Office of Special Affairs
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The Office of Special Affairs or OSA (formerly the Guardian's Office) is a department of the Church of Scientology. According to the Church, the OSA is responsible for directing legal affairs, public relations, pursuing investigations, publicizing the Church's "social betterment works", and "oversee[ing its] social reform programs". Some observers outside the Church have characterized the department as an intelligence agency, comparing it variously to the CIA, the Secret Service, and the KGB. <ref>Wakefield, Margery Understanding Scientology</ref><ref>Cisar, Joe (translator) The Guardian Office (GO) </ref><ref>Hamburg Regional Office of the German Constitutional Security Agency Der Geheimdienst der Scientology-Organisation - Grundlagen, Aufgaben, Strukturen, Methoden und Ziele - Zweite Auflage, Stand 06.05.1998"</ref> The department has drawn criticism for its alleged involvement in targeting critics of the Church for dead agent operations. OSA has mounted character assassination operations against many critics of the Church.<ref name="woods3">Scientologists pay for libel, Clare Dyer, The Guardian, 9 June, 1999.</ref><ref name="On the Offensive">Sappell, Joel, Welkos, Robert W.. "On the Offensive Against an Array of Suspected Foes", Los Angeles Times, 1990-06-29, p. A1:1. Retrieved on 2006-08-02. Additional convenience link at [1].</ref>
OSA is the successor to the now-defunct Guardian's Office, which was responsible for Operation Snow White; both are in Department 20 in the Scientology Org-Chart. The current head of OSA International is Mike Rinder.
At local Scientology organizations, directors (Special Affairs, Legal, Public Affairs) are OSA staff members. Local Directors of Special Affairs are known as DSA's.
In addition to regular staff, some church members also act as volunteer collaborators for the office, which cuts down on private investigation and legal research expenses. <ref>Ortega, Tony (Sept. 9, 2001). "Sympathy for the Devil". New Times Los Angeles. Convenience link at http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/newtimes-toryC-92701.html</ref><ref>How the OSA trap really works Tory Christman ex-OSA volunteer</ref> The motives of these volunteers vary: Some truly believe that they are helping a worthwhile cause, while others participate under the notion that they receive special "ethics protection". <ref>Pieniadz, Patty Pattie Pieniadz</ref> In one case a volunteer who read critical information about Scientology on the internet was led to believe that he would be unable to continue receiving services unless he performed a series of investigations for OSA. <ref>Gerry Armstrong Scientology's 1023 Submission (Bates Nos. 152016-152073)</ref>
Garry Scarff has claimed to be a former OSA operative. He has made a number of controversial statements about the inner workings of OSA, although many of his claims are disputed by the Church. In a sworn deposition taken between July and August of 1993 and submitted in Church of Scientology International vs. Steven Fishman and Uwe Geertz, Scarff testified, "...I was directed, one, to go to Chicago, Illinois and to murder Cynthia Kisser, Cynthia Kisser being the Executive Director of the Cult Awareness Network, by a staged car accident." The murder of Kisser did not take place and Scarff said, "I could not bring myself to harm or kill anybody." <ref>Deposition of Gary Scarff in Church of Scientology International vs. Steven Fishman and Uwe Geertz</ref> Scientology attorney Kendrick Moxon has called Scarff "a liar" and Moxon also stated that "Scarff's own father says he's a scumbag." Scarff has also been accused of "flip-flopping" between the former Cult Awareness Network and Scientology, by representatives of both organizations. <ref>Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlatans, Tony Ortega, Phoenix New Times, 30 November, 1995.</ref>
Attorney Graham E. Berry was repeatedly the target of OSA "fair game" operations. In one case on May 14, 1994, OSA employed private investigator Eugene Ingram to solicit false statements from Robert Cipriano in order to bring phony criminal charges against Berry. The criminal scheme backfired when Cipriano realized that he was bribed by the Church of Scientology and recanted the charges against Berry.<ref>Graham Berry's letter to Kobrin and Moxon</ref> <ref>Documentation of Church of Scientology persecution of Graham Berry</ref>
Tory Christman, a former member of the OSA has stated that the organization hired private investigators, fabricated criminal charges and harassed their targets, including at their place of employment, as well as their family members. <ref>Christman, Tory How the OSA trap really works March 2001</ref>
Bonnie Woods, an ex-member who began counselling people involved with Scientology and their families, became a target along with her husband in 1993 when the Church of Scientology started a leaflet operation denouncing her as a "hate campaigner" with demonstrators outside their home and around East Grinstead. She and her family were followed by a private investigator, and a creditor of theirs was located and provided free legal assistance to sue them into bankruptcy. After a long battle of libel suits, in 1999 the church agreed to issue an apology <ref>Apology to Bonnie Woods from the Church of Scientology and other defendants, 8 June, 1999.</ref> and pay £55,000 damages and £100,000 costs to the Woods.<ref>Stars' cult pays out £155,000 over hate campaign, Richard Palmer, The Express, 8 June, 1999.</ref><ref name="woods3" />
One of the targets of OSA operations are Free Zone (Scientology) groups.<ref>FreeZone Association of Germany Chronology of the Scientology Movement, 1984 (accessed 4/21/06)</ref> <ref>RON's Org Netherlands History of Scientology Timetrack of the 1990's (accessed 4/21/06</ref>
[edit] Notes
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[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Office of Special Affairs and the Religious Technology Center (scientology.org)
- Office of Special Affairs (scientology.org)
- OSA (Office of Special Affairs) -- The Secret CIA of Scientology
- Scientology's Secret Service: Inside Scientology's Intelligence Agencies (xenu.net)
- Scientology's Secret Service: The Office of Special Affairs (1983 to present) (xenu.net)
- Documentation of harassment of former members by private investigators hired by OSA
- Garry Scarff court deposition on conspiracy to murder critic.
- Deceived; One woman's stand against the Church of Scientology, Bonnie Woods, London: Published by Hodder & Houghton. 2001. ISBN 034078567.sv:Office of Special Affairs
