Feds Raid Boston Area Computer Firm Suspected of Links to Al Qaeda

ABC News ^ | 12-6-02 | Brian Ross

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Dec. 6 — Federal agents have raided a Boston-area computer software firm looking for evidence that the company, which does business with key government agencies including the FBI, might have links to Osama bin Laden's terror network.

The Quincy, Mass., firm, Ptech, makes software and is allegedly secretly owned by Qassin al-Kadi, one of 12 Saudi businessmen accused of funneling millions of dollars to al Qaeda. U.S. government investigators told ABCNEWS' chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross that there are fears al Qaeda may have had access to some of the government's most closely held secrets through the company, which provided computer software for the FBI, the Navy, the Air Force and the agency that handles nuclear weapons security.

Just before midnight Thursday, in a driving snowstorm that blanketed the East Coast, a team of U.S. Customs agents raided the firm's Quincy offices.

The raid was the culmination of a top-secret investigation coordinated with the White House amid concerns that the company was secretly owned and controlled by al Qaeda activists or sympathizers.

The agents brought their own computers with them to download files from the firm's computers.

Agents could be seen inside the Ptech headquarters, searching the offices and going through the company's computers.

The company's Web site reveals a list of customers that is a who's-who of sensitive government agencies, including the Naval Air Systems Command, NATO, the House of Representatives and the Department of Energy, which handles security for nuclear weapons and material.

Looking for a ‘Back Door’

Officials believe Ptech is linked to one of bin Laden's alleged money men, a Saudi multi-millionaire named Qassin al-Kadi.

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, and his accounts have been frozen by the United States.

In an interview last year with ABCNEWS' John Miller, al-Kadi denied sending any money to bin Laden. "To hear such an accusation had been put on myself, this is a complete mistake, a big one," he said.

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

The Customs investigation has been given the highest priority inside the goverment and for the last few weeks, government agencies have quietly been searching their computer software to see if there are any hidden bugs or "back doors" that would make it easy for terrorist hackers to break in.

[ElectricStrawberry]

Heard this one on AM radio news this morning...and to think that this is happening in the land o' libs that I call "home".
Well, it's not the first business to get shut down around here for the same thing. They whacked a couple of money laundering check cashing and money wiring businesses a while ago.

Friggin' libs.

[Clovis_Skeptic]

AAA Michigan, ABN AMRO, Aetna, Allegheny Energy Supply, Applied Materials, Booz Allen Hamilton, Edward Jones, FAA, FBI, Fleet Securities, IBM Global Services, IRS, Meijer, The MITRE Corporation, MetLife, Motorola, NATO, NAVAIR, OneBeacon Insurance Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Southern California Edison, Sprint, SYSCO, WSIB, US Air Force, US Department of Energy, US Department of Education, US Department of Veteran Affairs, US House of Representatives, USDA Forest Service, US Postal Service, and Weyerhaeuser.

We're had! ME's had/have the contracts for security at the WTC, OKC, Airports, now they are in the midst of national security software systems....What the HECK was/is going on????

[Woodman]

I've been searching for this all morning. This scares the Sh!t out of me as well. FWIW this is why software dev and test will not move overseas in the long run.

[Freedom2specul8]

I didn't think of that! I was just thinking of places like Honeywell formerly bendix. They did/do such a thorough background on employees.. even speaking to former neighbors if necessary. It just seems(ed) odd to me for this to happen.

[anniegetyourgun]

Hard to tell, but it appears this co. came on the scene just a few years ago. That might also have something to do with it.

[Lion's Cub]

Great post!

[michaelt]

This is a link to their Management page. Their CEO has the first name of Oussama. Ironic, if nothing else. Their Investors page doesn't say much beyond that they are privately owned. If the ABC story is correct, and it was a secret who really owned this company, then no one knew when all these contracts were given out. It is easy to hide who really owns something. Ask the Mafia.

[Uncle Miltie]

"this is why software dev and test will not move overseas in the long run."

Too late, it's already there. Huge chunks of code and test are outsourced, primarily to India, and to a lesser extent places like the Phillipines.

[1Old Pro]

Congratulations to whatever security agencies were behind this.

I wonder if listing OBL as CEO in their annual report was the tipoff.

[johnny7]

I can recall members of the Bin Laden family in the Boston area whisked secretly and swiftly away after 9/11, with no FBI interest.

You remember well. The FBI were “protecting” them 24/7!

If any city city has a major terrorist cell, I would pick Boston.

The WTC towers were taken down by airliners from Logan as I'm sure you know.

[Lion's Cub]

A "plugging a mighty big leak" ping

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[NautiNurse]

This looks ominous:

[fivecatsandadog]

Ptech's customer base spans the globe across the communications, distribution, energy, financial services, and government market segments. It includes:

Holy crap, what DOESN'T it include? This place sounds like a central communications link!

government agencies have quietly been searching their computer software to see if there are any hidden bugs or "back doors" that would make it easy for terrorist hackers to break in.

Not to mention identity theft.

[marty60]

Why would you be surprised. The Comp. start up was in 1994. Election year for the Thing and the Things Dumocrat party. I think it's time to check the DNC Donor list. What year did The Thing let Bin Laden have SAFE Passage from the Sudan? Everything related to terrorism has links in the Dumocrat party.

[The Toad]

Ptech's customer base spans the globe across the communications, distribution, energy, financial services, and government market segments. It includes:

Holy crap, what DOESN'T it include? This place sounds like a central communications link!

Don't panic guys--many of these websites will exaggerate their presence. For example, if they buy their coffee from Columbia they'll claim a "global" presence". Take it with a grain of salt. A web site can make a company look much bigger than it really is....

[Kerberos]

"It's certainly great news that they zeroed in on these guys, but you have to wonder how much damage has already been done. "

If any of these reports that are coming out about this company are true, this could be huge news. And this is the thing that has concerned me for some time; have we been infiltrated by the enemy much more thoroughly than the government knows or is letting on. Hopefully, if that is ture, it is the latter.

[TigersEye]

AAA Michigan, ABN AMRO, Aetna, Allegheny Energy Supply, Applied Materials, Booz Allen Hamilton, Edward Jones, FAA, FBI, Fleet Securities, IBM Global Services, IRS, Meijer, The MITRE Corporation, MetLife, Motorola, NATO, NAVAIR, OneBeacon Insurance Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Southern California Edison, Sprint, SYSCO, WSIB, US Air Force, US Department of Energy, US Department of Education, US Department of Veteran Affairs, US House of Representatives, USDA Forest Service, US Postal Service, and Weyerhaeuser.

That's quite a list alrighty. Not even considering possible sabotage or spying does this mean that all these companies and agencies are now SOL when it comes to their primary software systems? Do I hear a giant sucking sound coming from Wall Street? Again?

[marty60]

HOW DO YOU GET THE D DUMOCRAT DONOR LISTS FROM THE FEC?