Jonathan Idema

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Jonathan Keith "Jack" Idema

Idema during his 2004 trial in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Born:	May 30, 1956 (age 50) Poughkeepsie, New York, United States
Occupation:	Mercenary
Website:	Super Patriots

Jonathan Keith "Jack" Idema (born 1956 in Poughkeepsie, New York) is an American independent security contractor and self-proclaimed covert operations specialist currently serving a sentence in the Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Afghanistan for allegedly running a private prison and conducting torture. He had been representing himself to the American and international media, members of the military, and Afghani nationals as a U.S. government-sponsored special forces operative. However, the U.S. government has repeatedly denied that Idema was affiliated with any government agency.

The question has been raised in the media and elsewhere whether Idema was a con artist, delusional or perhaps both. This opinion was echoed by Major Scott Nelson, the U.S. military spokeperson in Kabul at the time of Idema's arrest in 2004.^[1] Among those who have disputed the validity of Idema's claims are those formerly associated with him during his controversial time in Afghanistan.

Idema is not without his supporters, usually found among blogs sympathetic to his situation. These people seem to have accepted the veracity of his claims, believing that he is being unjustly punished for actions condoned, if not officially sanctioned, by the U.S. military.

Idema is known to be litigious and has filed numerous law suits, or has threated legal action against his detractors. Perhaps his boldest legal action was when he sued Steven Spielberg over the 1997 film The Peacemaker.^[2] Idema charged that the Special Forces operative played by George Clooney was modeled on him. A judge dismissed Idema's claim and ordered him to pay US$267,079 in attorney fees.^[3]

Contents 1 Military service 2 Business interests and fraud conviction 3 Lithuania and nuclear weapons smuggling 4 Afghanistan 4.1 Entry and credentials 4.2 Activities on the ground 4.3 Arrest, trial and sentencing 5 Relationship with the media 5.1 Lithuania 5.2 Colonel George Marecek 5.3 September 11th attacks 5.4 Afghanistan 5.4.1 Al Qaeda training footage 5.4.2 Al Qaeda collaboration with state governments 6 Media coverage 7 External links 8 References

[edit] Military service

In 1977, Idema trained and qualified for special forces, and was assigned as a reservist for the 11th Special Forces Group working to provide logistical support.^[4] In 1981, he re-enlisted in the Individual Ready Reserve.

There is some controversy surrounding the specifics and extent of Idema's military career, particularly his experience as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces. Officially, Idema's military career was short-lived and fairly unexemplary. Army records note that Idema served three years on active duty where he trained and qualified for Special Forces in 1977, then switched to reserve status where he remained until he exited the military in 1984.^[5] There is no record of Idema acquiring any combat service.^[5] His evaluations indicate that his performance while in the Army was at best average, and one superior officer, Capt. John D. Carlson stated that Idema "is without a doubt the most unmotivated, unprofessional, immature enlisted man I have ever known."^[6]

In contrast to his military record, Idema has claimed on television, radio, and in writing that he acquired 12 years of Special forces service, 22 years of combat training, and 18 years of covert operations experience.^[5]

According to a site supportive of Idema, in addition to Special Forces training, he also completed military scuba and airborne training.^[7] (The site contains many low resolution pictures of certificates and pictures that it claims are evidence of Idema's training and special forces experience.) While the scuba training remains unverified, the airborne training is likely true since every Special Forces soldier is airborne-qualified.

[edit] Business interests and fraud conviction

Several years after he left the Army, Idema became involed in the paintball business, opening a paintball supply and equipment company in Fayetteville, North Carolina named Idema Combat Systems. He later segued that business into a paramilitary clothier and supply company operating under the same name.^[4][8] Around this time Idema founded CounTerr-Group in Fayettville, a consultancy which, according to its website, specialized in expert training for counter-terrorism, assault tactics and other security-related services.^[9] Idema was able to parlay this background into becoming a consultant to the media on counter-terrorism issues.

In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Idema has acquired a substantial criminal record. Over the years Idema has been charged with impersonating an officer, conspiracy, passing bad checks, assault, possession of stolen property, and discharging a firearm into a dwelling. In January 1994, Idema was arrested and charged with defrauding 59 companies of about $260,000. he was convicted of the charges, sentenced to six years in prison (paroled after having served three years) and was subsequently ordered to pay restitution.^[10]

During his fraud trial, Idema accused presiding Judge Terrence Boyle of both having a vendetta against him and threatening witnesses, and demanded that he recuse himself from the case. Judge Boyle instead ordered Idema to undergo a psychological evaluation. The results indicate some evidence of neurotic behavior.^[11]

[edit] Lithuania and nuclear weapons smuggling

In 1993 Idema was contracted to train police forces in the former Soviet republic of Lithuania. After his return, he contacted officials from both the Pentagon and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), claiming to have uncovered a conspiracy by the Russian Mafia to smuggle nuclear material out of Lithuania. According to Idema, FBI agents demanded he provide the names of his contacts. He refused, claiming that the FBI was infiltrated by KGB agents and that his sources would have been killed.^[12]

It was around this time that Idema was being investigated for wire fraud and eventually convicted in 1994. Idema asserted that the fraud charges were fabricated by FBI agent Earl Edwin Pitts, who he claims supervised the case against him, in retaliation for Idema's earlier refusal to provide sources in the smuggling plot.^[13][14] However, the FBI began their investigation into Idema's activities as early as May 1991, before he even approached the Bureau about Lithuania.^[15]

Pitts was convicted in 1997 for spying on behalf of the Soviet Union and Russia. However, most of his espionage activities occurred between 1987-1992. Furthermore, it has not been established that that Pitts was involved in any capacity in the fraud case against Idema.

[edit] Afghanistan

[edit] Entry and credentials

Illegal entry into Afghanistan was one of the charges leveled against Idema and two other Americans accompanying him – former soldier Brent Bennett and television journalist Edward Caraballo. According to Gary Scurka, a reporter for CBS, Idema called him a few weeks after the September 11 terror attacks and announced he was going to Afghanistan to do humanitarian-aid work. Idema was intending to work with Knightsbridge International and the Partners International Foundation, two aid groups run by former military personnel.^[12]

Robert Young Pelton has a theory of how Idema made his way around Afghanistan. According to Pelton, Idema and Scurka flew to Uzbekistan without Visas, then Idema told the US embassy in Uzbekistan that he was traveling to Afghanistan to make a documentary.^[16] The embassy then phoned an active member of the US military who vouched for Idema.^[16] At this point, Idema obtained a letter from the embassy describing Idema and Scurka as, "contracting officers from the Defense Department who arrived to the Republic of Uzbekistan for an official trip."^[16] Pelton says Idema then used those letters and what appears to be a falsified or modified military ID to convince the Afghan commanders and other people of his official status.^[16]

[edit] Activities on the ground

Idema led a group he called "Task Force Saber 7", made up of two other Americans and several Afghanis; It was likely operated in Afghanistan with independent financial backing. He frequently interacted with reporters, often going to great lengths in his interviews to stress his connections with the CIA and Special Forces, without being able to elaborate further. Some supporters suggest that he was a former member of an unspecified covert operations unit, reactivated and positioned in Afghanistan to hunt for Osama Bin Laden under operation Alec Station. Any relationship to the Northern Alliance was denied by their official representative in the United States.

Some critics of Idema claim that his attempts to create a high profile with the media make it unlikely that Idema was officially connected with any branch of the military; covert operatives go to great lengths to avoid public appearances and media, and are barred from unauthorized contact. The fact that Caraballo, who was not a soldier, was with Idema in Afghanistan to document his activities strained credibility that Idema was operating covertly.^[17]

Idema was known to have a volatile temper that seemed to be particularly directed against news correspondents assigned to Kabul. On several occasions, Idema threated journalists with bodily harm or death, and in one particular instance, at a dinner in December 2001 he threatened to kill a reporter from Stars and Stripes because the reporter had disclosed Idema's fraud conviction.^[18]

It has been recorded that Idema did frequently contact the Defense Department through General William G. Boykin, and that the intelligence was duly acknowledged. However all of those contacts were outside the US Military operating channels and were all one-sided calls. While the US government was aware of Idema's activities in Afghanistan, they stated there was no relationship between them.

The United States Central Command stated that Coalition forces received one detainee from Idema on May 3, 2004. Idema claimed that the individual was associated with the Taliban. Once in US custody, however, the detainee was determined not to be who Idema claimed, and was released in the first week of July.^[19]

The United States was not the only government that had contact with Idema in Afghanistan; On three occasions, Idema tricked the Canadian led NATO mission into providing explosives experts and bomb sniffing dogs.^[20] According to a spokesman for the ISAF, Idema called for and received technical support after his vigilante team raided compounds on June 20, 22, and 24 of 2004. ISAF personnel believed they were "providing legitimate support to a legitimate security agency."^[20] Idema also recieved assistance from a security group headed by Yunus Qanooni; former minister, senior Afghan government security advisor, and influencial member of the Northern Alliance.^[21] One tape shows Yunus Qanooni agree to help Idema, another appears to show Qanooni's forces assisting Idema in a house raid.^[21]

On July 4, 2004 the United States Central Command released a media advisory that read:

“

U.S. citizen Jonathan K. Idema has allegedly represented himself as an American government and/or military official. The public should be aware that Idema does not represent the American government and we do not employ him.[19][17]

”

In perhaps the most terse assessment of Idema's alleged involvement in Operation Enduring Freedom, Billy Waugh, senior CIA covert operative and decorated former Green Beret who was a member of the Agency-run "Jawbreaker" team, said:

“

We only had 80 guys involved in our [Afghanistan] operations and Idema wasn't one of them.[22]

”

[edit] Arrest, trial and sentencing

Idema and his associates Brent Bennett and Edward Caraballo were arrested on July 5, 2004 by Afghan police during a raid in which they found eight Afghani men (some hanging from their feet) bound and hooded in detention. The arrest of Idema occurred only about three months after 60 Minutes II broke the story about the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal. Idema claimed to have had private contact with US Pentagon claiming he was in phone, fax, and email contact with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's office; Lieutenant General Boykin and several other senior Pentagon officials. He tried further to prove his official status when he claimed to be working for the US Counter Terrorism group, this is the same group that some sources say he founded.^[23] He claimed his group had prevented assassination attempts on Education Minister Yunus Qanooni and Defense Minister Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim. He also claimed the FBI interrogated several militants captured by his group. Idema also stated that after his arrest, the FBI removed from his premises hundreds of videos, photos and documents. Some of the pieces were later returned to Idema and his defense team. One of the videotapes shows Afghanistan's former education minister Yunus Qanooni thanking Idema for the arrest of two people, and offering his full cooperation in future raids. The US military received a detainee from Idema, although he was later released.

The Defense Department admitted having contact with Idema, but added his offer to work together in capturing terror suspects in Afghanistan was declined. In early 2004, Idema was in contact with Heather Anderson, the Pentagon's Acting Director of Security. Anderson was under the supervision of the chief official responsible for intelligence matters in Donald Rumsfeld's office. Idema told the Afghan court that Anderson commended his work and suggested making a contract, although she later withdrew the offer. Idema continued to contact Anderson's office in hopes of establishing a relationship. Bringing out this information is a blatant violation of the NSA security protocol.

Idema, Caraballo and Bennett were charged with enterning the country illegally, running a private prison, and torture.^[12] Idema's American attorney was John Tiffany. During the trial, Idema charged that he, Caraballo, and Bennett were being beaten while in Afghan custody, however, US authorities, stated the men were being treated humanely.

On 15 September 2004, a three-judge Afghan panel headed by Judge Abdul Baset Bakhtyari sentenced both Idema and Bennett to a ten year prison term, while Caraballo received eight years. Idema and Bennett's sentences were later cut to five and three respectively. Caraballo claimed he was filming Idema and Bennett for a documentary on counterterrorism. Four Afghanis working with Idema were sentenced to between one and five years imprisonment.

Caraballo was later pardoned by President Hamid Karzai and later returned to the United States. Bennett was freed early for good behavior on September 30, 2006.

[edit] Relationship with the media

Prior to his incarceration, Idema was able to secure media appearances and other attention from news outlets. He has been interviewed as a counter-terrorism expert and his videos have been broadcast on international television networks. Because of Idema's questionable history, the news media has been criticized for its willingness to distribute Idema's information. Below is a summary of widely distributed information from him.

[edit] Lithuania

In 1995, while Idema was awaiting sentencing for fraud charges, he agreed to provide information to CBS about the nuclear materials smuggling plot he allegedly uncovered. Gary Scurka produced a 60 Minutes piece entitled "The Worst Nightmare", based in part on Idema's account. According to Scurka, the network declined to credit Idema during the broadcast because of the fraud conviction, even though he was a major source for the story. A CBS spokesperson, however, claimed that the story took 6 months to fully investigate, at which time it ended up being very different from the one Idema gave.^[10]

The lack of credit given to Idema prompted Scurka and Edward Caraballo to begin making a documentary film with the working title, Any Lesser Man: The Keith Idema Story. According to promotional materials, the documentary was to be "the real story of one lone Green Beret's private war against KGB Nuclear Smuggling, Soviet spies, Arab terrorists, and the FBI." It was never completed.^[12][10]

A companion piece to the 60 Minutes story was published in U.S. News & World Report, both of which recevied the prestigious Renner Award for Outstanding Crime Reporting.^[10][24]

[edit] Colonel George Marecek

Idema and Gary Scurka worked together as consultants for the 48 hours story about a highly decorated special forces operative accused of murdering his wife. The two were fired from the project because they were determined to be taking an advocacy role for the defense. They opened a "Free Marecek" office in the town where the trial was taking place. In December 2000, 48 Hours ran the story on Marecek which included material from Idema, and Scurka's research.^[10] Idema also took a leading part in the formation of Point Blank News (PBN) to support Marecek.^[25]

At Marecek's first trial he was found guilty, his appeal was accepted and he was retried. He was also found guilty during the retrial, but he appealed a second time and was given yet another trial. At his final trial he was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison, but because of good behavior he spent less than five years in prison and was released in 2003.^[25]

[edit] September 11th attacks

On the day following the attacks, Idema gave an interview as a "counterterrorism adviser" to KTTV, the Fox network affiliate in Los Angeles. During his broadcast news appearance, he said that the hijackers might have seized three Canadian jetliners, in addition to four American planes.^[10]

[edit] Afghanistan

[edit] Al Qaeda training footage

Idema sold tapes to many publishers that he claimed showed an Al Qaeda training camp in action. The tapes showed men in camoflauged tunics and ski masks storming buildings, practicing drive-by shootings, and attacking golf courses. CBS bought the right to broadcast the tapes before any other network, they were used in a 60 Minutes II episode called, "Heart of Darkness" in mid January, 2002.^[10] CBS presented Idema and the tapes he supplied as reliable.^[26]

Idema made more money from the same tapes when he sold The Boston Globe, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, the BBC, and others rights to rebroadcast the Al Qaeda training camp footage with still pictures.^[10]

The authenticity of the several hours of tape is disputed. Some are critical of the tapes because Al Quaeda utilizes bombing and has not been known for tactics demonstrated in the videos. Because of Idema's lack of credibility, some outlets did not broadcast the tapes including NBC Nightly news, CNN. The men who were shown in the footage occasionally communicated in English, and laughed.^[10]

[edit] Al Qaeda collaboration with state governments

Idema made many statements to news outlets that suggested collaboration between North Korea, many Middle-Eastern countries and Al Qaeda. Idema told MSNBC that the link between Iraq and Al Qaeda was “common knowledge” on the ground in Afghanistan.^[10] He claimed in an interview with WNYC radio’s Leonard Lopate that “Iraq has been involved in supporting Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations with money, with equipment, with technology, with weapons of mass destruction.”^[10][27] The episode of the Leonard Lopate show that hosted Idema can be listened to here[1]. He told journalists that there was ample evidence linking “Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia to Al Qaeda and to the attacks on September 11.”^[10] He also claimed to have firsthand knowledge of nuclear weapons being smuggled from Russia to Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.^[10]

[edit] Media coverage

• Robert Young Pelton, in his book about private security contractors, Licenced to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror (ISBN 1-4000-9781-9), devotes a chapter to Idema's exploits in Afghanistan, including his controversial involvement in Robin Moore's book Task Force Dagger: The Hunt for bin Laden.
• Mariah Blake, "Tin Soldier: An American Vigilante In Afghanistan, Using the Press for Profit and Glory," Columbia Journalism Review, January/February 2005.
• Stacy Sullivan, "Operation Desert Fraud: How Keith Idema marketed his imaginary Afghan war," New York Magazine, October 25, 2004.
• Peter Bergen's article published in Rolling Stone, "Jack Idema: Shadow Warrior," examines Idema's military career.
• Eric Campbell's book on reporting in war zones, Absuridstan (ISBN 0-7322-7980-1), has a few chapters on Idema.
• Barry Farber, "The Case Against Keith Idema, an article supportive of Idema's claims.
• Robin Moore's best selling book Task Force Dagger: The Hunt for bin Laden (ISBN 0-375-50861-9) included a picture of John Idema on the middle of the front cover. Idema apparently altered the manuscript – without Moore's consent – in order to bolster his assertions about his activities in Afghanistan. In the manuscript Idema also included appeals for donations to charities listed under his and his wife's address (charties that have since come under investigation);^[5] Moore has since disavowed Idema's involvement and the book is no longer in print.^[10]
• Newsweek had a short section on Idema called "An Afghan Mystery" by John Barry and Owen Matthews in the July 26, 2004 edition.

[edit] External links

• Idema Super Patriots, Idema's website.
• Rogue Radio Live, an internet radio program from Wide Awakes Radio (WARadio) that features Idema's broadcasts and video from prison.
• BBC News profile of Idema
• Cao's Blog, a site supportive of Idema, with ongoing coverage of his current situation.
• The Stupor Patriots, anonymous blog highly critical of Idema, particularly of his claims to be a covert operator.
• transcript of an episode of "Mediawatch" from the Australian Broadcasting Corportation, criticizing John Idema as being a fraud, it also criticizes the media for treating his information like it was credible.
• US Bounty Hunter Trial, General material about his actions and information about the Al Qaeda training videos he found. Describes the arrest and trial.
• CounTerr-Group, official website of company founded by Idema.
• Jonathan Idema: Our Man in Kabul?, from crimelibrary.com.

[edit] References