06-F-0803 Trafficking in Persons meeting with Donna Hughes and John MIller 8-12-2003

- ~ 0~;..~~1- w H• 6 'i)z.,, 0 -'«} P 8/12/2003 ~ READ AHEAD FOR DASD COLLINS: Trafficking in Persons meeting with Donna Hughes and John Miller Donna Hughes (Tab A) is a professor from the University of Rhode Island and a good friend of John Miller. She has written profusely on the topic of trafficking in persons and is adamantly opposed to the legalization of prostitution. John Miller is the Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G!TIP) and a fonner Congressman (which he will undoubtedly tell you himself). We have been told by one of John Miller's staff that Donna Hughes will most J likely seek your support for a $1.4 million dollar proposal to take three researchers to Iraq to look into the problem of trafficked pe!jons. - _____.... .......... In the opinion of two of John Miller's staff members, the project is a complete waste of time and money. While there are trafficked persons in Iraq, the scale in nowhere near that of Bosnia or Kosovo (additional talking points from State at TabB). . ~ You may also be asked about the contract recently awarded to DynCorp to provide up to 1,000 civilian advisors to Iraq to help organize civilian law enforcement, judicial, and correctional agencies. DynCorp employees and agents were involved in prostitution, human trafficking, and sexual misconduct in Bosnia-Herzgovina (articles and letter from the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Tab C). GENERAL TALKING POINTS • (addressed to John Miller) I would like to thank you for the work you have done (and are doing) to prevent trafficking in persons in Iraq. o The timely advice your office provided to Ambassador Bremer on how to prevent trafficking in persons in Iraq was greatly appreciated (Tab D). Early attention to this critical issue has prevented post- conflict Iraq from becoming another Bosnia or Kosovo. o I understand that your office plans to provide training to civilian police monitors on how to recognize trafficking and assist victims. This will go a long way toward keeping Iraq from developing a trafficking problem in the future. • The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) believes that trafficking in persons is an extremely important issue. \ l< b><S> I o cs b. . . l(b)(6) Prepared by:._ ____ _, S LI ta 1ht y Operations,~---__. 8/12/2003 o Coalition military personnel are working with Iraqis to track down criminals engaged in human trafficking. Last week Military Police arrested six Iraqis involved m the kidnapping, rape, sale , ~ prostitution of young girls. o The Office of Human Rights and Transitional Justice (in the CPA) is also very interested in having your office supply them with I educational pamphlets (in Arabic) that they can pass out to police, military> and other government officials. // • On a separate note, I want to underpin what UIS Dobrianski and Ambassador Shirin Tahir Kheli said at the first meeting of the Senior Policy Operating Group (SPOG) regarding the importance of the formal inter-agency process. The SPOG is NOT a substitute for the PCC-DC-PC policy making process. Trafficking in persons is an important issue and deserves the attention of the PCC, on which I sit. The DoD has significant interest in reviewing and clearing on policy decisions related to trafficking in persons especially those regarding sanctions. THE PROPOSAL (if presented- Your response will, of course, depend on what the proposal actually says) • The International Organization for Migration {IOM) has experience doing anti- trafficking programs in other countries and is already on the ground in Iraq. • The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) runs an orphanage in Baghdad and is well placed to provide assistance to trafficked girls and boys. DYNCORP (if asked) • Since the unfortunate incidents in Bosnia-Herzgovina, DynCorp has come under new ownership (Computer Sciences Corporation); and perhaps more importantly, legislation has been passed that closes the legal loophole that allowed those involved to escape prosecution. • The Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 2000 extends U.S. Federal jurisdiction over felony offenses to DoD employees, DoD contractors, and persons accompanying the Armed Forces outside the United States. Prepared by: ._l(b-)(S_l ___ ~l souc Stability Operations,._ l ( b -)( S _ ) ___ __. Donna M. Hughes Professor, Women's Studies Progr<1m !;le;inorM,andOi>cacM.J;arlson EndowedCl!alr SubscrioeJo Commerci<i! Se><cuaJ Exploit!ltion News Traffic!Qoojo Women from \.lkIP,)Qe Dignity Resource Cent~r UBJJ:JomeJ'i!g!l Donna M. Hughes does research and writing on trafficking, sexual exploitation, violence against women, women's organized resistance to violence, and religious fundamentalism and women's rights. She also works on issues related to women, science and technology. Trafficking, Violence, and Sexual Exploitation Final Report, Group of Specialists on the Impact of the Use of New Information Technologies on the Trafficking in Human Beings for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation, Council of Europe, February, 2003 (99 KB WORD DOC) "Aiding and Abetting the Slave Trade," Wall Street Journal - Asia, February 27, 2003 (21 KB POEJ "The World's Sex Slaves Need Liberation, Not Condoms," The Weekly Standard, February 24, 2003 Ul_KB~QEJ "The Transnational Political Criminal Nexus of Trafficking in Women from Ukraine," Trends in Organized Crime, Vol. 6, No. 3-4: Spr.-Sum. 2001 (81 KB PDF) "Trafficking of children for prostitution," Protecting Our Children: Working Together to End Child Prostitution, US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Washington, D.C., 13 December 2002 (14 K§PDF) "Modern day slavery" Transcript from On the Line, Voice of America, 29 November 2002 (23 KB PDF) "Prostitution in Russia," National Review Online, 21 November 2002 (12~Jll'DF) Russian: npo- npocrnry4•0HHaR Ma<j>•R B Pocc•• (if.KB PDF) "The Demand: The Driving Force of Sex Trafficking," The Human Rights Challenge of Globalization in Asia-Pacific- US: The Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Globalization Research Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa and the East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, 14 November 2002 (1t;_~BJ'Rf) · "Wolves in Sheep's Clothing: No Way to End Sex Trafficking," National Review Online, 9 October 2002 (14KB PDF) "The Corruption of Civil Society: Maintaining the Flow of Women to the Sex Industries," Encuentro lntemacional Sabre Trafico De Mujeres Y Explotacion, Andalusian Women's Institute, Malaga, Spain, 23 September 2002 (30KB PDF) "Supplying Women for the Sex Industry: Trafficking in Women from the Russian Federation," Sexualities in Postcommunism, Forthcoming 2002 (GLKB PDF) • "Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation: The Case of the Russian Federation," Migration Research Series, International Organization for Migration, June 2002 (322KB PDE) "The 2002 Trafficking in Persons Report Lost Opportunity for Progress," Testimony on "Foreign Government Complicity in Human Trafficking: A Review of the State Department's 2002 Trafficking in Persons Report," U.S. House Committee on International Relations, 19 June 2002 (28KB PDF) The Use of New Communication and Information Technologies for the Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children, Hastings Women's Law Journal, 2002 (1 HK!lfi)f) The Impact of the Use of New Communications and Information Technologies on Trafficking in Human Beings for Sexual Exploitation, Council of Europe (L'impact de I' utilisation des nouvelles technologies de I' information et de la communication sur la traite des etres humains aux fins d'exploitation sexuelle, Conseil de l'Europe) A Study of the Users, May 2001 (486KB PDF) Elude sur les utilisateurs, Mai 2001 (622KB PD£) ' Marriage agencies and images, Nov 2001 (378KBj'DF) · Agences matrimoniales et images, Nov 2001 ( 415KB.£'.DF) Globalization, Information Technology, and Sexual Exploitation, Rain and Thunder - A Radical Feminist Journal of Discussion and Activism, Issue #13, Winter 2001 (WORD DQC~OK8) $e!f TrafJi.cking of.WQmenioJlJ1Ll)niJsLd~St!ltes, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, March 2001 (Co-authors: Janice Raymond and Carol Gomez) (587KB PDF) Th<LNata.sbs'. Trade: Transnational SexTr<1ffi~ki!1~, National Institute of Justice Journal, No. 246, January 2001 (401KB PDF) · 'Welcome Jo the Rape Camp' --Sexual Exploitation-'lnltlhEt lntfilnet in C<!ml!lli:lia, Journal of Sexual Aggression, 2000 (216 KB PDF) M!iinCJ!:li'!teJbeOemanrJ: Women l\re_the S.lJPJllll, November 2000 (Russian My!l(4UHb_IQ03iJaiom cnpoc; >KeHillilflfoLRBflRIOmC!l n@8J10!i<eH_Uf!M) (Spanish Lo_s hombres generan la demanlil!;_Las mujeres son la oferta) • T_he"Natasb_a"_T_radet: The Transnational Shadow Market of TraffickJog in Women. (7~KB PDF) Journal of International Affairs, Spring 2000 (Russian "Toproen• "HaramaMI\~.:. IPflcH~Rau:u.otta11J:>Ji-.1tt TYtte~Qjf_pbIH_QJ< TOJll:Q_BJJH 111~.uurnuar.:mJ (Italian: '.'.!lco_ml'.!l!ilf<;io!lel!iiNatash\il'.'. 174 KB PDF) , The Internet and Sex Industries: Partners in__GloJ:>al S!'lxual Exploitation, Technology and Society Magazine, Spring 2000 · Factbook_on Global Sexual ExploitatiQn, 1999 (Co- authors: Laura Sporcic, Nadine Mendelsohn, Vanessa Chirgwin) Making the H.ii'Lrn Yisibli; - Global Sexual Exploitation of Women and Girls - Speaking Out and Providing Services. The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. 1999. (Co- editor: Claire M. Roche) Pimp_s and Predators on.thel[J_fernet - Globalizing the Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children. The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. 1999 (With references t?.BMB PDF). US!'_ofthe lnt!'rnet for Global ~xuaJ ExgLoitation Q.f Women and Children, 1998 (793KB PDF) Resolution - Misuse oUt>e lnte(nJ;t/QLtlleE'Y.rpPse_of Sexual Exploitation. United Nations Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Geneva, Switzerland, 11 May 1998. See .Bi!P.ort of the WOLkingJii.roJ,!JJ.!Jfl Qontemporary Forms of Slavery, Office of thll l,Jnited Nation~High Commissioner for Human ------------- -- ~---------- • ~Lll91!liz1\tLQOWQuJdJeg.ltimLze abus.!l,'.'. Point - Counterpoint Feature "Would Legalizing Prostitution Curb the Trafficking of Women? Transitions - Changes in Post-Communist Societies, January 1998: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 96-99. Trafficking an.d s!3Xual exploitation on the Internet. Feminista! The Online Journal of Feminist Construction, Vol. 1, No. 8., 1997. "Vio!eJlc'i! ag11inst wc;imen in Belgrade, Serbia: sos H.9tlineJ991 :...19.ll.3".''. Violence Against Women· An International Interdisciplinary Journal 1997:Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 101-128. (Co-author: Zorica Mrsevic) Sex tours via the Internet. Feminista! The Online Journal of Feminist Construction, Vol. 1, No. 7, 1997. Donna M. Hughes 316 Eleanor Roosevelt Hall Phone: 401-874-2757 Fax: 401-874-4527 E-Mail: Qhi,ighe,,s_@w:i&du File last updated: Thursday, l\1arch 06, 2003 The University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. I A I ····• •1 •••·· !fWliNJI Copyright © l 999 University of Rhode Island Pisclaimer Counter d;;tafl le "r'USl"/local,,etc,.Counter"d<.tta/hughcs.d;;it" must b!l' created flrst 1 I ~--~----------~~-~---~----·------- Iraq: Background on Trafficking in Perso11s f(nrn G {TIP Scope and Magnitude: There are some reports of trafficking. In addition to the "Special Cases" narrative in tl1e 2003 TIP Report, press reports of forced marriages for girls in Islamic o.r:p!1anages arid reports from military police officers indicate that there are some cases of trafficking emerging. For a number of reasons, including cultural, the problem is not on the scale of Kosovo or Bosnia. --Military Police are already following up on tips about trafficking. My brothe.-r, the first. sergeant of the 170"-n MP Company (out of Ft. Lewis) said last week that t-1l?s from another company in conj11ncti.on with Iraqi police arrested six Iraqis involved in kidnapping, rape, sale, and prostitution of young girls. The r.i:Ps acted on information provided by their interpreters about 1-umors that girls were being kidnapped and possibly prostituted. ~Outline how MPs handle other crimes against women and children.~ allJAih~ (C!pOrlfC frlm JAGt M- CJTr·l ~-The International Organization for Migration and UNICEF are present in Iraq. !OM does anti-trafficking programs in other countries and beca11se it already had infrastructure on the ground in Iraq, it is an ideal organization to handle TIP. --UNICEF runs an orphanage in Baghdad and is trying to gather and place street children in the orphanage. UNICEF is a good candidate to sl1elter or provide assistance to trafficked girls and boys, as it does in other cour1tries. --Many MPs are already aware of the potential for a problem, having read the 2003 TIP report narra'tive on Iraq and background information and been made aware of the information in an inf'ormation memorandum from Under Secretary for Global Affairs Pa11la Dobriansky to Ambassador Bremer. U/S Dobriansky spoke with Bremer about the issue wher1 she visited Baghdad in early July. A systematic approach to training or educating our troops on TIP could be useful. {The memo to Bremer out.lined factors that encourage trafficking in post-conflict situations and steps the coalition authority could take, specifically getting the word out through training.) --The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking ~ill be training civilian police monitors once DoO determines it is safe for them to go to Iraq. The officers will be trained on recognizing trafficking and how to assist. victims. G/T!P provides similar training for civilian police monitors in Kosovo and Bosnia. 234 Ford House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-6460 Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Chainnan Rep. Chrislopher H. Smith, Co-Chairman For Immediate Release wwvv.csce.gov Media Contact'. Ben Anderson 202.225.1901 May 13, 2003 Full Text of Commission Letter to Deputy Secretary Armitage May 2, 2003 The Honorable Richard L. Armitage Deputy Secretary of State Department of State 2201 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20520 Dear Mr. Armitage: \Ve write to inquire about the Administration's efforts to fight against the emergence of prostitution and human trafficking industries in post-conflicl Iraq spurred by an influx of intemational personnel from the United State5 and other countries. Additionally, we seek inforrnation about how the State Department is working to ensure that lT.S. contractors do not participate in prostitution or trafficking~ related activities in Iraq or elsewhere. The need for a strategy to prevent the emergence of prostitution and human trafficking in post~ conflict Iraq is manifested by the experiences in post-corlflict Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. In both areas, prostitution and human trafficking were allo1,.ved to develop and thrive due to the arrival of large numbers of multi-national personnel involved in [X>St-conflict reconstruction and peacekeeping, The United States and the international community failed to address these issues at the outset in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo and, as a result, today continues to struggle against the organized crime elements that control these industries. Such a scenario must not be allowed to develop in Iraq. Please provide us \Vith information regarding the steps being taken to ensure that prostitution and sex trafficking industries will not develop in Iraq in response to an influx of international civilian and military personnel from the United States and other countries. Our concern about U.S. contractors participating in prostitution or trafficking-related activities was recently heightened by the State Department's award to DynCorp International of a contract providing up to 1,000 civilian advisors to help the Govemment of Iraq organize civilian law enforcement, judicial and correctional agencies. We are familiar \,vith DynCorp's role in recruiting and training American police officers to serve on the International Police Task Force (IPTF) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We are also aware of the documented involvement by some DynCorp employees or agents in prostitution, human trafficking, and sexual misconduct and of DynCorp's retaliation against those \vho endeavored to bring such misconduct to light. At an April 2002 hearing of the IIouse International Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights, David Lamb, a former United Nations Human Rights Investigator in Bosnia-Herzegovina testified that "the Department of State purposefully distances itself from U.S. IPTf' members by hiring DynCorp as the n1iddleman and makes no attempt to know anything about the activities of its IPIF officers 1,.vho are serving as representatives and Ambassadors of the United States." In order to dispel such concern and legitimate criticism, it is essential that DynCorp, as well as other such contractors, and their employees or agents, be held accountable to a code of conduct with associated consequences for unethical or improper personal conduct while under U.S. Government contracts. This need is made all the more essential when such contractors are operating in areas \Vhere they are unlikely to be held accountable under local laws. Accordingly, we would appreciate receiving detailed information regarding the following: 1. Please provide detailed infonnation regarding the vetting procedures being used to screen out potential DynCorp contractors who have been disciplined in lhe past for, inter alia, corruption or offenses of moral turpitude? 2. What is the time frame for deploying DynCorp contractors? According to published reports, DynCorp plans to have contractors deployed within a n1atter of weeks. How can a large number of contractors properly be screened in the short amount of time that DynCorp envisions? 3. What is the type and extent of training that DynCorp contractors will receive regarding trafficking in persons prior to deployment to Iraq? 4. How will DynCorp and other contract recipients ensure that their personnel do not participate in trafficking in persons, do not solicit or use the services of trafficked persons, and do not engage in other misconduct while abroad which would bring discredit to the U.S. Government'? Will U.S. contractors be subject to a code of conduct that explicitly addresses these issues, and what penalties will result for individuals who violate such code? What supervisory mechanisms will be created in Iraq ta ensure appropriate conduct by U.S. contractors? 5. If DynCorp personnel engage in such misconducl, or if DynCorp fails to properly supervise its personnel or fails to take appropriate disciplinary action \\-'hen such misconduct con1es to light, \vhat ability will the Department of State have to hold DynCorp accountable for such actions? 6. In the past, DynCorp was awarded contracts fron1 both the Department of State and the Department of Defense, an1ong others, to provide personnel in the same location for different functions. Have the two Departments coordinated their efforts to ensure that DynCorp and other such contractors will be subject to the same requirements with respect to these issues regardless of the specific source of its U.S. Government contract? If so, please provide details regarding the manner of this coordination. Following the \l.'ar in Iraq, the United States has an important leadership responsibility. If members of the international community in Iraq are permitted to engage in illicit activities without facing strong consequences, while the U.S. and allied governments espouse a con1mitment to the rule of law, our efforts will be perceived as hypocritlcaL Furthermore, when U.S, Government representatives, including military personnel or recipients of lJ.S. Government contracts, engage with impunity in actions that allow prostitution and human trafficking industries to prosper, the efforts of Congress, the State Department, and other U.S. Government agencies are severely undermined in working to combat human trafficking internationally. We look forward to learning of the steps you will take to address these concerns.. Sincerely, Firm In Iraq deal drops sex case appeal Jamie Wilson Saturday May 3, 2003 The Guardian A US company recently awarded a contract to supply police officers to Iraq yesterday abandoned an appeal against a decision that it unfairly dismissed a woman who blew the whistle on colleagues involved 1n the Bosnian sex trade. Kathryn Bolkovac was sacked by Dyncorp after revealing that UN peacekeepers employed by the firm had gone to nightclubs where girls aged 15 were forced to dance naked and have sex with customers, UN personnel and international aid workers were also revealed to have links to prostitution rings 1n the Balkans. In November an employment tribunal awarded Ms Bolkovac £110,221 and criticised the company's "callous, spiteful and vindictive" manner towards her. Oyncorp was due to appeal against the ruling yesterday but withdrew at the last minute, paying the damages awarded to Ms Bolkovac plus lntorost. The company said it had reversed its stance because of "a change in the culture of the organisation" since it was taken over by Computer Sciences Corporation. Last month Dyncorp won a £32m state department contract to provide up to 1,000 clvilian law enforcement advisers to rebuild Iraq's police force, prisons and judiciary. US personnel recruited by the firm to work in 1raq must acknowledge that human trafficking and involvement with prostitution is prohibited. Ms Bolkovac said yesterday she was pleased to be vindicated but concerned that any changes at Dyncorp were only cosmetic and that vulnerable people would still be at risk. Oyncorp, which hires former military and CIA personnel and contracts them back to the US government, is trying to extend its operations in the UK. In a separate lawsuit Dyncorp settled out of court with another former employee, Ben Johnston, a mechanic, who alleged the firm's staff engaged in inhumane behaviour and bought won1en, forged passports and illegal weapons. Guardi.!ui U~limited © Guardiari Newspapers Limited 2003 Insight on the News ~ National Issue: 08/19/03 -------------------------------------········ .. ··- DynCorp Disgrace By Kelly Patricia 0 Meara Niddle-aged men having sex with 12- to 15-year-olds was too much for Ben Johnston, a hulking 6-foot-5- inch Texan, and more than a year ago he blew the whistle on his employer, DynCorp1 a U.S. contracting company doing business in Bosnia. According to the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) lawsuit filed in Texas on behalf of the former DynCorp aircraft mechanic, "in the latter part of 1999 Johnston learned that employees and supervisors from DynCorp were engaging in perverse, illegal and inhumane behavior [and] were purchasing illegal weapons, women, forged passports and [participating in] other immoral acts. Johnston witnessed coworkers and supervisors literally buying and sel1'1ng women for their own personal enjoyment, and employees would brag about the various ages and talents of the individual slaves they had purchased." Rather than acknowledge and reward Johnston's effort to get this behavior stopped, DynCorp fired him, forcing him into protective custody by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) until the investigators could get him safely out of Kosovo and returned to the United States. That departure from the war-torn country was a far cry from what Johnston imagined a year earlier when he arrived in Bosnia to begin a three-year U.S. Air Force contract with DynCorp as an aircraft-maintenance technician for Apache and Blackhawk helicopters, For more than SO years DynCorp, based in Reston, Va., has been a worldwide force providing maintenance support to the U.S. military through contract field tearns (CFTs). As one of the federal government's top 25 contractors, DynCorp has received nearly $1 billion since 1995 for these services and has deployed 181 personnel to Bosnia during the last six years. Although DynCorp long has been respected for such work1 according to Johnston and internal DynCorp communications ft appears that extracurricular sexcapades on the part of its employees were tolerated by some as part of its business in Bosnia. But DynCorp was nervous. For instance, an internal e-mail from DynCorp employee Darrin Mills, who apparently was sent to Bosnia to look into reported problems, said, "I met with Col. Braun [a base supervisor] yesterday. He is very concerned about the CID investigation; however, he views it mostly as a DynCorp problem. What he wanted to talk about most was how I am going to fix the maintenance problems here and how the investigation is going to impact our ability to fix his airplanes." The Mills e- mail continued: "The first thlng he told me is that 'they are tired of having smoke blown up their ass.' They don't want anyrr1ore empty promises." An e~mail from Dyncorp's Bosnia site supervisor, John Hirtz (later fired for alleged sexual indiscretions), explains DynCorp's position in Bosnia. "The bottom line is that DynCorp has taken what used to be a real positive program that has very high visibility with every Army unit in the world and turned it into a bag of worms. Poor quality was the major issue." Johnston was on the ground and saw firsthand what the military was complaining about. "My matn problem," he explains, "was [sexual misbehavior] w·1th the k'1ds, but I wasn't too happy with them ripping off the government, either. DynCorp is just as immoral and elite as possible, and any rule they can break they do. There was this one guy who would hide parts so we would have to wait for parts and, when the military would question why it was taking so long1 he'd pull out the part and say 'Hey, you need to Install this.' They'd have us replace windows in helicopters that weren't bad just to get paid. They had one kid, James Harlin, over there who was right out of high school and he didn't even know the names and purposes of the basic tools. Soldiers that are paid $18,000 a year know more than this kid, but this rs the way they [DynCorp] grease their pockets. What they say fn Bosnia is that DynCorp just needs a warrn body - that's the DynCorp slogan. Even if you don't do an eight-hour day, they'll sign you in for it because that's how they bill the government. It's a total fraud." Remember, Johnston was fired by this company. He laughs bitterly recalling the work habits of a DynCorp employee in Bosnia who "weighed 400 pounds and would stick cheeseburgers in his pockets and eat them while he worked, The problem was he would literally fall asleep every five minutes. One time he fell asleep with a torch in his hand and burned a hole through the plastic on an aircraft." This same man, according to Johnston, "owned a girl who couldn't have been more than 14 years aid. It's a sick sight anyway to see any grown man [having sex] with a child, but to see some 4S~year~old man who weighs 400 pounds with a little girl, it just makes you sick." It is precisely these allegations that Johnston belfeves got him fired. Johnston reports that he had been in Bosnia only a few days when he became aware of misbehavior in which many of his DynCorp colleagues were involved. He tells INSIGHT, "I noticed there were problems as soon as I got there, and I tried to be covert because I knew it was a rougher crowd than I'd ever dealt with, It's not like I don't drink or anything, but DynCorp employees would come to work drunk. A DynCorp van would pick us up every morning and you could smell the alcohol on them. There were big-time drinking issues. I always told these guys what I thought of what they were doing, and I guess they just thought I was a self-righteous fool or something, but I didn't care what they thought." The mix of drunkenness and working on multimillion-dollar aircraft upon which the lives of U.S. military personnel depended was a serious enough issue, but Johnston drew the line when it came to buying young gtrls and women as sex slaves. "I heard talk about the prostitution right away, but it took some time before I understood that they were buying these girls. I'd tell them that it was wrong and that it was no different than slavery~ that you can't buy women. But they'd buy the women's passports and they [then] owned them and would sell them to each other." "At first," explains Johnston, 111 just told the guys It was wrong. Then I went to my supervisors, including John Hirtz, although at the time I didn't realize how deep into it he was. Later I learned that he had videotaped himself having sex with two girls and CID has that video as evidence. Hirtz iS the guy who would take new employees to the brothels and set them up so he got his women free. The Serbian mafia would give Hirtz the women free and, when one of the guys was leaving the country1 Hirtz wou!d go to the mafla and make sure that the guys didn't owe them any money." "None of the girls," continues Johnston, "were from Bosnia. They were from Russia, Romania and other places, and they were imported in by DynCorp and the Serbian mafia. These guys would say 'I gotta go to Serbia this weekend to pick up three girls.' They talk about it and brag about how much they pay for them - usually between $600 and $800. In fact, there was this one guy who had to be 60 years old who had a girl who couldn't have been 14. DynCorp leadership was 100 percent ln bed with the mafia over there. I didn't get any results from talking to DynCorp officials, so I went to Army CID and I drove around with them, pointing out everyone's houses who owned women and weapons." That's when Johnston's life took a dramatic turn. On June 21 2000, members of the 48th Military Polfce Detachment conducted a sting on the DynCorp hangar at Comanche Base Camp, one of two U.S. bases In Bosnta, and all DynCorp personnel were detained for questioning. CID spent several weeks working the investigation and the results appear to support Johnston's allegations. For example, according to DynCorp employee Kevin Werner's sworn statement to CID, '1during my last six months I have come to know a man we call 'Debell,' which is Bosnian for fat boy. He is the operator of a nightclub by the name of Harley's that offers prostitution. Women are sold hourly, nightly or permanently," Werner admitted to having purchased a woman to get her out of prostitution and named other DynCorp employees who also had paid to own women. He further admitted to having purchased weapons (against the law in Bosnia) and It was Werner who turned over to CID the videotape made by Hirtz. Werner apparently intended to use the video as leverage in the event that Hirtz decided to fire him. Werner tells CID, "I told him [Hirtz] I had a copy and that all I wanted was to be treated fairly. If I was going to be fired or laid off, I wanted It to be because of my work performance and not because he was not happy with me." According to Hirtz1s own sworn statement to CID, there appears to be little doubt that he did indeed rape one of the girls with whom he is shown having sexual intercourse in his homemade video. CID: Did you have sexual Intercourse with the second woman on the tape? Hirtz: Yes CIO: Did you have intercourse with the second woman after she said "no" to you? Hirtz: I don't recall her saying that. I don't think it was her saying "no." CID: Who do you think said "no"? Hirtz: I don't know. CID: According to what you witnessed on the videotape played for you in which you were having sexual intercourse with the second woman, did you have sexual intercourse with the second woman after she said "no" to you? Hirtz: Yes. CID: Did you know you were being videotaped? Hirtz: Yes. I set it up. CID: Did you know it is wrong to force yourself upon someone without their consent? Hirtz: Yes. The CID agents did not ask any of the men involved what the ages of the "women" were who had been purchased or used for prostitution. According to CID, which sought guidance from the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate in Bosnia, "under the Dayton Peace Accord, the contractors were protected from Bosnian law which did not apply to them. They knew of no [U.S.] federal laws that would apply to these individuals at this time." However, CID took another look and, according to the investigation report, under Paragraph 5 of the NATO Agreement Between the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia regarding the status of NATO and its personnel, contractors "were not fmmune from local prosecutlon if the acts were committed outside the scope of their official duties." Incredibly, the CID case was closed in June 2000 and turned over to the Bosnian authorlties. DynCorp says it conducted its own investigation, and Hirtz and Werner were fired by DynCorp and returned to the United States but were not prosecuted. Experts in slave trafficking aren't buylng the CID's interpretation of the law. Widney Brown, an advocate for Human Rights Watch, tells INSIGHT "our government has an obligation to tell these companies that this beh.avior is wrong and they will be held accountable. They should be sending a clear message that it won't be tolerated. One would hope that these people wouldn't need to be told that they can't buy women, but you have to start off by laying the ground rules. Rape is a crime in any jurisdiction and there should not be impunity for anyone. Firing someone is not sufficient punishment. This is a very distressing story - especially when you think that these people and organizations are going into these countries to try and make it better, to restore a rule of law and some civility." Christine Dolan, founder of the International Humanitarian Campaign Against the Exploitation of Children, a Washington~based nonprofit organization, tells Insight: "What is surprising to me is that Dyncorp has kept this contract. The U.S. says it wants to eradicate trafficking of people, has established an office in the State Department for this purpose, and yet neither State nor the government-contracting authorities have stepped in and done an investigation of this matter." Dolan says, "It's not just Americans who are participating in these illegal acts. But what makes this more egregious for the U.S. is that our purpose in those regions is to restore some sense of civility. Now you1ve got employees of U.S. contractors in bed with the local mafia and buying kids for sex! That these guys -------------------- - --- - - have some kind of immunity from prosecution is morally outrageous. How can men be allowed to get away with rape simply because of location? Rape Is a crime no matter where it occurs and it's important to remember that even prostitution is against the law in Bosnia. The message we're sendlng to kids is that it's okay for America's representatives to rape children. We talk about the future of the children, helping to build economies, demacracy1 the rule of law, and at the same time we fail to prosecute c:~ses like this. That is immoral and hypocritical1 and if DynCorp is involved Jn this in any way it should forfeit its contract and pay restitution in the form of training about trafficking." Charlene Wheeless, a spokeswoman for DynCorp, vehemently denies any culpability on the part of the company, According to Wheeless, "The notion that a company such as DynCorp would turn a blind eye to illegal behavior by our employees Is Incomprehensible. DynCorp adheres to a core set of values that has served as the backbone of our corporation for the last 55 years1 helping us become one of the largest and most respected professional-services and outsourcing companies in the world. We can't stress strongly enough that, as an employee-owned corporation, we take ethics very seriously. DynCorp stands by its decision to terminate [whistle-blower] Ben Johnston, who was terminated for cause." What was the "cause" for which Johnston was fired? He received his only reprimand from DynCorp one day prior to the sting on the DynCorp hangar when Johnston was working with CID. A week later he received a letter of discharge for bringing "discredit to the company and the U.S. Army while working in Tuzra, Bosnia-Herzegovina." The discharge notice did not say how Johnston "brought discredit to the company." It soon developed conveniently, according to Johnston's attorneys, that he was implicated by a DynCorp employee for illegal activity in Bosnia. Harlin, the young high-school graduate Johnston complained had no experience in aircraft maintenance and didn't even know the purposes of the basic tools, provided a sworn statement to CID about Johnston. Asked if anyone ever had offered to sell him a weapon, Harlin fingered Johnston and DynCorp employee Tom Oliver, who also had disapproved of the behavior of DynCorp employees. Harlin even alleged that Johnston was "hanging out with Kevin Werner." Although Werner had no problen1 revealing the names and illegal activities of other DynCorp employees, Werner did not mention Johnston's name in his sworn statement. Kevin Glasheen, Johnston's attorney, says flatly of this: "It's DynCorp's effort to undermine Ben's credibility. But I think once the jury hears this case, that accusation is only going to make them more angry at DynCorp. In order to make our claim, we have to show that DynCorp was retaliating against Ben, and that fits under racketeering. There is a lot of evidence that shows this was what they were doing and that It went al! the way up the management chain." According to Glasheen, "DynCorp says that whatever these guys were doing isn't corporate activity and they're not responsible for It. But this problem permeated their business and management and they made business decisions to further the scheme and to cover it up. We have to show that there was a causal connection between Ben's whistle-blowing about the sex trade and his being fired. We can do that. We're here to prove a retaliation case, not convict DynCorp of participating in the sex-slave trade. "What you have here is a Lord of the Flies rnentality, Basically you've got a bunch of strong men who are raping and manipulating young girls who have been kidnapped from their homes. Who's the bad guy? Is It the guy who buys the girl to give her freedom, the one who kidnaps her and sells her or the one who liberates her and ends up having sex with her? And what does it mean when the U.S. steps up and says, 'We don't have any jurisdiction'? That's absurd." The outraged attorney pauses for breath. "This is more than one twisted mind, There was a real corporate culture with a deep commitment to a cover~up. And it's outrageous that DynCorp still Is being paid by the government on this contract. The worst thing I've seen is a DynCorp e~mail after this first came up where they're saying how they have turned this thing into a marketing success, th.:lt they have convinced the government that they could handle something like this." Johnston is not the only DynCorp employee to blow the whistle and sue the billion-dollar government contractor. Kathryn Bolkovac1 a U.N. International PoUce Force n1onitor hired by the U.S. cornpany on another U.N,-related contract, has filed a lawsuit in Great Britain against DynCorp for wrongful termination. DynCorp had a $15 million contr0;1ct to hire and train police officers for duty in Bosnia at the time she reported such officers were paying for prostitutes and participating in sex~trafficking. Many of these were forced to resign under suspicion of illegal activity, but none have been prosecuted, as they also enjoy immunity from prosecution in Bosnia. DynCorp has admitted it fired five employees for similar illegal activities prior to Johnston's charges. But Johnston worries about what this company's culture does to the reputation of the United States. "The Bosnians think we're all trash. It's a shame. When I was there as a soldier they loved us, but DynCorp employees have changed how they think about us. I tried to tell them that this is not how all Americans act, but it's hard to convince them when you see what they're seeing, The fact ls, DynCorp is the worst diplomat you could possibly have over there.'' Johnston's attorney looks to the outcome. "How this all ends," says Glasheen, "will say a lot abollt what we stand for and what we won't stand for. 11 Kelfy Patricia O'Meara is an investigative reporter for Insight. ilProhlem llTh~re wn~ n c:nmmuniclltinn nrnhl~m. Ii Go to: !Guardian Unlimited home iJ ~ QuardiaftUnlimitad Archive Network home UK news World latest Books Money Film Society The Observer Politics Education Shopping Work Football Jobs Media Search Archive British firm accused in UN 'sex scandal' International police in Bosnia face prostitution claims Antony Barnett and Solomon Hughes Observer Sunday July 29, 2001 A former United Nations police officer is suing a British security firm over claims that it covered up the involvement of her fellow officers in sex crimes and prostitution rackets in the Balkans. Kathryn Bolkovac, an American policewoman, was hired by DynCorp Aerospace in Aldershot for a UN post aimed at cracking down on sexual abuse and forced prostitution in Bosnia. She claims she was 'appalled' to find that many of her fellow officers were involved. She was fired by the British company after amassing evidence that UN police were taking part in the trafficking of young women from eastern Europe as sex s!aves. She said; 'When I started collecting evidence from the victims of sex trafficking it was clear that a number of UN officers were involved from several countries, including quite a few frorn Britain. I was shocked, appalled and disgusted. They were supposed to be over there to help, but they were committing crimes themselves. When I told the supervisors they didn't want to know.' DynCorp sacked her, claiming she had falsified time sheets, a charge she denies. Last month she filed her case at Southampton employrnen1 tribunal alleging wrongful dismissal and sexual discrimination against DynCorp, the British subsidiary of the US company DynCorp Inc. DynCorp has the contract to provide police officers for the 2, 1 OO·member UN international police task force in Bosnia which was created to help restore law and order after the civil war. Bolkovac has also filed a case against DynCorp under Britain's new Public Interest Disclosure Act designed to protect whistleb!owers. As well as reporting that her fellow officers regularly went to brothels, she also investigated allegations that an AmeriCan police officer hired by DynCorp had bought a woman for $1,000. Bolkovac's British lawyers say her evidence will highlight how the underground sex trade in Bosnia is thriving among the 21,000 Nata peacekeepers and thousands of international bureaucrats and aid workers. Many of the hundreds of women working Jn Bosnia's sex industry are lured from countries such as Romania and Ukraine with promises of jobs as waitresses but then delivered to brothel owners who confiscate their passports. Bolkovac claims that Dyncorp officers forged documents for trafficked women, aided their illegal transport through border checkpoints into Bosnia and tipped off sex club owners about raids. ln an email to more than 50 people - including Jacques Klein, the UN Secretary-General's special representative in Bosnia - Bolkovac described the plight of trafficked women and noted that UN police, Nato troops and international humanitarian employees were regular customers. It was shortly after this email went out that Bolkovac was reassigned. Richard Monk, a former senior British policeman who ran the UN police operation in Bosnia until 1999, has sympathy with her plight. He said: 'There were truly dreadful things going on by UN police officers from a number of countries. I found it incredible that I had to set up an internal affairs department to investigate complaints that officers were having sex with minors and prostitutes. The British officers were on the whole extremely good and very professional, setting a great example. But there were policeman from other countries who should not have been in uniform.' A DynCorp spokeswoman would not comment on the Bolkovac case because it was coming to court later this year. But in a earlier statement the company said: 'The notion that a company such as DynCorp would turn a blind eye to illegal behaviour by our employees is incomprehensible ... We encourage our employees to be proactive in reporting inappropriate behaviour and commend those who follow our procedures by reporting it.' Bolkovac's case is the second against DynCorp alleging misbehaviour in Bosnia. Air mechanic Ben Johnston is suing the company, alleging he was sacked because ho had uncovered evidence that Dyncorp employees were involved in 'sexual slavery' and selling arms. Since 1998 eight Dyncorp employees have been sent back from Bosnia, but none have been prosecuted. Oua.rdlal"I Unlimited© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003 0~'., 12 _10 3 . _!~_:.~2 . FA!~ ..... (b -)(- S) ___ __,~ · U I S Global Atta1rs ;· ORIG OUTMEM TO DEFENSE . . ORIG l!CTMEMT TO I PS ~002 2001 JUN 11 A IQ: 3b . 200315304 United States Department of State Washington, D .C. 20520 www .siare.g01J June 17 , 2003 EUR NEA DRL INL IO PM L USAID MEMORANDUM FOR C.AP'fAIN WILI.lAM P. MARRIOTT, USN EXECUTIVE SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF DEF£NSE G/TIP S/ES . S/ES-S SUBJECT: Trafficking in Persons in Iraq IPS dsk The Department of State is concerned about the potential for human trafficking to become an issue in Iraq. Opportunities exist in post-conflict situations for criminal elements to exploit displaced persons, widows and other vulnerable women, separated children and orphans. We ask that DOD engage on this issue to prevent trafficking from becoming a serious problem in Iraq. UNCT.ASS~ - I:~ We recommend that the Coalition Provisional Auth.ority1 U.S. mi litary and foreign military commanders, representatives from humanitarian and interna t ional organizations, and non- governmental organizations are made aware of t he potential for trafficking in persons, informed of the USG's zero-tolerance policy for any involvement in trafficking activities, and asked to report instances of trafficking to the Department of State. We stand ready to a~sist the Department of Defense in these efforts. The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP) , headed by John Miller, is our action office on this issue. The attached background paper was pr epared by G/TIP for your consideration. i~~f/ Karl Hofmann Executive Secretary Attachment: Background Paper on Trafficking in Persons in Iraq UNCLASSIFIED ~~12~ . 12:~ . ~ ... (b - )( _ S _ ) ------'~ __ U/_Lllobal Affairs μNCJASS I FI ~Q ~uua Human Trafficking in Iraq Factors Contributing to a Potential Problem: Existence of vulnerable populations. Displaced persons, widows and other vulnerable women, separated children or orphans dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive gravitate toward peacekeepers and humanitarian workers as sources of potential income and safety only to be exploited for labor or sex. Breakdown of Rule of Law. In many post-conflict situations, criminal elements have exploited the desperation of vulnerable fami lies, and abducted, forced, or tricked individuals into prostitution. Traffickers also flourish in situations with weak law enforcement. Lack of Infrastructure for Victims. Rape victims cannot obtain "rape certificates" from hospitals. Lack of medical services, counseling, and shelters will discourage trafficking victims from coming forward. Presence of International Personnel. As has bee n seen elsewhere, the demand f or prostitution often ~ncreases with the presence of military troops and expatriates. One reason is that international personnel have access to disposable income. In .Bosnia and Kosovo, U. S. Government contract personnel were implicated in the exploitation of trafficking victims in a well-publicized civil case involving DynCorp International. Steps the Department of State is taking. The Trafficking Office has developed training programs that will be used to educate U.S. civilian police officers and other criminal justice expert's who will deploy to Iraq. They will be advised of the zero- tolerance policy and that termination is a consequence of violating the code. The Trafficking Office conducted simila'r training for DynCorp contractors in Bosnia, Kosovo, and East Timor. Steps the Depart:ment of Defense can ta.#!b. The Department of Defense can help lay the foundation to address trafficking in persons in Iraq. Deliver the Message. 1 rn Department of Defense meetings with U.S. and foreign military commanders, representatives from UNCLASSIFIED 08112/ 03 12:12 PAX,_ _ ____ __, l(b)(6) I - - UI S GlO~H!!J:tfa1rs 14JUU4 UNCLASSI FIED humanitari an and international organizations, and non- governmental organizations to make them a ware of the potential for traf f i eking in per sons, explain .the USG 2ero-tolerance policy for t heir involvement, and request t hat they report instances of trafficking. Inform U. S. Pe rsoDilel About Trafficki ng Information about trafficking in persons and inappropriate conduct needs to be conveyed to all military and ci ~i li an personnel during their deployment to Iraq . U.S. Government employees should know how to recognize trafficking situations and provide assis t ance to victims. Raise Public Awarene;s- in '1raq.f An important element to prevent trafficking is to raise public awareness among the local populat ion and as such, the State Depar~ment requests the assistance of the Department of Defense in helping the local populace understand what trafficking is, how to prevent trafficki ng, protect victims, and once an e ffective court system is establi shed, punish traffickers. UNCLASSIFIED