GWOT - DCIS

Defense Criminal Investigative Service

Welcome Back – DCIS special agents display awards for service in Southwest Asia. Behind them are Principal Deputy Inspector General Gimble, Inspector General Kicklighter, and Deputy Inspector General Beardall. In the front row, second from the right, is DCIS Director Woods.

May 13, 2008 – Four Defense Criminal Investigative Service special agents were recently honored at DoD IG Headquarters for their service in Southwest Asia.

DoD Inspector General Claude M. "Mick" Kicklighter, Principal Deputy Inspector General Thomas F. Gimble, Deputy Inspector General Charles Beardall, and DCIS Director Sharon Woods attended the ceremony.

DCIS Director Woods presented each of the special agents with an award displaying the American bald eagle recognizing them for their service. To date, 32 DCIS special agents have served in Southwest Asia.

The Mission

DCIS, the criminal investigative arm of the DoD Office of the Inspector General, currently has two special agents stationed at Camp Victory in Iraq and two other special agents stationed in Kuwait.

As of August 1, 2008, DCIS has 134 open Global War on Terror (GWOT) investigations. DCIS special agents in Southwest Asia are working 16 open investigations, which are included in the 134 open investigations, click here.

Of the 134 current open GWOT investigations, 130 are being conducted jointly with other federal law enforcement agencies such as the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), etc.

DCIS special agent stationed at the U.S. Army CID Iraq Fraud Detachment at Camp Victory DCIS special agents continue to effectively combat terrorism through a teamwork approach with the Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF) throughout the United States. DCIS currently has representatives assigned to 38 JTTFs.

In addition to the traditional work of ensuring U.S. warfighters have the best and safest equipment to accomplish their mission, DCIS special agents work with Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the Military Criminal Investigative Organizations (MCIOs), and the intelligence units that comprise the JTTFs, to ensure terrorism information is shared and investigations are completed in a thorough and timely manner.

In April, 2005, a 58-year-old Iranian man pled guilty to the attempted exportation of aircraft parts and gunnery system components for F-4 and F-14 fighter aircraft to Iran, and money laundering. His arrest was the result of an undercover investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and DCIS. One of the components the man had attempted to export for use by the Iranian military was the M61A1 Vulcan six-barrel, rotary action, "inner drum," which was essential to feed ammunition into the multi-barrel “gatling gun” used by the two aircraft. The weapon is capable of firing 6,000 rounds of 20mm ammunition per minute.

In December, 2004, U.S. and Austrian authorities thwarted a plot by Iranian agents to buy 3,000 U.S.-made helmet-mounted military night vision systems. Two Iranian nationals were taken into custody in Vienna, Austria, culminating a two-year joint investigation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), DCIS, and the Austrian Federal Agency for State Protection and Counter Terrorism (Bundesamt Fur Verfassungsshutz ud Terrorsmesbekamfung – the BVT).

In August, 2004, a joint investigation involving DCIS led to the arrest of a British national for conspiracy to launder money and provide support to terrorists, including the Taliban, and for conspiracy to kill people in a foreign country.

2003-2004 in Iraq

During their first tour in Iraq from May 2003 to October 2004, DCIS special agents worked effectively within the former Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Baghdad, Iraq. A rotating team of DCIS special agents, working within Baghdad, coordinated investigative matters relating to allegations of bribery, contract irregularities, counterfeiting, embezzlement, and the sale and smuggling of illegal weapons and explosive devices. Investigations were conducted, to the extent possible, within the grounds maintained by the former CPA, and surrounding Baghdad, working in coordination with the U.S. Army Military Police and the newly established Iraqi National Police. DCIS special agents also worked closely with the MCIOs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and ICE in Iraq.

Agents in Iraq – Shown above are some of the first DCIS special agents to serve in Iraq. In the middle photo, DCIS special agents meet with counterparts in the Iraqi National Police (INP). Below, DCIS special agents display some of the counterfeit dinars they seized during an investigation. The photos have been modified to protect the identities of the special agents. (DCIS photos)

DCIS special agents developed and utilized CPA and Iraqi sources to obtain valuable information for its activities in Iraq. This information furthered DCIS inquiries, and when appropriate was coordinated with other law enforcement and intelligence organizations. As an example, working with the Military Police, Iraqi police, and CPA Ministry of Finance, DCIS Special Agents broke up an Iraqi dinar counterfeiting operation, seizing counterfeit currency worth over 100 billion dinars ($50 million) and printing presses, and arresting an Iraqi national. The investigation exemplified the cooperation between a myriad of U.S. and Iraqi agencies and the prevention of criminal activity that could impact CPA’s progress and the Iraqi economy. DCIS continues to adapt to the changing safety and security landscape in Iraq while providing a valued service for CPA officials and Protecting America’s Warfighters.

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