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Office of Special Affairs

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The Office of Special Affairs (OSA) 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 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. 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.

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. 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". 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.

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." 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.

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.

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 and pay £55,000 damages and £100,000 costs to the Woods.

One of the targets of OSA operations are Free Zone (Scientology) groups.

Notes

  1. Wakefield, Margery Understanding Scientology
  2. Cisar, Joe (translator) The Guardian Office (GO)
  3. 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"
  4. 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
  5. How the OSA trap really works Tory Christman ex-OSA volunteer
  6. Pieniadz, Patty Pattie Pieniadz
  7. Gerry Armstrong Scientology's 1023 Submission (Bates Nos. 152016-152073)
  8. Deposition of Gary Scarff in Church of Scientology International vs. Steven Fishman and Uwe Geertz
  9. Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlatans, Tony Ortega, Phoenix New Times, 30 November, 1995.
  10. Christman, Tory How the OSA trap really works March 2001
  11. Apology to Bonnie Woods from the Church of Scientology and other defendants, 8 June, 1999.
  12. Stars' cult pays out £155,000 over hate campaign, Richard Palmer, The Express, 8 June, 1999.
  13. Scientologists pay for libel, Clare Dyer, The Guardian, 9 June, 1999.
  14. FreeZone Association of Germany Chronology of the Scientology Movement, 1984 (accessed 4/21/06)
  15. RON's Org Netherlands History of Scientology Timetrack of the 1990's (accessed 4/21/06

See also

External links

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