DARRELLE.ISSA,CALIFORNIACHAIRMANDANBURTON,INDIANAJOHNL.MICA,FLORIDATODDRUSSELLPLATTS,PENNSYLVANIAMICHAELR.TURNER,OHIOPATRICKMcHENRY,NORTHCAROLINAJIMJORDAN,OHIOJASONC~IAFFETZ,UTAHCONNIEMACK,FLORIDATIMWALBERG,MICHIGANJAMESLANKFORD,OKLAHOMAJUSTINAMASH,MICHIGANANNMARIEBUERKLE,NEWYORKPAULA.GOSAR,D.D.S.,ARIZONARAULR.LABRADOR,IDAHOPATRICKMEEHAN,PENNSYLVANIASCOTTDEsJARLAIS,M.D..TENNESSEEJOEWALSH,ILLINOISTREYGOWDY,SOUTHCAROLINADENNISA.ROSS,FLORIDAFRANKC.GUINTA,NEWHAMPSHIREBLAKEFARHITHOLD,TEXASMIKEKELLY,PENNSYLVANIALAWRENCEJ.BRADYSTAFFDIRECTOR
ONEHUNDREDTWELFTHCONGRESS
ELIJAHE.CUMMINGS,MARYLANDRANKINGMINORITYMEMBER
(:ongrt1)1)oftbtWnittb
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EOOLPHUSTOWNS,NEWYORKCAROLYNB.MALONEY,NEWYORKELEANORHOLMESNORTON.DISTRICTOFCOLUMBIADENNISJ.KUCINICH.OHIOJOHNF.TIERNEY,MASSACHUSETTSWM.LACYCLAY,MISSOURISTEPHENF.LYNCH,MASSACHUSETTSJIMCOOPER,TENNESSEEGERALDE.CONNOLLY.VIRGINIAMIKEQUIGLEY.ILLINOISDANNYK.DAVIS,ILLINOISBRUCEL.BRALEY,IOWAPETERWELCH,VERMONTJOHN
A.
VARMUTH,KENTUCKYCHRISTOPHERS.MURPHV.CONNECTICUTJACKIESPEIER,CALIFORNIA
COMMITIEEONOVERSIGHTANDGOVERNMENTREFORM2157
RAYBURNHOUSEOFFICEBUILDINGWASHINGTON,
DC20515-6143
MAJOHITY(202)225-5074FAcsiMILE
(202)
225-3974
MINORITY
(202)225-5051
http://oversig'ht.housE),gov
March1,2012LynneM,HalbrooksActingInspectorGeneralOfficeoftheInspectorGeneralU.S.DepartmentofDefense4800MarkCenterDriveAlexandria,VA22350-1500DearMs.Halbrooks:Accordingtotheenclosedarticlethatappearedinyesterday'S
USAToday,
theownersoftheDepartmentofDefense's(DOD's)topinformationoperationscontractorinAfghanistan,LeonieIndustries,haveliensformorethan$4millioninunpaidfederaltaxesontheirhomesandthecompanyreportedlydidnotpayforessentialservices,suchasheatandmedicalcare,foritsAfghanemployees.IwritetorespectfullyrequestthatyourofficeconductaninvestigationintotheseriousissuesthathavebeenraisedregardingLeonieIndustries.
1
It
isdeeplyconcerningthatthesamecompanywhoseownersarenotmeetingtheirtaxobligationshasbeenawardedArmycontractsthatcouldsurpass$130million,accordingtotheenclosedarticle,Familiesinmydistrictandacrossthecountryareplayingbytherulesandstrugglingtomakeendsmeet.Anytaxpayerfundsdirectedtocompaniesownedbytaxevadersisoffensivetothemandrightlyso.Assuch,Ibelieveaninvestigationisclearlywarranted.AstheRankingMemberoftheHouseOversightCommittee'sSubcommitteeonNationalSecurity,HomelandDefenseandForeignOperationsIhaveworkedtirelesslytorootoutwastefraudandabuseinwartimecontracting.TheseriousissuesraisedintheenclosedarticlearepotentiallyanotherexampleofthekindofegregiousconductthatledtoourWartimeContractingCommissionlawanditsensuingreport,aswellastheSubcommittee'sinvestigationsintotruckingandoilsuppliesintheMiddleEast.
I
u.s,
'InfoOps'ProgramsDubious,Costly,
USAToday(Feb.29,2012).
LettertoMs.LynneM.HalbrooksMarch1,2012Page2of2Thankyouinadvanceforyourattentiontothiscriticallyimportantissue.Sincerely,~
JOhlf:S
ankingMemberSubcommitteeonNationalSecurity,HomelandDefenseandForeignOperationscc:TheHonorableJasonE.Chaffetz,Chairman,SubcommitteeonNationalSecurity,HomelandDefenseandForeignOperationsEnclosures
U.S.'infoops'programsdubious,costlyByTomVandenBrookandRayLocker,USATODAYhttp://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-02-
291
afghanistan-irag-military-information-operations-usa-today-investigationl53295472/1WASHINGTON-AsthePentagonhassoughttosellwarsinIraqandAfghanistantooften-hostilepopulationsthere,ithasspenthundredsofmillionsofdollarsonpoorlytrackedmarketingandpropagandacampaignsthatmilitaryleadersliketocall"informationoperations,"themodernequivalentofpsychologicalwarfare.From2005to2009,suchspendingrosefrom$9millionto$580millionayearmostlyinIraqandAfghanistan,Pentagonandcongressionalrecordsshow.Lastyear,spendingdroppedto$202millionastheIraqWarwrappedup.AUSATODAYinvestigation,basedondozensofinterviewsandaseriesofinternalmilitaryreports,showsthatPentagonofficialshavelittleprooftheprogramsworkandtheywon'tmakepublicwherethemoneygoes.InIraqalone,morethan$173millionwaspaidtowhatwereidentifiedonlyas"miscellaneousforeigncontractors.""Whatwedoas1.0.isalmostgimmicky,"saysArmyCol.PaulYingling,whoservedthreetoursinIraqbetween2003and2009,includingasaninformationoperationsspecialist."Doingposters,fliersorradioads.Thesethingsareunserious.
I'
Indeed,informationoperationsarenopanaceaincrisessuchasthecurrentshowdowninAfghanistanafterrevelationsthatU.S.forcesburnedcopiesoftheQuran,theIslamicholybook.NATOandAfghanforceshavehadlittlesuccessincalmingthecountryafteraweekofriots,attacksonU.S.andNATOforcesandevenasuicidecarbombing.ThePentagon'scounterinsurgencymanual~theguidetoU.S.militarypolicyinAfghanistan~urgescommandersto"aggressivelyuse"informationoperationstowinoverlocalpopulationsandto"admitmistakes(oractionsperceivedasmistakes)quickly."PresidentObamahasapologizedtoAfghanPresidentHamidKarzai,andGen.MartinDempsey,chairmanoftheJointChiefsofStaff,hascalledtheQuranburningamistake.Whiletheriotshavesubsided,it'sunclearwhethereventhebestinformationoperationsprogramcouldhavestoppedthegrowingrageoverthisincident.AstowhetherthehundredsofmillionsofdollarsspentinAfghanistanandIraqhavebeenworththeU.S.investment,theUSATODAYinvestigationfound:-ThePentagon'stopinformationoperationscontractorinAfghanistan,California-basedLeonieIndustries,wasstartedin2004byabrother-and-sisterpairwithnoapparentexperienceworkingwiththemilitary.CamilleChidiacandRemaDuponthavemorethan$4millioninliensontheirhomesandpropertyforfailuretopayfederalincometaxes.LeonieIndustrieshasArmycontractsthatcouldsurpass$130million;theArmyhasalreadypaidthemmorethan$90million.
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