Throughout history, military forces have depended on civilian contractors of one sort or another to give their military personnel flexibility, or to fulfill logistical and support functions that soldiers do not need to do.

In ancient and medieval history up until at least the 1600s, it was not unusual to depend on armies made up primarily of mercenaries and civilian support. George Washington’s Continental Army depended on civilians for a variety of support roles: transportation, carpentry, engineering, food and medicine. These were logistical functions, considered either menial or too specialized to expect soldiers to do them. Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette was one of the first Military Contractors in the US. In 1777, he purchased a ship, and with a crew of adventurers set sail for America to fight in the American Revolution against British colonial rule.

The Marquis de Lafayette joined the Revolutionary Army as a major general and was assigned to the staff of George Washington. He served with distinction, leading American forces to several victories. Upon his return home to France, he worked closely with US Ambassadors Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Even after technically leaving the service of the United States, he continued to work in its interests.

The Marquis de Lafayette

Logistical, combat and diplomatic functions like this have been the domain of civilian contractors ever since, up through the Vietnam Conflict and today. Often, the contractors hired were locals, people who could be counted upon to know the area, the local foodstuffs, and to be able to find the proper resources for military needs. Other times, they were brought in from the United States, just as the soldiers were.

THE VIETNAM WAR: A CHANGE OF PHILOSOPHY
In Vietnam, there was a significant and basic change in the way the military treated civilian contractors. Business Week, in March 1965, called it a “war by contract.” This was largely because standard military equipment was suddenly technologically advanced, while the average soldier had little technical training besides basic combat skills. There was suddenly a serious need for civilian contractors with specialized skills to work side by side with the troops. Field maintenance crews with companies like General Electric or Johnson, Drake, and Piper dodged bullets at DaNang and Pleiku to maintain and repair field equipment and infrastructure for troops, who desperately needed them. Instead of being kept safely behind military lines, civilian Contractors were in the same danger as the soldiers they were supporting. This was not the only reason that civilian contractors were active in the Vietnam Theater.

Before the war even started, Air America was field-lifting supplies behind enemy lines to covert US Special Forces operatives who were training the CIA formed South Vietnamese’s, Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG). Food, supplies, weapons, intelligence and transportation would have been impossible to access without Air America pilots and Civilian Contractor ground crews who were maintaining Air America’s airplanes and helicopters. The U.S. was still not yet officially involved in the Vietnam conflict, and to commit American military planes and soldiers would have caused the international incident that the U.S. was trying to avoid at the time.

An Air America helicopter helps evacuate Vietnamese refugees from the top of 22 Gia Long Street, a half mile from the U.S. Embassy.

The men and women working behind enemy lines out of uniform were a unique breed. Some were ex-military, or ex-CIA, with the training necessary to perform covert operations. They did not have the same status, however, of an American soldier, who soon learned how faithless the enemy was, as the number of tortured POWs started to mount. Others were young men (few women) who were moved by high salaries, or by a taste for adventure, and even by patriotism or idealism.

When the war ended, some ex civilian contractors entered the CIA or other US military or paramilitary service afterward; others went on into private life, often finding successful careers. One ex-civilian contractor went on to run a large branch of Goodwill Industries International on the Pacific Rim, successfully transforming his experience with Asian culture into an executive job after he made millions starting and running a 400-employee company in San Francisco. There were numerous other civilian contractors at this time, almost all working for the same companies that built U.S. army electronics or field equipment. These companies and contractors included General Electric, branches of AT&T, Johnson, Drake and Piper, and even Michigan State University.

One of the many highly technical weapon systems maintained by Civilian General Electric employees in Vietnam was the 7.62MM GE MiniGun

WHAT IT WAS LIKE?
Serving in this manner was extremely hazardous. Many were shot down; others were captured and remain missing today. Air America lost 87 people during the conflict; it is unknown how many men and women serving with other civilian contractors were also killed or captured by the VietCong, largely because these statistics were not maintained by the military. There were also a few French mercenary- class security contractors working in Vietnam at the time, but they were mostly doing cleanup and protecting French citizens and expats who were still in Vietnam despite the war. R&R was a real problem for these contractors, particularly after the Vietnam War started in full force. A few went to Saigon, like US soldiers, but this was an unsafe and often times uncomfortable position for US personnel, and especially for US contractors. A trip to Tokyo, Bangkok or anywhere outside the theater was a prize to strive for.

Soi Cowboy’s famous Go Go Bars where American GI’s and Contractors went for R & R during the Vietnam War

Civilian contractors who were working side by side with the military maintaining and upgrading their equipment (and getting shot at with them!) were usually the best accepted by US soldiers. Those Contractors who worked independently from the US Military were generally shunned as outsiders or rogues who were only in the war for the money. R&R could be a little surprising.

The men working for US Contractors sometimes got a little stir crazy, and being shot at every day tends to numb your sense of danger. In 1967 in Laos, some civilian Contractors decided to spend their day off, not sitting around the nice safe hostel they were assigned, but searching through jungles infested with enemy personnel for wild orchids, rare and valuable flowers, to beautify their temporary homes. Miraculously, they were not caught doing this, and returned to their home base with a load of beautiful living flowers.

Others found a different kind of R&R. With so few American women in the area, there were few options for romance. A number of civilian Contractors married Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian women, bringing them back to the United States with them when the war was over, or even remaining in Asia to start their families.

One of the main reasons these young men put their lives on the line was for money. Civilian Contractors working with US companies were taking the same risks as US soldiers, but getting significantly higher pay, much to the dismay of the US soldiers they were working with. Salaries varied, of course; but some came back to the United States with the seed capital to start their own businesses, while others went on to high-paying jobs in the military- industrial complex or in private industry. A number stayed in Southeast Asia with their hard-earned cash to live the easy expat life.

PRIVATE CONTRACTORS TODAY
The temptation of a high-paying overseas job today and the poor job market for former military personnel often outweighs the risks involved. It’s currently estimated by the Brookings Institute that for every ten military personnel involved in the Iraq war, a contractor is there to maintain equipment or work for the military in some other capacity; because of security concerns, almost every single one is American or from a European Union or NATO member country.

There are dozens of small private military companies and security contractors that provide PSD (Personal Security Detail) teams to high ranking US, European and Iraqi officials, or escort supply convoys through the dangerous “Mad Max” highways of Iraq; these are most frequently the men who die at the hands of insurgents.

Security Contractors protect top U.S. administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer as he greets Provincial Council Governor Abdul Kareem Barjas in Baghdad this May

Today, the U.S. military relies on Contractors to maintain 28% of its weapon systems. Ideally, they would like to use contractors to maintain 50%. Military contracting today appears to be a real growth industry, particularly for those with the skills necessary to work with the US Military. R&R is more likely to be in Dubai or Bangkok (like their Vietnam Contractor predecessors) and salaries are sky-high. Special-forces-trained Security Operators make over a thousand dollars a day; more than ten times the wage of enlisted equivalents; even a bus driver makes eighty thousand dollars a year tax-free, and companies are starting to offer juicy incentives like profit sharing.

Whatever else can be said, this much is true: as long as the US military has bases overseas, are involved in peacekeeping with the UN, or involved in some sort of conflict, Contractors will always be hungry for qualified workers, and the workers will always be hungry for the high paying jobs and adventure that can only be found working as a Civilian Contractor in a theater of conflict.

Author – Jamesintheworld

Jamesintheworld is the editor and founder of www.CivilianContractorJobs.com a free site for people looking for high paying overseas jobs with civilian contractors in conflict areas . He has worked for Contractors throughout the Middle East and is currently working in Iraq. James spends his leave time at his homes in Virginia and Indonesia. Contact him at: james@uscontractorjobs.com

When the IAEA recently announced that Iran was possibly in breach of the Nuclear Weapons Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and had likely been developing an enrichment plant in the city of Natanz, the worst predictions of some appeared to have come true. The question on many people’s lips is where exactly they procured the expertise to build such a plant, given that the Russians agreed not to aid this development. Given that the US suspects the anti-western Pakistani scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan of possible collusion with Al Quaeda, is it that much of a stretch to posit that he could also be a prime candidate for the source of know-how for the new uranium enrichment plant in Iran?

A review of Dr Khan’s past involvement in the international proliferation of nuclear weapons makes for long, long… long reading. Dr Khan is most famous for being the father of the Pakistani nuclear bomb, an achievement which has won him fame and adoration in his home country. His renown has even led to the formation of a Khan’s XI cricket team, quite an honour in cricket-mad Pakistan. But his rise to the top has been gradual. Dr Khan earned his PhD in Europe before going on to work at the joint British / German / Dutch uranium enrichment facility, formed by these countries due to their desire for independence from the US in their own nuclear programs. From there he returned to Pakistan in the late 70s to lead their scientists in developing a domestic nuclear program. Dr Khan was subsequently bought up on charges in Holland for allegedly attempting to steal sensitive information regarding the Dutch nuclear program. The charges were dropped on a legal technicality though he has constantly denied any wrongdoing.

Dr Khan’s personal history and rhetoric may make some in western administrations quite nervous. He is well known for his patriotism, which some might argue borders on nationalistic. This may have been borne of his experience of the division of Pakistan and India as a child when he was mistreated by Indian officials, an incident he often refers to in interviews. His regret at the position of Pakistan during the succession of East Pakistan also seems to crop up occasionally. His constant rhetorical aggressiveness reveals a character somewhat resentful of what he perceives as western arrogance and interference in the affairs of Pakistan and the wider Islamic world. It also reveals a certain belief in Islamic solidarity. “They dislike our god, they dislike our prophet, they dislike our leaders and no wonder they dislike anybody who tries to put this country on an independent and self-reliant path.” In a 2001 interview he dismissed attacks on his decision to pursue a nuclear bomb for Pakistan by saying, “They dislike me and accuse me of all kinds of unsubstantiated and fabricated lies because I disturbed all of their strategic plans, the balance of power and blackmailing potential in this part of the world.” It would perhaps not be too much of a jump to surmise Dr Khan’s sympathy for the plight of Iran given the USA’s latest adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq, which serve to surround the Islamic Republic.

As it turns out, Dr Khan has a long history of cooperation with the Iranians. In 1986 he travelled to Tehran where he was largely responsible for promoting the signing of a treaty of Nuclear cooperation between Pakistan and Iran. However, Iran’s nuclear program was all but destroyed by attacks during the Iran-Iraq war, which ended only in 1988. The coming of the Taliban in Afghanistan also meant that Iran and Pakistan relations subsequently soured due to competition for influence in that country. As such, the nuclear cooperation between these powers also fell away.

More recently the US administration has accused Dr Khan of selling his expertise to the North Koreans who are busy trying to restart their own nuclear program. It is believed that Dr Khan visited North Korea as many as thirteen times in recent years. Moreover the US claims to have intelligence of an unannounced Pakistani military delegation to North Korea, perhaps attached to the exchange of missile and nuclear technology between the two countries. The theory goes that the expertise of Dr Khan in matters nuclear was traded for the missile expertise of the North Koreans. In fact, the Ghauri I missile of Pakistan is a modified version of the North Korean Nodong missile of which Dr Khan was able to secure between ten and twelve samples in 1992 (Dr Khan also led Pakistan’s medium range missile program). Involvement in the North Korean program led the US to slap sanctions on the Khan Research Laboratories in May. This has followed massive US pressure in past years on General Musharaf to remove Dr Khan from his official capacity at the head of the Pakistani nuclear program, a demand conceded by the General two years ago. This move simply served to make Khan an independent player, no longer under strict government direction. In fact, the recent complaints of the US show that some of the North Korean program was aided by Khan in a freelance capacity.

It has sometimes been claimed in Dr Khan’s defence that his expertise lay in the area of uranium enrichment rather than the reprocessing that the North Koreans have restarted. Although this is a very weak defence it brings us to the current case of Iran. In 1995, led by Boris Yeltsin, the Russians signed the Bushehr Protocol with Iran, thus agreeing to aid in the building of the Iranian civilian nuclear program. Later in the same year the US secured an agreement with Yeltsin to abandon the element of the deal with Iran, which was to see the Russians build a centrifugal enrichment plant, originally guaranteed in the Bushehr Protocol. It was wisely thought that the construction of an enrichment facility would rapidly advance the military nuclear ambitions of Iran. It is now becoming apparent that Iran has sidestepped this problem.

While there still remains a certain competition for influence in Afghanistan between Pakistan and Iran today, most would concede that relations have warmed, since the recent intervention of the US in Afghanistan. Indeed Iran’s foreign Minister, Kamal Kharazai announced in 2001 that “Differences [between Iran and Pakistan] are now over.” Whilst perhaps a little exaggerated, the claim is indicative of growing ties between the two, ties perhaps allowing a certain renewed freedom to Dr Khan’s earlier ambitions of Iran-Pakistani nuclear cooperation. While nuclear cooperation between Pakistan and Iran is highly unlikely to be given any official endorsement, it remains a possibility that Pakistan has loosened the US-imposed leash on (a now freelance) Dr Khan.

With the announcement by the IAEA of their suspicions that Iran has been pursuing a nuclear weapons program through the development of a uranium enrichment facility, the spotlight must fall again on Dr Khan as a likely candidate for the provision of the necessary expertise. Here we have a brilliant scientist with expertise in uranium enrichment, a shadowy history, which includes offering aid to anti-Western regimes and a history of cooperation with the Iranians. The strong possibility that Dr Khan has renewed his ties with the Iranians and aided the nuclear ambitions of yet another anti-western government should perhaps now be taken seriously.

Whatever Happened to the 15 May Organisation?

Author: Rob Wood

Posted: March 20, 2003

The 15 May Organisation has been mentioned in official US government documents as late as 2001 as being supported by Saddam Hussein, despite the fact that many believe the group no longer exists. Indeed this organisation does not even make the current list of ‘Designated Terrorist Organisations,’ put out by the US DOS. The fact of the historical connection is beyond dispute. However, the lack of activity of 15 May over the last decade should not mean that we forget about them. A positive outcome of the current invasion of Iraq, might be the arrest of Abu Ibrahim, the leader of this group. Yet there is a very remote possibility that an outgoing Saddam Hussein may choose to arm this group with a WMD, thus making them an extreme menace.

Ideology: The 15 May Organisation was formed from the remnants of Wadi Haddad’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Many of its members abandoned the organisation after the withdrawal of overt Iraqi support in 1984 to join Colonel Hawari’s al Fatah. The organisation was named after the date on which Israel was declared a state and sought to destroy Israel and those who would tender a negotiated settlement between the Palestinians and Israelis. It would seem that its anti-Israeli agenda has been by far the dominant rhetorical justification that it has proffered for its violent history. 15 May is unusual among Palestinian movements as it was never a part of the PLO.

History: The 15 May Organisation is known for its use of sophisticated explosive devices in the form of suitcase bombs and plastic explosives which were used in many of its terrorist attacks during the 1980s. The group was most active in the early part of that decade There were attacks by 15 May at a London hotel in 1980 and the Israeli embassies in Athens and Vienna in 1981.Two El Al offices were also attacked in 1981 along with a Greek ship, Orion, at the Israeli port city of Haifa in December of that same year. In 1982 there was an attempted hijacking of a Pan Am flight in Rio de Janeiro and the onboard bombing of another Pan Am flight from Tokyo to Honolulu in August of that year. 15 May were also responsible for the bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Sydney in 1982, which injured two people. The group was further responsible for attempting the bombing of three airliners in 1983, two of them headed to Israel and one to New York.

Key Personnel: While 15 May was ostensibly disbanded about 18 years ago, indications are that its leader, Muhammad al-Umari (aka: Abu Ibrahim) remains in Iraq. Al-Umari is known throughout the Middle East and within terrorist circles as the “bomb man,” which is reflective of the group’s trademark delivery of terror. He is supposedly an expert in demolitions, specialising in suitcase bombs.

Another of their personnel, Mohammed Rashid was put on trial in the US in 1997 after spending several years in a Greek prison before being released. . He was suspected of committing at least three terrorist attacks in the 80s including the bombings of two Pan Am airliners and a TWA airliner in Athens.

Link with Iraq: Iraq supported 15 May organisation from its formation in 1979, by allowing it to reside in Iraq with government funding and possibly even the provision of military training. Nevertheless, the need for US support by Iraq in the war against Iran during the 1980s meant that Hussein withdrew his overt support for the group. This led to the apparent disbanding of 15 May in the mid 1980s, whereby its members dispersed into other terrorist organisation such as al Fatah.

Nevertheless, there are some more recent indications of activity. As late as 1997, a 15 May training camp near Baghdad was cited as a potential bombing target for any allied bombing campaign in Iraq, despite the fact that such information was based on a newspaper report from 1991. There have been few indications that 15 May retains any such facilities today.

While 15 May has not been directly linked to any attacks since the mid 1980s, according to many sources it still maintains a presence in Baghdad. The standing of Abu Ibrahim amongst other Palestinian organisations could mean that his expertise may still be called upon by such groups. Indeed, Ibrahim was cited as a “potential asset” for the Hussein regime by a member of the US House of Representatives as long ago as 1990.

Saddam has shown a preference for using his own secret intelligence service for his own brand of terror, such as the failed assassination of George Bush Senior. in 1993, and the more recent attempt to attack a Radio Free Europe station in the Czech Republic in 1998. Yet with the current invasion, Saddam has been truly backed into a corner. Some analysts have predicted that he may choose to arm terrorist organisations with WMDs, having nothing left to lose. While there are other more likely terrorist recipients of a WMD from Saddam, it is the recent anonymity of 15 May, as well as their undisputed terror expertise that makes their position worth some consideration. After all, who would expect Saddam to bestow such a prize on a ‘defunct’ group?

The short of this is that it would be foolhardy to discount the current status of this group when so much is at stake. The reemergence of a WMD-armed 15 May, while a remote possibility, would not augur well for the West and especially Israel. There is little reason to believe that Abu Ibrahim has significantly changed his position on Israel or the use of terror and so he remains a danger. Let’s hope the current invasion of Iraq sees the final demise of this terrorist.

RECENT ALEPH DEVELOPMENTS

Aleph has made headlines recently on several occasions that are uniformly noteworthy. As the Justice Ministry in Japan slowly uncovers more and more pertinent information we can expect the intentions of Aleph to become clearer to the discerning individual or agency. As of now, Aleph is still shrouded in secrecy, their intentions likewise obfuscated. Confidential statements made by senior Japanese officials indicate that the complete story behind the Aum gas attacks has yet to be fully realized.

ALEPH IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

**In the last several months, numerous Aum associates have made interesting appearances in the public forum**

In the Japanese Justice system, 3 members of Aum were sentenced to death. These include Seiichi Endo, Aum’s chief chemist, Mainichi Shimbun, Aum’s Minister of Health and Tomomitsu Niimi, an Aum officer responsible for executing the gas attacks. Each will die by hanging.

In contrast to the death sentences, two important Aum members have been released from prison. Eriko Iida has completed her 6 ½ year sentence for the illegal confinement (resulting in death) of Kiyoshi Kariya. Tomoko Matsumoto, wife of Aum guru Shoko Asahara, has been released after completing her 6-year sentence for the murder of a cult member. Upon release she professed to have severed all ties with Aleph. This claim is highly suspect.

**As context for Japanese public opinion in regards to Aleph, included are noteworthy quotes from several unique sources**

“The sect attempts to conceal its organizational management by using systems such as the internet and video conferencing to relay its orders and manage and teach its members” – Justice Minister Masahiko Komura

“[Aleph] is not just a domestic problem…. If the authorities cannot contain it, [Aleph] can spread sarin again, perhaps overseas next time.” - Masaki Kito, Cult Prosecution Lawyer

“Our current group has undergone reforms and abandoned the use of any type of violence…. We are not a terrorist group.” – Fumihiro Joyu, Leader of Aleph

“It is true that the gas attacks were not for the purpose of hurting or killing, it was for the second reason which we do not yet know.” – Japanese Official [Confidential]
(This refers directly to the possibility that Aum/Aleph has a complex and long-term focus for the gas attacks, which did not involve destruction)

“[Aleph] still poses a danger to society, although it is trying to obtain public trust by holding frequent news conferences and taking other steps. It still tends to be exclusionist and shows strong resistance to outsiders.” – Yukio Kakiage, Director of the Justice Ministry’s Public Investigations

**A summary of current Aleph activities will be helpful to the interested observer**

· Aleph continues to make several hundred million yen a year through manufacturing and selling computer components. An additional hundred million comes from fees for private rituals amongst the Japanese populace. Aleph’s total public income is estimated to be in excess of half a billion yen each year.

· Aleph avoids police monitoring through clever deployment of encrypted internet streaming and other forms of counter-espionage technology. Even with the sophisticated monitoring technology available to law enforcement officials, Aleph continues to prevent infiltration of their data networks.

· Infiltration into Aleph membership has been completely unsuccessful as cult leaders relentlessly monitor the membership and activities are ruthlessly enforced.

· Tortures and imprisonment disguised as religious rituals are still enacted on a regular basis.

· Former Aum membership in Russia is actively involved in collaboration with Aleph members in Japan.

· Aleph continues a misinformation campaign targeted at alleviating the pressures of public opinion and government investigations.

· To this date, actual recovery of Aum’s advanced-research technology has yet to be accomplished. Documents referring to this technology have been recovered numerous times.

· Aleph infiltration of high-technology organizations continues (Aum infiltration was never completely uncovered).

· Aum’s doctrine of destruction based upon Shiva continues unchanged in Aleph. This doctrine was Shoko Asahara’s prime foundation for Aum’s Armageddon-based mission.

· Aleph remains on the US Government’s list of International Terror Org’s.

It would be wrongly optimistic to assume that continuing Japanese investigations of Aleph will prevent any current destructive goals from coming to fruition. The confines of Japanese law prevent necessary action from being taken against Aleph. Until hard evidence of continuing plots are uncovered, the Japanese government will be unable to prevent Aleph from pursuing Asahara’s vision. Such hard evidence will generally only be recoverable through illegal operations against Aleph. Such action will need to be taken by external intelligence agencies. It is halfway likely that such a scenario will eventually play out due to heightened international awareness in regards to WMD terrorism.

On March 20, 1995, membersof the Aum Shinrikyo cult executed a Sarin nerve gas attack in the Tokyo Subways, which killed 12 people and injured more than 3,000(another 1,500 psychological injuries were documented on top of this number). In the following months, four more attacks were executed,though these with no casualties. The cult leader, Shoko Asahara,was implementing part of his ‘divine plan’, which seemingly entailedmurderous strikes in retaliation for illusory police aggressionagainst the cult. Seven years later it might be expected that sucha notorious organization had been safely reduced in capability to a point in which they are mostly ineffective. Unfortunately, thisis not the case. Aum remains motivated and effective. Aum Shinrikyo(now named ‘Aleph’) effect their apocalyptic visions through whatremains one of the best-funded and organized cult/criminal groupsin the history of the world, leaving them high on the list of theworld’s most dangerous organizations.

History

The Aum Shinrikyo was founded in 1987 by Shoko Asahara, a forty-year old, legally blind, former yoga teacher. Asahara was born into apoor family, receiving a sub-par education at a lower-class school for blind children. Stricken with infantile glaucoma, Asahara wasunable to integrate himself into society, ultimately ending up asa poor outcast with radical religious ideas. As history has demonstrated,this often can be a template for the most dangerous of individuals.

In 1977, Asahara beganthe study of yoga. In 1984 he formed a company called the Aum Shinsen-nokai (a yoga school and publishing house), an ideal platform fromwhich to launch his personal religion. In 1987 he changed the name of his yoga group into Aum Shinrikyo, a Sanskrit derivative translating loosely into ‘Supreme Truth’.

In August 1989, the governmentin Tokyo granted Aum official “Religious Corporation”status. This law provides various privileges including, but notlimited to, massive tax breaks and immunity from official oversightand prosecution. This remains the single most relevant politicalevent in the history of Aum, allowing the group to operate virtually unchecked. (It is ironic that the religious policies of the Tokyogovernment were a direct result of the US government’s insistence, immediately after WWII, that the Japanese allow greater political and religious freedom.)

After a failed and embarrassing foray into Japanese politics in 1990 (1), Asahara withdrew his group completely from the greater Japanese culture and began plotting his actions against society as a whole. The cult began manufacturing volatile chemicals and biological agents in Aum owned-and-operated laboratories, including Sarin, VX gas, and anthrax. This was managed using the more than $1 billion of accumulated capital that the group controlled. In March 1995, Asahara’s plans came to fruition, ina manner of speaking; we can count ourselves fortunate that the gas attack was seemingly bungled in conception and execution. Had the organization of the Sarin gas attack been fully realized, tens of thousands of Japanese could have been killed in one day. Had large quantities of VX gas been used in a coordinated aerosol attack,realistic single-day estimates of casualties could have easily reached anywhere between 200,000 – 500,000 lives. (Depending on scaleof release, this number could have been even higher. Strikes againstUS or Israeli targets can be forecasted similarly. There is an odd discrepancy in the capabilities of Aum and the results of their attack. Some information seems to indicate that the attack was planned to be purposefully botched (2). The question posed by this seems unanswerable with currently available intelligence information.)

The international pressure on the Japanese government led them to declare Aum officially bankrupt,seizing part of Aum’s assets and destroying its main chemical weaponsfacility near Fuji. Since then, Aum has changed its name to ‘Aleph’and has been working feverishly to clear up its image, persuading influential government figures to vouch for them. Opinions are split,with some government officials supporting them, and others pointing to them as a clear and malicious threat to world peace. This is to be expected due to the deep infiltration that Aum had into Japanese politics. The dissenting officials cite Aleph’s continued secrecyand political meddling as signs that there is something to coverup. Regardless of the political purge that resulted in the arrestof hundreds of Aum followers, the cult continues according to itsapocalyptic vision. To all intents and purposes, only Aum’s namehas changed, despite the pacifistic language used in their officialpublic releases (3).

Structure

Aum was directed and organized by Asahara, who also acted as the supremedeity of the cult. Active membership of the cult, at its peak in1995, was 65,000 individuals. Membership in Russia totaled around35,000 – 40,000 people(4) . It is abundantly clear that Aum’s infiltration into Russia was nothing short of complete(5) . Aum also acquired properties in the United States, Australia, Israel, Taiwan, Germany,and Yugoslavia. (The Banjawarn complex in Australia exists as a rather complicated puzzle. Evidence of substantial, secret, nuclear,and chemical research was found at this facility. It appears that whatever Aum was using the facility for, the Australian government  successfully interdicted and prevented Aum from completing theirwork).

Under the supreme leader are seven ranks of ‘enlightenment’, from the lowest level up tothe final stage attainable by a ‘mortal’. It was not uncommon forthe supreme leader to order the murder of Aum’s opponents, and theJapanese police were befuddled in their attempts to investigate and prosecute such illegal activities. Public outcry was not widelypresent in Japan due to strong efforts by Aum’s public relationsministry. Occasional political opponents became seen as enemies by Asahara, and such enemies often disappeared.

The executive membership of the cult consisted of an inner circle, which included five chief-ministers. These ministers were responsible for various realms anywhere from technology development to legal administration to construction administration. The ministers were among the best and brightest minds in Japan,each being outstanding and respected scholars in their respectivefields. Many of these were arrested and convicted after the gas attacks, but new leaders have been appointed to fill their shoes and Aum/Aleph continues to exist today, ever pursuant of their goals. (Currently available information seems to suggest that the organizationhas actually increased in efficiency, and that the executive arm is now entirely sealed from the outside, minimizing the chancesof police/political action against them. It must also be noted that the current leader of Aleph was one of the arrested chief ministers,having been released in 2000.)

The facilities owned by Aum were some of the finest in the country,with the laboratories and research centers surpassing military-grade installations. In addition, Aum had its own military, with hundreds of recruits subverted directly from elite Japanese and Russian military units. Aum possessed the highest of military technology (based off of stolen technical data), and it is speculated that the technologydeveloped under their chief scientists surpasses that of the bestknown currently-deployed military hardware, anywhere (6). This technologywas nowhere to be found when the Japanese government cracked down on Aum; Aleph disavows any knowledge of this technology or related programs.

Aleph still has approximately 50 facilities operating in Japan andan unknown number in Russia (overseas facilities have been shutdown by the respective governments, for the most part). They range from enclosed compounds that lodge the cult members, to factories and labs that are used for computer technology production/assembly.These facilities do not openly participate in continuing research, and it is possible that research operations have either been moved underground or to Russia. The latter possibility is more likely due to the fact that Aleph’s current leader was the minister who directed the Russian contingent of followers. (Following the gas attacks in 1995, the Japanese government confiscated plans detailing a man-portable laser weapon which had been stolen and subsequently developed, based off of US military technology. References to plansfor particle and seismic weapons were also found, though the plans themselves remain undiscovered.)

The organization of the cult mirrored that of the Japanese government itself, with 24 ‘minister’offices designed to administrate the cult membership. It is speculated that, while known capital in 1995 exceeded $1 billion, actual Aleph holdings are not too far from that, due to secret or hidden capitaland gold reserves that had been hoarded, untouched by the government. In fact, the government only seized a portion of Aum’s original holdings, leaving much of the accumulated wealth intact.

Many Aleph members are middle to high-ranking employees of cutting-edge electronics and chemical firms. Keeping membership secret has become more important than ever and the continuation of such secret membership is without question. Infiltration by the cult extends into local and national civil service positions, as well as the military and police forces. The cult’s Intelligence Ministry actively spies on the Japanese government and Japanese corporations with extraordinary success.In addition, the Aum organization actively spied on United States military research centers with varying degrees of success. It is likely that Aleph continues to do so, though no evidence of such activity exists. Espionage operations against the Russian Federation continue, though their extent is unknown.

Aum members were (and Aleph members are) recruited from various walks of life, and are all attracted to the pseudo-Buddhist philosophy of the cult. In addition, membership in a group such as this is appealing in the sense that it is a ’shadow-group’, a secret Illuminati style organization which appeals to the pursuit of adventure and secrecy that permeates the bored Japanese and Russian societies. Progression into leadership positions is only attainable by those individuals with proven professional and practical skills, and it is nearly impossible for members to rise from the lowest ranks into the highest echelons. The groupis very open to new members in the low ranks, and members at the lower levels come and go with general ease. Once one progresses into the political machinations of Aum/Aleph, however, it is nearly impossible to leave alive.

Most members are encouraged to not only adhere to the religious beliefs, but also to act productively towards the perpetuation of the financial strength of the cult as it seeks to grow towards its end goal. Cult members live mostly in their respective homes around Japan and Russia, though some members live in cult-run compounds. (Most of the ‘compound’ members are involved in the cult’s clandestine activities.)

Participation in religious rituals is mostly done through ‘learning’ from higher-ranked members in various centers around the country. The treatment of men and women mirrors that of Japanese culture, with men given clear preferential treatment over women. Women do not attain leadership positions.

Beliefs and Practices

Aleph is loosely basedoff of a combination of Buddhist teachings and the teachings of Nostradamus. Asahara teaches that there are various ‘levels’ thatone can attain, various stages of consciousness one can reach. These levels are attained through learning the teachings of ‘His Holiness’,Asahara himself. The teachings indicate that only Asahara can attain the highest level, the level of Nirvana, and that others can strive towards learning as much as they can from him while they are alive. Tibetan elements such as clairvoyance and extrasensory perception exist in a prominent place within the cult, with Asahara claiming to have the abilities to fly and see through solid objects. The  only evidence of such abilities are pictures that show Asahara ‘levitating’. (This is done by using a quick-shutter lens catching him in mid-bouncefrom a trampoline device.)

Members are taught thatwholeness comes through self-realization, which is of course directed through Asahara’s teachings on how to live life. The life philosophyis generally about realization of self through participation inAleph’s political machinations.

Aleph is fixated withthe Hindu god, Shiva, the god of destruction. This explains the obsession Aum had with death and destruction, as well as Aum’s horrific goal of Armageddon. Salvation comes at the end of Armageddon, and only to those who have adopted the Aum faith. This Armageddon comes through a war between Japan and the United States, prophesied tobe in 1997. To that end, Aum had been preparing militarily in developmentof technology, training, and structuring of elite military formations which would have participated in Armageddon. (It is overwhelmingly likely that Aleph continues clandestine action in pursuit of this vision.)

After coming under intense international scrutiny following the 1995 attacks, Aleph has reduced much of its efforts in these areas, at least as much as can be seen on the surface. Secret preparations are still underway, despitethe fact that Armageddon did not occur in 1997. Fortunately, the scrutiny Aum came under has severely limited what the cult can do openly, both financially and politically. (Aleph continues its actions on a global scale through advocates and attorneys.)

Aum was maniacally anti-Semitic,with a severe hatred of the Jews. Aleph has toned this down publicly due to the high profile of such beliefs. Asahara adhered to many beliefs of Hitler, and saw the Jews as a ‘hidden enemy’ which intends to prevent Aum from seeking out its divine destiny. Asahara claims that the Jews are seeking to eliminate 3/4ths of the world’s population, rebuilding the world in their own image. Of course, this would stand in the way of Asahara’s personal goal, which is of course similar in nature and conception: the destruction of Japan, Israel and theUnited States, through Armageddon, and an eventual rebuilding of Japan (and the world) into a glorious kingdom, led and directed by Aum. Realizing this vision is the only path to salvation, according to Asahara’s teachings. (Many of the cult’s members choose to only cursorily subscribe to the religious beliefs of Asahara. Many are members because of the political activist nature of the group. Which is more worrisome is debatable.)

Recently, Aleph has tried to revive its image by paying 4 billion yen out to the families of the victims of the gas attacks. Yet, politically and technologically, the group continues to develop its power-base, ensuring that they have not made their last appearance on the international stage, a dangerous threat that looms hiddenin a political arena dominated by Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.

Aum’s leadership has been replaced by individuals who have learned from the mistakes of their founders, individuals who have been tested and hardened, keeping Aum together despite tremendous international pressures. Aum was one of the most dangerous organizations in the world, and it is beyond doubt that Aleph continues this tradition. It is uncertain whether the anti-terror initiatives (7) (directedby the United States) will in any way derail the global Armageddon being sought by Aleph and its high-rank leaders.

Footnotes

1)Asahara formed hisown political party, “The Shinrito”, and ran 25 cult members (including Asahara himself) against his opponents for seats in the Japanese parliament. Asahara and his followers were soundly defeated, taking so few votes that it was clear that not even his own followers were voting for him. The only true platform that this new party pushed was opposition to a proposed sales tax. It was clear, however,that they also believed in a very imperialistic future for Japan,and their policies would lean towards this.

2)It seems strange thatAum would make the ridiculously careless errors that led to the unsuccessful conclusion of the attacks. The cult’s chemical weapons experts were some of the finest in the world, and the training and expertise of the attackers was unquestionable. While it is perfectlypossible that the attacks failed simply due to chance or error,this seems unlikely. When trained experts execute no less than four  chemical attacks that all similarly fail one must question if itis truly failure at all; it is possible that the outcome of the attacks was irrelevant, and that simply by attacking, Aum’s goal was accomplished. It is difficult to draw conjecture-free conclusions based off of this, though the political and military maneuveringof Aum leaves a great deal of possibilities open to exploration.

3)While it is cursorily possible that the entire organization has been purged of violent goals, this remains as unrealistic as an expectation that Nazi ideals would die with Hitler. Gathering valid evidence that points to either possibility has been difficult, indicating that secrecy is still fundamental in Aleph’s policy. Oddly enough, the name ‘Aleph’ appears in two suspicious global contexts. Firstly, it is the name of the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. Secondly, it is an acronym or ‘Apparatus for Low Energy Particle Physics’, which Aum researcherswere involved with. Both roots raise interesting questions, admittedly quite circumstantial in nature.

4)Currently, Aleph acknowledges 2,000 members, most of which work towards perpetuating the financial security of the cult without pay. It is interesting to note that they have reestablished contact with Aum followers in Russia, not included in the admitted 2,000 members. Aleph acknowledges thatthey are currently working together with the Russian followers,though it is not clear what their goal is at this time.

5)After being investigatedby Russian, Japanese, and American authorities, it was discoveredthat Russia’s intelligence services assisted Aum with infiltration into Russian government and society. The implications of this are devastating. The chief of the Russian Security Council was bribed by Aum with up to $100million. Aum had placed employees in positions at Russian nuclear research facilities, as well as establishing’working relationships’ with Russian politicians and intelligence agents. Efforts to acquire nuclear technologies are documented,though the results of these efforts are thoroughly buried.

6)Aum was deeply involved in attempting to acquire various advanced technologies from around the world. Documented attempts to acquire technology are as follows:technology used in the measuring and refining of uranium ore, technology used in molecular engineering, technology used to infiltrate sensitive data networks around the world, laser technologies, seismic technologies,chemical technologies, biological technologies, and nuclear technologies. Aum was additionally very interested in particle physics, focusingon the work of Nikola Tesla and his seismic/particle weapons experiments. Evidence exists to suggest that Aum made its own advances in particlephysics, specifically in weapons applications such as particle accelerators(commonly known in literature and publications as rail-guns).

7)Current efforts to counter Aleph’s plots are conducted mostlyby the Japanese government and civilian watch-groups. Infiltration into Aleph’s structure is generally non-existent, as Aleph testsits members in ways that weed out intruders. Aleph has not escaped the attention of governments such as the United States, Russia,and China. The Russian government, especially, is reversing the aid that it gave to Aum and now has an open Aleph case file. The US government, though dedicated to pursuing organizations such asAl’Qaeda, has not forgotten Aleph. Current efforts by the Chinese government are mostly unknown, though it is likely that Aleph is closely watched along similar lines as the other governments. Whether these surveillance and counter-proliferation efforts will lead to curtailing Aleph’s global plans has yet to be seen.