Pentagon’s Counter IED unit collecting intelligence on U.S. Companies

The Pentagon’s main arm for fighting improvised explosive devices engaged in unauthorized surveillance of U.S. citizens and companies and improperly collected intelligence from Afghan farmers when an analyst posed as a college student, according to an inspector general’s report released Thursday.

The intelligence efforts by the Joint IED Defeat Organization — established to fight roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan — were found to violate executive orders and regulations.

Two military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, released in June after five-years captivity by the Taliban, was one of the Americans on which JIEDDO collected information.

JIEDDO acknowledged that the inspector general’s findings but a spokesman said they were minor, technical issues that have been addressed.

The incidents involved regarded technicalities of policy and process and were corrected as soon as it was recognized,” spokesman David Small said in a statement. “Many of the IG’s recommendations to assure such actions do not occur in the future have already been acted upon.”

The Pentagon inspector general found that members of JIEDDO’s Counter-IED Operations Intelligence Integration Center (COIC) “improperly collected information about U.S. persons. At the direction of COIC and JIEDDO leadership, analysts collected information on U.S. companies and their CEOs, U.S. hostages held by foreign extremists, and specific U.S. persons. In addition COIC analysts improperly collected intelligence using aliases and uncoordinated cover.”

The information JIEDDO collected came from “open sources,” which include newspapers, websites and other publicly accessible media. It was not electronic eavesdropping or surveillance.