FBI Raids Software Firm for al-Qaeda Ties
Ptech clients include U.S. governmental agencies, NATO, IBM, and FBI itself.
Scarlet Pruitt and Paul Roberts, IDG News Service
U.S. government investigators have raided a Quincy, Massachusetts, software firm with alleged ties to the al-Qaeda terrorist network, according to Paul Bresson, an FBI spokesperson.
Ptech, which counts as clients sensitive U.S. government bodies such as the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Naval Air Systems Command, is believed to be secretly owned by Saudi millionaire Qassin al-Kadi, according to a report published on Abcnews.com, which called him one of 12 Saudi businessmen accused of funneling millions of dollars to al-Qaeda. The firm, which is privy to top-secret U.S. government information, is allegedly under investigation for similar funding of al-Qaeda. The company's Web site also lists the Federal Aviation Administration, NATO, and the FBI itself as customers.
Bresson would not comment on the details of the Thursday night raid, which was carried out by customs agents and coordinated by the White House, according to reports. He said Ptech was informed of the government's intention to search its offices and consented to the procedure.
Multiple phone calls to the Ptech offices were not returned.
Company Profile
Ptech was founded in 1994 by its current chair and chief executive officer, Oussama Ziadé, along with James Cerrato, the company's chief product officer, and Hussein Ibrahim, its vice president and chief scientist.
Ziadé holds a Masters degree in science and software engineering and is said to have "participated in the Ph.D. program in high energy physics" at Harvard University, according to the Ptech Web site.
The company provides so-called "knowledge management" software and services that enable managers at large organizations to visualize complex business organizations and formulate strategies, according to Ptech.
The company's products include KnowledgeBase, a central repository that captures, links, and visually depicts relationships between a company's business strategies and its capabilities. It also markets analysis and reporting tools that allow customers to test different business scenarios.
According to the company's Web site, Ziadé has raised over $20 million in investment for the privately held company.
High-Profile Clients
In addition to its links to the federal government, the company also has high-profile business partners, including management consulting firm Booz-Allen & Hamilton and IBM.
When asked Friday about investigators' raid of Ptech and the firm's alleged link with al Qaeda, IBM spokesperson Jeff Gluck said the company is "surprised."
"If called upon by officials, we will cooperate," Gluck said. However, he adds that IBM had no knowledge of the allegations.
According to a report published by Abcnews.com Friday, the probe has recently been given the highest priority inside the U.S. government, and agents have been secretly searching the company's software for any bugs or back doors that would make it easier for terrorists to hack.
However, reports later in the day indicated that no arrests were made in the raid and that the software was deemed safe.
Checking Their Work
Still, news of the investigation prompted the House of Representatives to perform an internal review of its Ptech software, said Representative Bob Ney, a Republican from Ohio.
According to Ney, the House contacted its Inspector General, who talked to several employees and examined the House's computer systems. The inspector felt confident after the review that the systems were safe.
The software work that Ptech performed for the House was minimal and did not give them access to sensitive information, Ney said.
Ney could not confirm the status of the government's investigation into the software firm.
