers inherent in privatizing government work," union president Bobby Harnage said in a statement.

http://www.governmententerprise.com/article/getArticle.jhtml?articleID=17501758&pgno=3

29

Article on Bergantino getting out-scooped: FEAR - Fight and Flight on the Corporate Battlefield - Muzzling the Corporate Media.

Hold That Thought: A Boston TV news team held a story about a software firm’s financing because federal agents asked it to. Was that the right call?

http://www.darwinmag.com/connect/opinion/column.html?ArticleID=617

30

CAIR's "Discrimination" Hysteria

By relating only half of the story, CAIR mischaracterizes government's action as discriminatory, and obscures the fact that terrorist elements are operating within our society.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=9021

31

InfoSec News: [ISN] "Raided Firm's Software Checks Out" Stmt is challenged

But Michael Wendy, of the Initiative for Software Choice, a lobbying organization that's battling to block governments from passing legislation encouraging or mandating the use of open source software, cautioned against making any "sweeping security conclusions from this event or anything similar that may occur." "It's important to note that a development model is only a process," Wendy said. "It does not guarantee, in and of itself, that a product produced under one type of model will be any better than another product produced under a different model. In other words, no single development mode inherently produces safer, more secure software." Still others said it makes little difference whether the government uses open source or closed software. "Having more open source software in circulation with the government would be nice, but open source software can be as insecure as closed source software," said William Knowles, senior analyst at C4I.org, a private computer security and intelligence group. But it'

http://lists.jammed.com/ISN/2002/12/0049.html

32

HAMAS linked to area housing

It was a U.S. investigation into Marzook's financial activities in this country that led to Biheiri, BMI and Ptech, a Boston-based computer software firm raided by customs agents in December 2002, authorities said. They said Biheiri and Yasin Qadi, a key BMI investor, were the primary Ptech financiers.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/001303.php

33

Saudi Stench - Steven Schwartz reveals Qadi and Cheney connection

Earlier in the week, Saudi spin sheikh Adel al-Jubeir, who dislikes revealing the names of Saudi terrorists, let slip that Al-Qadi's assets are under scrutiny by his government. In November, a long Wall Street Journal article described Al-Qadi's involvement in moving money around various U.S. sites and his ties to fund-raising for Hamas, another Saudi-backed terror group.

But there are significant holes in recent media coverage of Al-Qadi.

To begin with, Yasin al-Qadi is not a new figure in the investigation of Saudi-backed terrorism. His name surfaced only weeks after Sept. 11. As described in my new book "The Two Faces of Islam: The House of Sa'ud From Tradition to Terror," Al-Qadi gave a long interview to a Saudi newspaper in which he admitted his acquaintance with Osama bin Laden, but had another, much more interesting name to drop: that of Vice President Dick Cheney.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=5008

34

Ptech/BMI's Biheiri and Qadi have long complex relationships with other terror funders

Soliman Biheiri: The investigation into Marzook’s financial activities in the United States has cast light on another individual intimate with links to terrorist entities and “mainstream” American Muslim groups alike. Soliman S. Biheiri is the founder of BMI, Inc., a now-defunct Islamic Investment firm under federal investigation for ties to designated terrorist entities. Earlier this month, Biheiri was indicted on immigration charges that he provided false information for his residency application. One terrorist entity with links to Biheiri is Musa Abu Marzook, an investor in BMI. BMI’s chief investor was Yasin Qadi, named an SDGT in October 2001 for his financial support of Hamas and al-Qaeda. The designation was primarily the result of Qadi’s relationship with Mohammad Salah, who plead guilty to being a Hamas operative in Israel in 1995. Salah was employed at the Quranic Literary Institute in suburban Illinois in 1991 when Qadi transferred $820,000 to the group. The money was then invested in real

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=9706

35

Homeland Security Report #127 says Qadi listed in 2002 by Treasury for diverting funds to Bin Laden (different than SDGT Oct 12, 2001 designation)

Qadi, a Saudi multimillionaire, was listed by the Treasury Department in 2002 as a terrorist and is thought by authorities to have diverted millions of dollars to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network through various charitable organizations.

http://www.mipt.org/pdf/hsr127.pdf

36

PTECH in DARPA

Framework. Ptech, based in Cambridge, Mass., offers an integrated set of object-oriented tools that enable users to create interactive blueprints of business processes. Software code can be generated from the hierarchical layout, providing rapid and consistent application development. The Advanced Research Projects Agency is using Framework to help transfer commercial software methodologies to the defense sector.

www.govexec.com/archdoc/rrg96/0996rrg5.htm

37

TESTIMONY OF MATTHEW LEVITT, SENIOR FELLOW IN TERRORISM STUDIES, THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY BEFORE THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRORISM UNITED STATES SENATE "Subversion From Within: Saudi Funding of Islamic Extremist Groups Undermining US Interests and the War on Terror from within the United States" 9/10/2003 PTECH FINANCED IN LARGE PART BY QADI

The now defunct Muwafaq Foundation was run by Yassin al-Qadi, designated by both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia as a terrorist financier. According to U.S. court documents, al-Qadi not only intentionally financed Hamas attacks through a U.S.-based front organization, he also established Muwafaq as a front organization through which wealthy Saudis forwarded millions of dollars to al-Qaeda. Muwafaq was endowed by Khalid bin Mahfouz, a former chief of the National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia and, like al-Qadi, a member of the Saudi elite close to the royal family.[34] A Boston area computer services company, Ptech, with sensitive U.S. government contracts was raided on December 6, 2002 after it was determined the firm was financed in large part by al-Qadi.[35]

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/media/levitt/levitt091003.htm

38

CIO COUNCIL sends warning to CIO's after Ptech

CIO Council: Protect your architecture data - The CIO Council yesterday reminded agency CIOs to guard their enterprise architecture information and applications as closely as their core systems. Energy Department CIO Karen Evans, vice chair- woman of the council, said the memo to CIOs was a pre-emptive step. She said some agencies have been concerned about the integrity of their architectural plans after federal agents raided Ptech Inc. of Quincy, Mass., last month.

http://www.onlinesecurity.com/links/links293.php

39

Tom Brokaw's Coverage of Ptech w/ Lisa Myers on 1/6/2003 onemonth after raid

xnbc13 1/6/03 Terrorism / Ptech Investigation / Ziade Interview

0:02:50

(Studio: Tom Brokaw) Report introduced.

(Quincy, Massachusetts: Lisa Myers) NBC exclusive interview held with Oussama Ziade, CEO of Ptech, the Boston software company being investigated by the FBI on suspicion of funding terrorist organizations linked to Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden, presented; details given of allegations that suspected terrorism financier Yassin al-Qadi invested in Ptech. [ZIADE denies terrorist links; says this a horrible mistake; recounts al-Qadi's offer to contribute to President Bush's campaign.] [Ptech founder James CERRATO- comments on al-Qadi.]

http://www.echochamberproject.com/research/news/n20_010603.htm

40

NPR Weekend All Things Considered December 8, 2002 (8:00 PM ET) - ties Joe Bergantino and Indira Singh to the primary media investigation into Ptech prior to raid

FBI's continuing investigation of Boston-area software company Ptech and its possible ties to terrorism

http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2002/021208-secure01.htm

41a

FBI Agent Paul Bresson states Ptech raid was (1) coordinated by White House and (2) agents informed Ptech ahead of time.

Bresson would not comment on the details of the Thursday night raid, which was carried out by customs agents and coordinated by the White House, according to reports. He said Ptech was informed of the government's intention to search its offices and consented to the procedure.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,107748,tk,dn120602X,00.asp

 

 

 

41b

IBM states it is surprised at allegations; [Note: not so, four areas of IBM, three in different states, including IBM's legal dept. was informed of the alleged Ptech connections in June 2002.]

When asked Friday about investigators' raid of Ptech and the firm's alleged link with al Qaeda, IBM spokesperson Jeff Gluck said the company is "surprised." "If called upon by officials, we will cooperate," Gluck said. However, he adds that IBM had no knowledge of the allegations.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,107748,tk,dn120602X,00.asp

42

Ptech's executives told Al Qadi was owner of Ptech

Government sources told CNN that company employees contacted the FBI last fall when the State Department put Yasin al-Qadi, a Saudi businessman, on a watch list of individuals and organizations whose U.S. assets were frozen because of suspected ties to terrorists. The employees told the FBI that they had been introduced to al-Qadi in Saudi Arabia as "the owner" of Ptech. Sources said Ptech executives are believed to have been aware of al-Qadi's suspected connections but did not sever their relationship with him.

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast/12/06/ptech.raid/

43

Ptech/BMI/Kadi International in NJ; BMI under investigation by Chicago FBI for Hamas and African Embassy bombing; [Note: John O'Neil ex of the FBI, killed in WTC on 9/11, and the FBI H/Q laid that at Al Qaeda's doors. See PBS: The Man Who Knew]

Documents provided to the Globe by The Investigative Project, a Washington, D.C.-based terrorism research organization, show that two of Ptech's founding directors were former employees of BMI, a now-defunct collection of Islamic finance companies that was targeted in an investigation by the FBI's Chicago office. ''BMI was an Islamic financial institution that would loan money in an Islamically permissible manner,'' said Matthew Epstein, director of research for The Investigative Project. ''According to the FBI, they were involved in Hamas financing activities and potentially involved in the 1998 US Embassy bombings in Africa,'' he said. BMI was targeted by the FBI's Chicago office in a probe of alleged money laundering and funnelling of funds to terrorist groups like Hamas. BMI also shared office space in Secaucus, N.J. with Qadi International, an organization controlled by Qadi. According to state records, two of Ptech's founding directors were former officials with BMI. One of the directors, Soliman Bihei

http://billstclair.com/911timeline/2002/bostonglobe120702.html

44a

 

Know Thy Enemy: Since two of the principal backers of Ptech have been tied to the financing of international terrorism and "several employees already are under scrutiny for alleged terrorist ties," according to the Wall Street Journal

http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/index.jsp?section=papers&code=02-D_62

44b

Fleischer's denials of Ptech danger immediately challenged by experts

What Are We Up Against? Mr. Cid made one other, still more trenchant observation: "I think [the Ptech case] reminds us of the sophistication and reach of our adversary." This is a point that certainly was lost on the Clinton Administration. As Jerry Guidera and Glenn Simpson reported in the Wall Street Journal, General Services Administration records indicate that "a Clinton Administration government-efficiency improvement effort" allowed Ptech to receive the U.S. government seal of approval in 1997 to market its services to "all legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the federal government." The Clinton team also gave Ptech the necessary security clearances to work on "sensitive projects" like the Military Information Architecture Accelerator.

http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/index.jsp?section=papers&code=02-D_62

44c

Who is in Ptech? Al-Kadi and Mirza overview

Who's Ptech?
The raid was prompted specifically by fears that data made available to Ptech, for example as part of its development of a Military Information Architecture Accelerator for the Defense Department, might have been compromised since the company received substantial financing from Qassin al-Kadi and M. Yaqub Mirza. According to press accounts, the former is a Saudi national suspected by the U.S. government of funneling funds to al Qaeda. The latter is a Pakistani immigrant who reportedly controls "a web of businesses and charities in Northern Virginia raided by anti-terror investigators in March" and is believed to have provided money to the terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as al Qaeda.

http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/index.jsp?section=papers&code=02-D_62

45a

Kadi on Dirty Dozen List of leading terror financiers investigated by CIA

Al-Kadi has repeatedly denied any connection to bin Laden, but he is on the U.S. government's so-called "dirty dozen" list of leading terror financiers who are being investigated by the CIA. His accounts have been frozen by the United States.

http://archive.infopeace.de/msg01932.html

45b

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., chairman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, Shelby says "it would be a big catch" - if allegations re Ptech and Qadi are true.

"It would be a big catch" if it turns out the suspicions are true,

Shelby said. "I think it points out that anybody that's in the software business and especially dealing with sensitive agencies of all kinds - we've got to know who owns these businesses. It just can't be somebody overseas, an absentee owner. It's too important for that."

http://archive.infopeace.de/msg01932.html

45c

In-fighting over who controls terror financing investigations

The raid was part of Operation Greenquest, a federal counter-terrorism financial crimes task force, and was carried out by agents from various federal agencies including the IRS, FBI and Secret Service. The operation is run by Treasury and has been investigating the funding of terror groups. In recent months, there has been squabbling between the FBI and Customs Service over who should control these investigations.

http://archive.infopeace.de/msg01932.html

46a

Chertoff on the InFighting that compromised Operation Greenquest whose major target was Mirza

The FBI-Justice move, pushed by DOJ Criminal Division chief Michael Chertoff and Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson, has enraged Homeland Security officials, however. They accuse the bureau of sabotaging Greenquest investigations—by failing to turn over critical information to their agents—and trying to obscure a decadelong record of lethargy in which FBI offices failed to aggressively pursue terror-finance cases.

“They [the FBI] won’t share anything with us,” said a Homeland Security official. “Then they go to the White House and they accuse us of not sharing … If they can’t take it over, they want to kill it.”

If nothing else, the battle over Greenquest illustrates the bureaucratic tensions that still plague the war on terror. The creation of the Homeland Security Department was supposed to put an end to such turf fights. The new department took over a diverse assortment of federal agencies that had various responsibilities for combating terrorism, including the Customs Service, the Immigration and N

NEWSWEEK: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3068377/site/newsweek/

46b

The investigation into Ptech was a "train wreck" due to in-fighitng

The Ptech case turned into an ugly dispute last year when company whistleblowers told Greenquest agents about their own suspicions about the firm’s owners. Sources close to the case say those same whistleblowers had first approached FBI agents, but the bureau apparently did little or nothing in response. With backing from the National Security Council, Greenquest agents then mounted a full-scale investigation that culminated in a raid on the company’s office last December. After getting wind of the Greenquest probe, the FBI stepped in and unsuccessfully tried to take control of the case.

The result, sources say, has been something of a train wreck. Privately, FBI officials say Greenquest agents botched the probe and jeopardized other more promising inquiries into Al-Qadi. Greenquest agents dismiss the charges and say the problem is that the bureau was slow to respond to legitimate allegations that an outside contractor with terrorist ties may have infiltrated government computers.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3068377/site/newsweek/

46c

Why no was was arrested - potentially due to in-fighting

"And as if to retaliate against what they perceive as a FBI power grab, NEWSWEEK has learned, Homeland Security officials have questioned whether FBI agents have the power to arrest terror suspects under immigration laws. In an effort to bolster the FBI’s antiterrorism powers late last year, Attorney General John Ashcroft signed a special order giving FBI agents the power to arrest suspects under federal immigration statutes. But Homeland Security lawyers now argue that Ashcroft’s order became invalid when the INS, formerly part of Justice, moved to Homeland. Under Homeland’s interpretation of the law, unless Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge issues a new order giving the FBI immigration arrest powers, any immigration busts made by the FBI today could later be deemed illegal.

So far, Ridge hasn’t done so."

Source: Newsweek

47

Object Business Investors

Ziade, using the same corporate address as Ptech's, also was formerly associated with another firm, Object Business Investors Inc., which dissolved in August 1998.

http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/4682169.htm

48

Focus of JTTF raid on Ptech was the charities not software

Another U.S. law enforcement official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was no evidence of any compromise of government computers or any coding embedded in the software sold to the government that would be of benefit to terrorists. The official also said that the investigation was focused on links between Ptech officials and certain charitable groups.

49

IT projects and developers are the largest security hole in the nation, not viruses etc.

Article written on true nature of threat:

The largest security hole in the country's information technology infrastructure is not some new type of virus or an outside hacker trying to get into corporate or government systems; it's developers working on software projects all over the world. In the current technology downturn it has become very popular to turn to offshore outsourcing, sending IT projects all over the world using the Internet as the conduit. Every Fortune 500 company and U.S. government office uses software created by people of unknown backgrounds and intentions. It is a standard practice on large technology projects for one company to act as the prime contractor and have multiple specialty companies act as subcontractors. For example, Microsoft regularly has source code written in India.

There are absolutely no development security standards in place anywhere in the industry. What is checked is that the price is as low as possible and that the code works. Nobody ever checks with the FBI, CIA...

http://www.sys-con.com/WebSphere/articleprint.cfm?id=204

50

This Security Source states focus of raid was still to look if Ptech products could be used to compromise government

InfoSec Briefs

Software Firm Raided for Al-Qaeda Ties

Federal authorities are investigating whether software supplied by a Massachusetts company may contain backdoors that are or could be leaking sensitive government information to Al-Qaeda. FBI and Customs agents raided PTech offices in Quincy, Mass., last Thursday night, searching for evidence that one of the owners of the privately held company is also an Al-Qaeda terrorist. PTech makes software for coordinating the design and implementation of physical and IT infrastructures. The company supplies software to key government and military agencies, including the U.S. Navy and Air Force, NATO, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Department of Energy. Government officials say the PTech code was checked for backdoors prior to its deployment, but sources quoted by the Associated Press say investigators are looking to see if PTech products could be used to compromise government systems.

http://infosecuritymag.techtarget.com/2002/dec/digest09.shtml

51

This Industry source states focus of raid was money laundering to Al Qaeda

Ptech, a tiny, $10-million-a-year software company. According to the Boston Globe, among the investors in Ptech, a maker of network software, is a Saudi Arabian on the list of individuals with whom it's illegal to do business. The Globe's source said federal officials are investigating whether investor Yasin al-Qadi is passing funds through the company to support charities that give money to Al Qaeda members. Among Ptech's clients? The FBI.

http://www.imakenews.com/mediaunspun/index000024401.cfm

52

John Jay College Law Enforcement News states Federal agencies are disagreed as to the infiltration capabiltiies Ptech software had, and the focus of the raid was both the software and the financing.

Ptech creates software that provides a type of blueprint for how an organization operates, allowing users to cull and analyze information in various databases, according to The Times. Its clients include the Navy, the FBI, the Air Force, the Department of Energy and NATO. Federal agencies seemed to disagree as to whether the software could be used to infiltrate federal databases. While the FBI described it as “off the shelf,” and posing no risk, other law enforcement agencies, including the Customs Service, said the inquiry “has the potential to be a big deal” both in terms of financing and software, said one law enforcement official.

http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/len/2002/12.31/page8.html

53

Some report Ptech software as Financial Tracking and Budgeting software

Ptech Linked to al-Qaida?...re a small software company. What we do doesn't give us access to information that is top secret. Ptech provides sophisticated financial tracking and budgeting software to big companies and to numerous government agencies, including the FBI, Energy Department, Air Force, Navy, NATO and the House. Th... ... (Wired)

http://powerserve.ws/Software/Budgeting-Software.html

54a

The last we hear is it is operating as a virtual company under the name go-agile. [Note: even at the height of their business they never had a 50 person work force.]

So it laid off the last of its 50-person work force in October, shuttered its office, and now markets its technology through a third party.

‘‘We thought this was in the best interests of everybody,'' Ziade, of Quincy, said. ‘‘We lost 10 percent of our customers, and this was because of the innuendo that happened. People were concerned that the company would not survive.''

While most of the company's clients, including several federal agencies, did not drop Ptech as a vendor, recruiting new customers was difficult.

‘‘There was no growth,'' said Ziade, now the company's sole employee. ‘‘We were basically a company in high-tech, where you have to get the biggest market share or you will not survive.''

http://quincymass.com/sqlquincymassportal/news/newsDetail.asp?id=273

54b

GOVERNMENT LIMITED PUBLICITY ABOUT PTECH INVESTIGATION

Ziade said, however, he doesn't think government investigators acted improperly and appreciates that they tried to limit publicity about the investigation.

http://quincymass.com/sqlquincymassportal/news/newsDetail.asp?id=273

54c

UNCLEAR AS TO STATUS OF PTECH INVESTIGATION

Although no one associated with the company has been charged, the U.S. attorney's office has never issued a statement exonerating the company or ending the investigation.

http://quincymass.com/sqlquincymassportal/news/newsDetail.asp?id=273

54d

PTECH IS STILL IN THE WHITE HOUSE

‘‘We still have government agencies as customers,'' he said, ‘‘including the White House.'' [Indira: the article stated he had no hard feelings; I'm sure the 9/11 families are relieved to hear that.]

http://quincymass.com/sqlquincymassportal/news/newsDetail.asp?id=273


Back to Top - Media Coverage on Ptech
Forward to Table 3 - Articles on Indira Singh


Table 2 - Media Coverage of JTTF Raid Conducted 12/6/2002

PTECH STRONG MEDIA COVERAGE - DEC 2002 
ON THE JTTF RAID CONDUCTED 12/6/2002

(This Administration can shut down and did shut down 
media coverage this strong into the money behind 9/11)

SORT

MEDIA

LINK

1

ABC BRIAN ROSS

Terrorism/Al Qaeda/Computers/Ptech/ (Brian Ross) http://www.echochamberproject.com/...

2

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

3

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

US Downplays 'Terror' Link at Boston-Area Firm

4

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

5

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

6

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Boston-Area Firm Raided for Suspected 'Terror' Tie

7

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

8

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

9

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Boston-Area Firm Raided for Suspected 'Terror' Tie

10

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

11

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Boston-Area Firm Raided for Suspected 'Terror' Link

12

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

13

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Boston-Area Firm Raided Over Suspected Qaeda Links

14

ABC News - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Boston Company

15

ABC News - 07 Dec 2002

Al-Qaida Probe Leads to Mass. Company

16

Aberdeen American News, SD - 06 Dec 2002

US Downplays 'Terror' Link at Boston-Area Firm

17

Aberdeen American News, SD - 06 Dec 2002

Terror investigators raid Boston company

18

Albany Times Union, NY - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Boston Company

19

Albany Times Union, NY - 07 Dec 2002

Link no longer active

20

Albany Times Union, NY - 07 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

21

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

CONTRACTOR COMPROMISES NAT. SEC. http://www.afge.org/Index.cfm...

22

Anchorage Daily News, AK - 06 Dec 2002

Massachusetts company with FBI links raided in terror probe

23

Arizona Daily Star, AZ - 07 Dec 2002

Feds raid tech firm in probe of alleged terror financier

24

Atlanta Business Chronicle, GA - 06 Dec 2002

Software company raided in terror probe not from Atlanta

25

Austin American Statesman, TX - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

26

Austin American Statesman, TX - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

27

Austin American Statesman, TX - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

28

Austin American Statesman, TX - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

29

Austin American Statesman, TX - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

30

Austin American Statesman, TX - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

31

Baltimore Sun, MD - 06 Dec 2002

Software company raided in terror probe

32

Baltimore Sun, MD - 06 Dec 2002

Software company raided in terror probe

33

Baltimore Sun, MD - 07 Dec 2002

Software firm probed for possible terror tie

34

Baltimore Sun, MD - 07 Dec 2002

Software firm probed for possible terror tie

35

Belleville News-Democrat, IL - 06 Dec 2002

US Downplays 'Terror' Link at Boston-Area Firm

36

Belleville News-Democrat, IL - 06 Dec 2002

Terror investigators raid Boston company

37

Billings Gazette, MT - 07 Dec 2002

Federal search targets terror financier

38

Biloxi Sun Herald, MS - 06 Dec 2002

Terror investigators raid Boston company

39

Bismarck Tribune, ND - 06 Dec 2002

Customs Agents Raid Boston-Area Software Company As Part of ...

40

Bismarck Tribune, ND - 06 Dec 2002

Customs Agents Raid Boston-Area Software Company As Part of ...

41

Boston Business Journal, MA - 12 hours ago

Ptech says it doesn't fund terror groups

42

BOSTON GLOBE

http://billstclair.com/911timeline/2002/bostonglobe120702.html

44

Boston Globe, MA - 07 Dec 2002

Channel 4, first on the story, abided US request not to air it

45

Boston Globe, MA - 07 Dec 2002

Connections of 2 men are detailed

46

Boston Globe, MA - 07 Dec 2002

Ptech kept low profile, big clients

47

Boston Globe, MA - 07 Dec 2002

Sensitive data vulnerable via US contractors

48

Boston Globe, MA - 07 Dec 2002

 

49

Boston Globe, MA - 07 Dec 2002

FBI reportedly didn't act on Ptech tips

50

Boston Globe, MA - 07 Dec 2002

 

51

Boston Globe, MA - 08 Dec 2002

Tracking terror funds complex, low-key

52

Boston Globe, MA - 08 Dec 2002

Federal probe raises questions in Middle Eastern community

53

BUSINESS AP WIRE

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news...

54

Business Times, Singapore - 06 Dec 2002

World Watch

55

BusinessWeek - 7 hours ago

 

56

Canada.com, Canada - 06 Dec 2002

US federal agents raid Boston-area software firm in terrorism ...

57

Canada.com, Canada - 06 Dec 2002

Federal agents raid Boston-area software company in terrorism ...

58

Canoe News, Canada - 06 Dec 2002

Terror links at software firm?

59

Carlisle Sentinel, PA - 06 Dec 2002

Customs Agents Raid Boston-Area Software Company As Part of ...

60

Carlisle Sentinel, PA - 06 Dec 2002

Customs Agents Raid Boston-Area Software Company As Part of ...

61

Carlisle Sentinel, PA - 07 Dec 2002

Suspected Terror Financier Is Target of US Search of ...

62

Carlisle Sentinel, PA - 07 Dec 2002

Suspected Terror Financier Is Target of US Search of ...

63

CBC News, Canada - 06 Dec 2002

US federal agents raid Boston-area software firm in terrorism ...

64

CBC News, Canada - 06 Dec 2002

Federal agents raid Boston-area software company in terrorism ...

65

Charlotte Observer, NC - 07 Dec 2002

Agents look for links to Saudi

66

Chicago Sun Times, IL - 06 Dec 2002

Chicago Sun Times, IL - 06 Dec 2002

67

Chicago Sun Times, IL - 07 Dec 2002

Feds seek ties to Saudi at Mass. software firm

68

China Post, Taiwan - 07 Dec 2002

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/detail.asp?onNews=1&GRP=A&id=17154

69

CNET News.com - 13 hours ago

http://news.com.com/2100-1001-976493.html

70

CNN

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast/12/06/ptech.raid/

71

CNN

http://www-cgi.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0212/06/bn.02.html

72

CNN Asia, Asia - 06 Dec 2002

Customs searches software firm near Boston

73

CNN Europe, Europe - 06 Dec 2002

Feds raid suspected terror-linked firm

74

CNN Europe, Europe - 06 Dec 2002

Customs searches software firm near Boston

75

CNN - 06 Dec 2002

Customs searches software firm near Boston

76

Columbia State, SC - 06 Dec 2002

Terror Investigators Raid Mass. Company

77

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA - 06 Dec 2002

US Downplays 'Terror' Link at Boston-Area Firm

78

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA - 06 Dec 2002

Terror investigators raid Boston company

79

CommWeb - 06 Dec 2002

US Software Firm Part Of Terror Probe

80

ComputerWorld - 06 Dec 2002

Feds turn up heat on high-tech industry links to al-Qaeda

81

ComputerWorld - 06 Dec 2002

Feds raid Mass. software firm with possible ties to al-Qaeda

82

ComputerWorld - 06 Dec 2002

Report: Software firm raided for al-Qaeda ties

83

CRN

http://www.crn.com/sections/breakingnews/dailyarchives.jhtml?articleId=18820737

84

CTV, Canada - 06 Dec 2002

US tech firm raided over alleged terror link

85

CTV, Canada - 06 Dec 2002

US tech firm raided over alleged terror link

86

CTV, Canada - 06 Dec 2002

Boston softwar