How U.S.Army Commanders Covered up a Major Security Breach: “1996 Khobar Towers Bombing could have been prevented. Whistle-blower punished. No criminal investigation holding any in Chain of Command responsible.'
1996–Dhahran, Saudi Arabia: Intrigue & Menace Co-Mingle: As calls to prayer waft along the currents of desert winds, Islamic Terrorists were preparing to launch their deadly plan to bomb Khobar Towers. Looking like any other modern high-rise, Khobar Towers were originally built by the Saudi Government to house Bedouin Nomads. The Bedouin Arabs found the permanent housing confining, hard, unlike their tents which gave them a sense of belonging to the desert. They had been the people of the desert since biblical times. The emptied buildings appeared the best location to house our U.S. Military.
These were the buildings where our Air Force Pilots and hundreds of U.S. Military personnel are housed. The Airman were our daily guardians of the 'no-fly' zone. Guarded inside the perimeter by U.S. forces, the outer side of the perimeter was guarded by the Saudi’s. How much certain elements of the Saudi Government might have had advance knowledge about the bombing, is still a big question.
June – 1996: Embarking on a new assignment in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Army Intelligence Officer, CPT. James Allen Brady, III asked his intelligence team to collect any information available on current terrorist threats inside Saudi Arabia. Using current information from the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Brady’s team provided him with a chilling look into the heart of growing hate Militant Terrorists had for all Americans, especially those on Saudi Soil. While it is clear that Air Force Intelligence was watching, an Army Major in charge of security for the prior eighteen months, attempted to discredit Brady’s findings. When that seemed to fail, he hid or destroyed the analysis and reports that Brady provided him. The bombing of Khobar Towers could have been averted.
At 2:00 a.m. the phone rang. SPC Jonathan Tasso, a member of Brady’s intelligence team, had just witnessed Major Langdorf’s Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge, rifle through Brady’s desk and filing cabinet, stuffing critical documents down a shredder, one by one. The carnage continued for more than one hour. While the young Specialist did not have the rank or authority to stop this senior Non-Commissioned Officer doing the shredding, he had the tenacity and forethought to grab several of Brady’s files. When the NCO was not looking, he quietly secured them on his person. Tasso turned them over to the Army Chain of Command the following morning with a report of what he had witnessed. SPC. Tasso then back-briefed CPT. Brady.
Not surprisingly, Brady was outraged. Lives were at stake, but the analysis proving potential dangers were reportedly, deliberately and maliciously shredded! Brady wrote his Executive Officer and Commander immediately. That afternoon, Major Kelly Langdorf responded to Brady’s demands with a memo of his own. Langdorf’s response? That SPC Tasso had lied. Not only had the NCO never destroyed or shredded a single document, but that Brady’s documents and reports had been neatly collected and 'secured for safe keeping.'
To date, nearly ten years later, after numerous official investigations and FOIA requests the exact status of Brady’s files are still a mystery. Three conflicting stories as to their final disposition exist. Maj. Langdorf has stuck by his story: He and the NCO 'secured' Brady’s files. In 1997, 'The Hill' a Washington 'beltway paper' was told a different story by Pentagon Officials. Their response was that Brady’s report had been salvaged by Tasso and was currently classified and therefore unreleaseable because it contained Secret and Top Secret Information. The NCO in question, provided the most telling story: Faced with UCMJ charges for unauthorized destruction of the classified documents and obstruction of an official investigation, the NCO wrote in a Sworn Statement that he 'had' shredded Brady’s files. His excuse? 'We were short on space and he was making room for other files.'
In Intelligence circles, shredding or hiding classified information is a serious violation of law and the UCMJ. Brady’s Saudi Arabia Terrorist Threat report predicted an imminent bombing, calling for security elevation to THREAT CON CHARLIE.
All of this took place against the backdrop of Hezbollah terrorists preparing to kill U.S. Military, retaliation for the beheadings of convicted Terrorists in Saudi Arabia by the Saudi government. U.S. forces were standing at the vortex of violent, Jihadists. Khobar Towers stood inside the target zone. Even worse, when CPT. Brady arrived in Dhahran, he discovered that the Army’s Counter intelligence section had absolutely no current data base on terrorist groups or anti U.S. groups; no current data base on terrorists operating in Dhahran or even in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the November, 95 bombing in Riyadh, and several terrorist threats during 95/96, no counter intelligence force protection program had been implemented to identify potential threats to U.S. lives, property or interests in Saudi Arabia. No effort had been taken to template or forecast types or locations of possible terrorist attacks. When Captain Brady queried the Counterintelligence Commander, he acknowledged them and said that Counterintelligence was short handed in personnel, only five to six agents. At approximately 1800 hours, Brady briefed Major Langdorf, ARCENT-SA G2, on the force protection deficiencies. He responded by trivializing CPT. Brady’s concerns. Brady was ordered to 'stay in his lane.' To stay in the 'receive not transmit' mode. The angry Major said Brady was overreacting to events and did not have the experience or expertise to criticize his operations or Counterintelligence Section. He threw the Force Protection analysis at Brady.
Risking his own career was nothing new for Jim Brady. Despite orders to halt his 'Rear Area Threat Assessment,' he began his own Saudi Arabia terrorist threat data base. Under a cover of darkness, terrorists could be seen drawing pictures of the Khobar Towers buildings outside the perimeter of the U.S. compound. On other occasions they would ram their trucks into the Jersey Barriers to see how close they could get to the fence. On many nights they were disguised as Women. Saudi Women are never allowed out at night. They could only have been in disguise for one reason.
An alert Air Force Commander ordered nightly video taping of the activities taking place. Those video tapes have never resurfaced.
Other incidents should have sent up red flags. During the day, Saudi’s workers conducted mosquito spraying from a tanker truck. It was clear that they were deliberately getting Air Force and Army personnel conditioned to seeing a tanker truck on a regular basis. One Air Force Officer said there were no mosquitoes. During the week, of the bombing, CPT. Brady learned that 5000 lbs of C4 explosives had been imported into Dhahran from Syria. An impending attack was evident. Again, Brady alerted his Command to elevate security to THREATCON CHARLIE. He was ignored.
Brady began working double shifts of 18 hours a day. Keeping up with his normal workload during the day and threat intelligence work at night. His head hit the steering wheel when his car ran into a sand dune. Brady fell asleep at the wheel. He was treated at the Khobar Army Clinic. Several days of mild post-concussion symptoms followed.
His Commander (The Major) used that incident as an opportunity to remove CPT. Brady from the compound, ordering an insidious psyche evaluation. It would serve as cover for his not having acted on the bombing warning. Brady was ordered to undergo an insidious Psyche Evaluation at Landstuhl Medical Facility in Germany.
As he was being pronounced 'perfectly fit for duty,' Khobar Towers was bombed. The first investigators on the scene were NCIS Agents out of Fleet 5 in Bahrain. Nineteen airman were killed, almost 515 wounded or maimed. Captain James Allen Brady never got over this incident. It ranked as the most deadly attack on American citizens abroad. He blamed himself. Years after the bombing, an internalized a deep sense of remorse and guilt for not having had the guts to break ranks with his report haunted him. In Army culture, the soldier is taught to 'suck it up.' Driving his grief deep down inside his gut would have emotional repercussions years later.
Arriving back at the base after being found fit for duty, a desperate Brady tried to find the missing documents, to no avail. An investigation of the bombing was ordered by President Bill Clinton. FBI Director, Louis Freeh advised Sandy Berger, Deputy National Security Adviser that Iran was behind the bombing. Berger’s response was 'who else knows about this?' Clinton was seeking rapprochement with Iran. General Wayne Downing’s, FBI Agents on the ground at Khobar Towers were never told of the 85 page report predicting the bombing. It is not even known if the Agents ever interviewed the Major in charge.
Yet, General Downing’s report noted that Brigadier General Schwalier, in charge at Khobar Towers, was poorly served by those under his command. 'Floyd Spence, House National Security Committee raised the specter of no one in the military chain of command being held accountable for the Khobar Towers tragedy.' There was no criminal investigation.
(Dec 96) U.S. Senator Steps in........Arlen Spector, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania conducted his own investigation of the missing 85 page report in 1997. Could any part of the 85 page report been saved? If so where is it? No answers have ever been given as to its whereabouts?
What do Captain Brady’s former Military Intelligence Commanders have to say about these incidents: Plenty! Kendall Gott, MAJ, MI Deputy Brigade S-3 wrote in January of 2000, 'Captain Brady was clearly made a scapegoat by his senior officers during his tour of duty in Saudi Arabia, as evidenced by the insidious psychiatric evaluation he was forced to endure and strong indicators that responsible officers engaged in a deliberate program of providing themselves cover.
Gott goes on to write ' It is key to note that much of CPT. Brady’s additional evidence, fifty-one pages in total were actually available at the time of the Brigade’s original AR-6, but had been withheld improperly or incorrectly. None of his documents were included or considered during the original AR-6 investigation. This was a deliberate attempt on the part of his Command to bury his analyses. More evidence of an insidious attempt to discredit Captain Brady exists. COL. Commanding, James Ward, who held administrative UCMJ authority over CPT. Brady wrote that he had never ordered a 'Letter of Reprimand against CPT. Brady. The LOR meant to discredit Brady was clearly improper.' Army, SGT. Major, Ann E. Miller wrote, 'Specialist Jonathan Tasso, a Counter intelligence Analyst who served with CPT. Brady in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia said that CPT. Brady had been 'in the right' and had been'royally screwed.' The incident so affected Specialist Tasso that he felt no desire to remain in the Army.'
Note: Tasso was the Intel Officer who caught SFC Porter shredding Brady’s reports. February, 2001 – The Army Board for Correction of Military Records wrote: The board recognizes all the effort that you,(Captain Brady) put into your Rear Area Threat Assessment, that may have prevented the Khobar Towers bombing, had it been acted upon.'
Had they read the report? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Kingdom harbors many Hezbollah cells. One of the terrorists admitted to Saudi Authorities that he had been involved in surveilling Khobar Towers. These were the surveillances written about in the original Brady report. Hezbollah terrorists are Iran’s agents of terror. UPDATE - As a result of this story I have been contacted by many Air Force officers and Security Police who were at Khobar Towers. They have provided important new information. They write how disoriented one gets in the immediate seconds after a bombing. As the tanker truck exploded with 5000 pounds of C4 explosives, there was a sudden flash of light, elevators crashing down their shafts, weakening of the floors under them, glass shards pelting their bodies, wounded and dead staring up at them from the ground, all forming life changing incidents that most of us do not have to experience. For them, many do not sleep at night.
As we come up to the 10th Anniversary of the bombing, parents and relatives of the Airman who were murdered still have no closure and no real answers. It time now for our government to re-investigate the bombing. We know that Iran was behind the bombing. We did not know that it could have been prevented. Bombing takes emotional toll on Captain Brady.....images of wounded and dead haunt him for years. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Indianapolis, Indiana – 85th Division, 3rd Brigade 2001 – Shortly after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, a Reserve Army Captain illegally obtained the password to the highly restricted NAVAIR Website. He was asked by officials about his interest and under whose orders he was operating. The officer gave names of two Superiors. No one guessed he was lying. or what was coming.
April 2003.....Captain James Brady, III, Intel Officer, U.S. Army, 85th Division, Indianapolis, contacted me to help him publicize a serious security breach involving illegal sales on ebay of Restricted, Class 'C' US Army, Navy, Air Force, Jet Fighter and other Counter-intelligence manuals. With the Khobar Towers
Towers bombing incident fresh in his mind, CPT. Brady vowed he would never again allow people to die because he had failed to act. National Security for Sale Date: 2002 - Surfing the web with his girlfriend, a Navair Propulsion Engineer, Alan Wirth, a Boeing Sr. Flight Test Engineer for the FA/18E accidentally discovered his current NATOPS Fighter and Performance Manuals for sale on ebay. Wirth sent an urgent email to NAVAIR OFFICIALS stating, 'these guys just don’t understand how dangerous these sales are.' At that point (NCIS) Naval Criminal Investigative Services’ investigators identified, Army Reserve Officer, CPT. Jeffrey Jones as the man who falsified credentials to gain access to the password into NAVAIR’s Secure/Restricted, Website. Jones downloaded the manuals and sold them on his website for profit. In doing so he altered the front pages of the manuals, removing the 'Restricted, For Official Use Only' statements, as well as 'Destruction Notice Warnings' urging destruction to avoid compromise of material contained in the manuals. Terrorists Had Easy Access to Flight Manuals of All U.S. Jet Fighter Planes And Their Electronics Systems ' Complaining that Army Officials allowed sales of restricted, sensitive, Class C, Jet Fighter Manuals auctioned on e-bay to continue, preventing intervention by the FBI, Army Intelligence Officer, Captain James Brady, charged that terrorists had easy access to U.S. Jet Fighter Operations Manuals that could lead to serious repercussions to our fighter jets.'
'Army Whistleblower,' CPT. Brady, knew that the sale of Manuals describing entire electronic systems of our Jet Fighter planes including their vulnerabilities, raised potential for terrorists to damage their capabilities during a tactical military operation or jam their radar.
Brady, a 22 year career Intelligence Officer and recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal charged that U.S. Army Command at the 85th Division in Indianapolis would not prosecute or permit FBI intervention. The officer selling the manuals bragged he had made about $100,000 on sales of government publications. He never mentioned sales of restricted Manuals that were dispersed in between unrestricted publications. Despite removal of his clearance and an order to 'Cease & Desist' sales of Naval Flight.
Manuals Jones continued to list the following for sale:
U.S. Air Force F-16 and F15E Operations manuals, NASA Space Station manuals; Federal Air traffic Control Manuals; Navy Electronic Warfare manuals and Electromagnetic Interference Manuals; U.S. Air Traffic Control Manuals and 17 others.
Brady’s numerous requests to seek FBI intervention were emphatically denied. A flashback to Khobar Towers: CPT. Brady became very fearful that another disaster could be looming. Once again,'he was derided with an 'you MI guys are all alike, seeing a conspiracy under every stone. Relax, do your job.' That came from Colonel Bartran, Commander at the 85th.'
Navy investigators admitted they were most concerned about the sale of the operations manual describing the EA-6B Prowler, which provides an umbrella of protection over strike aircraft, ground troops and ships by jamming enemy radar, electronic data links and communications.
On April 8th, 2003, I met with Counter Intelligence Special Agents from the Philadelphia FBI Offices. Ultimately, their investigation landed in the Chicago Bureau. Brady Breaks the UCMJ: Although not as serious as the Khobar Towers bombing, long term effects of sales of Jet Fighter manuals had serious consequences. A significant purchaser trading under a strange front 'gfturandot' purchased 17 manuals in eight days. Army Intel said that the purchaser kept hiding, changing his identify. Brady thought that if he could get a transfer, he might more easily convince the new Commander to call in the FBI. That was to have been his undoing.
Garroted, thwarted at every turn by negligent Commanders, he embarked on an unusual plan of action. 'In a notarized Affidavit, CPT. Brady stated his intent to break the UCMJ in a manner that would not hurt anyone.' 'No longer able to be an unwilling participant in a security breach cover-up, he engaged in what he thought was a small act that would result only in a Letter of Reprimand. On that specific date, he removed about $30 worth of toiletries from the Selfridge, PX in front of the security camera. His plan was to return the items, then inform his Superiors. It was the fatal mistake resulting in a career sacrifice. A giddy Col. Bartran saw this as his chance to get rid of this whistleblower.
He could have filed negligence charges against his Chain of Command, but had respect for them and wanted to spare those in the Chain of Command future problems.
Captain Brady was brought before a Board of Inquiry. I testified at that Inquiry hearing and can attest to the perjury and jury tampering that took place. Colonel Bartran falsely testified that the Manuals were all 'open source.' 'That the FBI had been in it from the gitko.' JAG Officer, LTC.
Alex Murphy mysteriously developed amnesia, forgetting that he was one of the Army officers involved in the CPT. Jones Investigation. Such a sloppy Inquiry would never survive a Civilian Court. Colonel Gloria Maser, Board Chair ordered him to stand down. Colonel Bartran had to be asked to leave the witness chair because he was so out of order. Previously, Murphy lied to MAJ. Marc Chimiewelski who was prepared to endorse Brady’s retention. JAG, LTC. Murphy said ' in all likelihood the notarized statement was not properly validated and a Bullshit argument.' Yet, at the Inquiry proceedings, they testified that the Notarized 'Statement of Intent' was valid.
Although, I was warned not to discuss Khobar Towers or the illegal eBay sales, I did. That’s what this case was about. CPT. Brady was removed form the Army with an Honorable Discharge, with a caveat. All healthcare cut off in one day.
Captain Jeffrey Jones, Reserve, was quickly retired out at age 39 with full, benefits, pension, in the 'Ready Reserves.' Col. Bartran is a Westpointer. So is CPT. Jones. Naval Criminal Investigative Services has the Jones investigation open and considering Federal Prosecution. The entire Chain of Command continues to cover up for Captain Jones. They still refer to CPT. Jones illegal Manuals sales as 'Captain Brady’s allegations.'
I have provided the NCIS Investigative reports to all, but they continue to ignore its findings. They are not allegations! They are fact! Only the FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Services have served our national security interests well. The U.S. Army continues their blatant stonewalling. A 'good old boy' network in the Chain of Command bumps distortions up and down the chain. In these times of dangerous security matters and threats from Al Qaeda and Hezbollah, we need Intelligence experts who will be permitted to do their jobs without fear of reprisal. James Allen Brady, a soldier who was willing to fall upon his sword to save lives, is currently in Iraq working for contractors under dangerous conditions.
He has been promoted twice this year, testimony to his intelligence and capabilities. In the eyes of many, he is a hero. His treatment can hardly qualify as just or fair. If this nation continues to kill off its 'messengers, its sentinels' we will have abdicated our futures to the incompetent and dishonest.
Army Psychiatrist at Fort Knox, Ky, Col., Dr. John Richman said last year that 'he was utterly convinced that Captain Brady was a victim of his Senior Officers to cover up for their incompetence and ineptitudes.'
Post Traumatic Stress?
Harvard Trained 'U' of Indiana Psychiatrist wrote that James Allen Brady is a man who lives his life at the highest levels of ethics even at great sacrifice to himself. ' It is my opinion that CPT. Brady’s behavior in this matter was prompted by his strict internal moral code to do what he felt was necessary to protect national and military security, despite the potential cost to his military career.' Dr. George Parker suggested that he thought CPT. Brady has been grieving for nine years over the deaths at Khobar Towers.'
Authentic men/women define themselves not by what they can get from others or the diluted norms of society, but against that which the calls of conscience demand and the sacrifice necessary to achieve a higher goal. While he was ready to sacrifice his career for the good of the nation, the 85th Division and the Chain of Command were willing to sacrifice CPT. Brady to save themselves from exposure. Not an example of an honorable system, it also exposes a propensity for some in the Army Chain of Command to just go through the motions of doing a job. Military bureaucrats who are no longer up to par in a new era of terror assault on America need to be re-evaluated.
Authentic heroes are always willing to make supreme sacrifices, even if the act itself defies understanding.
The following are a list of manuals sold on CPT. Jones' website.
S NAVY FA/18* U.S. NAVY FA-16 U.S. NAVY EA-6B* U.S. NAVY TA-4F & TA-4J U.S. NAVY E-6A* U.S. NAVY F-18 E/F U.S. NAVY KC - 130R U.S. NAVY F-14A U.S. NAVY F-14D* U.S. NAVY NATOPs T-2C U.S. NAVY UH-3H SEA KING* U.S. NAVY AH-1W COBRA* U.S. NAVY T-39D SABRELINER* U.S. NAVY NATOPS T-34C* U.S. NAVY UH-1 U.S. NAVY T-54 U.S. NAVY H46D * Indicates Distribution C Statement:
U.S. AIR FORCE F-16 Operations Manual U.S. AIR FORCE F-15E FLIGHT OPERATIONS Manual U.S. NAVY Electronic Warfare Manual U.S. NAVY ELECTRONIC INTERFERENCE MANUALS ENERGY RADIOLOGICAL RADIATION MANUALS U.S. Navy Electronic Communication Manual U.S. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL MANUALS NASA SPACE STATION MANUALS U.S. SPACE NASA APOLLO-SOYUZ MANUALS: -
U.S. Army FM-24-33 Electronic Counter-Counter Measures: U.S. Army FM 24-11 Tactical Satellite Communications U.S. Army Countermine Operations Manuals U.S. Air Force A-10 Flight Operations Manuals C141 Flight Operations Manuals
U.S. Navy Flight Ordnance Manuals & Navy Air Navigation Manuals U.S. Army Test Flight Manuals U.S. Military Counterintelligence Manuals 203 Page Electromagnetic Interference Manuals 120 page HP 141T Spectrum Analyzer Manuals 125 Pg. Energy Radiological Radiological Radiation Manuals Joint U.S. Air Force and Navy Air Navigation Manuals: FM 24-18 - FM 24-19 - FM 24-19 - FM 24-22 - FM 24-27 - FM 11-41 - FM 7-8 - FM 7-10 - FM 7-30: (EA-6B restricted to U.S. for official use only believed to have been sold to Europe purchaser).
CPT. Jones notes on his site: FREE FIRST CLASS POSTAGE IN U.S. AND REST OF THE WORLD. - 'Distribution authorized to U.S. government Agencies and their contractors to protect publications required for official use only or for administrative or operational purposes only.' EA-6B Contractors notes that with these manuals our adversaries can design countermeasures against us.
By: Alene S. Ammond, Former NJ State Senator - Power of Attorney for former Army Intel Officer
