WhistleblowerSupporter

BISS Whistleblower's Letter to Hillary Clinton

With Mr. Petersen's permission, I have posted the letter below that he wrote asking help from Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, while he experienced unlawful detainment by BIS/Boeing in Saudi Arabia and was not allowed to leave to seek medical treatment in the United States.  Apparently there are a number of people, both U.S citizens and citizens of other nations, who have been experiencing such treatment.  This is an outrage.  Defininitive action must be taken by the U.S. government, concerning this unlawful behavior by Boeing/BISS and what appears to be an involved Saudi government.  Accepting employment with Boeing/BISS and working in the Middle East should not be tantamount to signing away one's rights and becoming a slave or political prisoner.    GFS

 

 

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To all;

I have sent the following email to the U.S. State Department as they allow only seven days in which to respond to their email.

 

Rob

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: RE: Boeing Company Violating Human Rights [Incident: 100604-000108]

Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:04:54 +0000

Dear Sir/Madam;

 

Thank you for your email.  I am responding because you stated that I have seven (7) days to reopen this matter should I not feel it has been resolved.  I do not feel it has been properly resolved.  My point in this matter is that the Boeing Company and its wholly owned subsidiary Boeing International Support Systems have engaged in U.S. Passport confiscation, false imprisonment, failure to provide for the safety and wellbeing of its employees and other fraudulent activities.  They have defrauded the Saudi Government through over billing (claiming to have more employees working for them than actual) and in providing substandard flight training and unsafe aircraft maintenance.  They are a U.S. Contactor and as such are required to meet certain ethical, professional and legal standards in accordance with the Technical Assistance Agreements established through our U.S. State Department.  They have not met those standards and should be held accountable for violating such agreements. 

 

I and others, including people from other nations were held against our will and were not allowed to return to our countries of origin when requests were made in writing to Boeing managers.  Many were forced to sign liability releases before being paid, having their passports returned, and being provided with an "Exit Visa" in which to leave the country of Saudi Arabia.  Although, this information was reported first to the U.S. State Department in June of 2009, via the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (please find attached letter dated June 3, 2009) and then to the FBI in December of 2009 to my knowledge, no investigation has ever been initiated by either agency. 

 

You should know that I recently sent a letter to President Obama dated June 16, 2010 asking that he please have someone contact the Phoenix, FBI on my behalf to inquire as to why they did not initiate an investigation of some sort for what I believe are criminal violations of U.S. Law.

 

Thank you for taking the time to review this information and please reopen this investigation [Incident: 100604-000108].

 

Sincerely,

 

 

s/ Robin Petersen

 

> From: [email protected]

> To: [email protected]

> Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:40:20 -0400

> Subject: Boeing Company Violating Human Rights [Incident: 100604-000108]

>

>

> Recently you requested personal assistance from our on-line support

> center. Below is a summary of your request and our response.

>

> If this issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may reopen it

> within the next 7 days.

>

> Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.

>

> Subject

> ---------------------------------------------------------------

> Boeing Company Violating Human Rights

>

>

> Discussion Thread

> ---------------------------------------------------------------

> Response (Support Agent) - 06/18/2010 10:40 AM

> Thank you for your message to Secretary Clinton sharing your thoughts and concerns. We value your opinion and will take it -- and the views of all Americans -- into consideration.

>

> Secretary Clinton is committed to strengthening America’s national security, advancing the interest of the United States, and restoring America’s leadership position in the world.

>

> Thank you for contacting the U.S. Department of State.

>

>

> Question Reference #100604-000108

> ---------------------------------------------------------------

> Category Level 1: Ask the State Department

> Date Created: 06/04/2010 12:06 PM

> Last Updated: 06/18/2010 10:40 AM

> Status: Solved

> [---001:001003:23410---]

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Robin P. Petersen

Apartment NC8-10D

Saudi City, Jeddah

Saudi Arabia

Email [email protected]  Phone # 966 (0) 56 650-7815

  June 3, 2009

US State Department

The Honorable Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State

Washington DC

USA 

Subj:  Withholding of US Passports 

Dear Mrs. Clinton; 

I am writing you this letter to request your assistance.  I am a US Citizen / Retired Veteran and have been injured in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.   I need to return to the United States for medical care.   

Although I have requested the return of my US Passport, the managers of the Boeing International Support Systems / Alsalam Aircraft Company will not return the passport to me nor will they provide me with an exit visa to leave this country. 

I have enclosed a copy of a letter that was written to the Boeing C.E.O. dated June 2, 2009 for your review.  Please help me. 

Thank you, 
 

Robin P. Petersen 
 

Encl:  letter dated June 2, 2009 to the Boeing Company CEO

BISS (Boeing International Support Systems) Employee Files Suit Against Boeing

This story was sent to me as a comment related to the McNerney stories about Jim McNerney being placed in charge of Obama’s Export Council.  It was sent to me by the plaintiff, Robin Petersen, who has filed suit against Boeing.   I find this very disturbing that what Mr. Peterson was subjected to could even conceivably happen. I wish Mr. Petersen well and good luck with his legal proceedings. GFS

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7:10 p.m. June 2:  This is real.  I found the court filing here:  http://dockets.justia.com/search?q=Boeing+International+Support+Systems+Company%2C+Saudi+Arabia%2C+Limited

And Mr. Petersen’s attorney’s website here:  Kissandra Tysman

[email protected]

http://tysmanlawfirm.com/attorneys.htm

THE BOEING COMPANY AIDING AND ABETTING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA


The Boeing Company, a U.S. company incorporated in the State of Delaware and with corporate offices in Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri and its wholly owned subsidiary Boeing International Support Systems, Saudi Arabia (BISS) are reportedly engaged in the practice of passport confiscation, involuntary servitude, debt bondage, and fraudulent recruitment practices upon U.S. Citizens and Third Country National (TCN) workers. The Boeing Company may be held responsible for violations of U.S. Law and international law for "Aiding and Abetting" their subsidiary company, BISS which recruits employees out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and is alleged to have confiscated passports from US Citizens and Third Country National workers in Saudi Arabia.

As reference, the U.S. State Department's 2009 report on "Human Trafficking" details the unconscionable and disturbing ongoing human rights violations that are presently taking place in the country of Saudi Arabia. A report authored by former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, (2006) identifies Saudi Arabia as a "Tier 3" country whose government does not fully comply with the minimum standards and is not making significant efforts to eliminate human rights violations in their country. The report further states that the United States employs a "zero tolerance" policy against human trafficking both domestically and abroad. A third report by the Department of Defense, OIG dated January 15, 2010, provides information relating to "Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act," January 10, 2006 that gives the United States Government authorization to terminate grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements for "Trafficking in Persons" (TIP) related violations.

A lawsuit brought by Attorney Kissandra L. Tysman of the Tysman Law Firm, located in Mesa, Arizona was filed on May 7, 2010 in U.S. District Court, Phoenix, Arizona against "The Boeing Company" and it wholly owned subsidiary BISS. The lawsuit alleges that her client Mr. Robin Petersen, a pilot and former U.S. Navy Commander who became injured overseas while employed by Boeing/BISS was not allowed to return to the United States for medical treatment in that he had his U.S. passport confiscated; was held against his will; and was not provided with an "Exit Visa" in which to leave the country of Saudi Arabia. Mr. Petersen had made several written requests for the return of his passport to "The Boeing Company" Operations Manager, in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Shaun A. Ford, and also contacted Mr. W. James McNerney, Jr., "The Boeing Company" CEO by Federal Express letter, detailing the fraudulent activity, unethical business practices, and violations of human rights that he had observed and experienced while employed by Boeing/BISS. Mr. McNerney never responded to Mr. Petersen's concerns and request for help. The lawsuit also alleges that a number of other U.S. Veterans and Third Country National workers who were employed by Boeing/BISS in Saudi Arabia had their passports confiscated and were subject to inhumane treatment.

Mr. Petersen made several attempts to get help from the U.S. Consulate located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He was finally helped by a consulate security official in June 2009, who then ordered Boeing/BISS company officials to return Mr. Petersen's U.S. passport and provide him with the required "Exit Visa" in which to depart the country of Saudi Arabia. On June 8, 2009, and after six months without having the freedom to travel, Mr. Petersen was able to return to the United States to get the proper treatment he needed for his injury. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Arizona, May 7, 2010 (case # 2:2010CV00999 Petersen v Boeing) and lists the following causes of action:

Count 1, Confiscation of U.S. Passports
Count 2, Violations of RICO statutes
Count 3, False imprisonment
Count 4, Breach of Contract
Count 5, Fraud
Count 6, Intentional Inflection of emotional distress
Count 7, Failure to pay wages

Although this lawsuit has been filed in the United States, it is important to know that there is an effort on the part of several worldwide organizations to hold executives of companies such as Mr. McNerney, CEO of "The Boeing Company" criminally responsible for willfully aiding and abetting their business partners who engage in human rights violations.

Boeing Whistleblower, Gerald Eastman, considers the last decade and our present efforts to deal with Boeing corporate and government corruption.

Boeing Whistleblower, Gerald Eastman reflects on the past decade and wonders about the direction being taken by the new one, taking on Boeing and government corruption and more.  Here is a short excerpt.  You may find the complete post at The Last Inspector,  http://eastmans.site.aplus.net/pblog/index.php

 

“Boeing chose to jump on the Bush anti-regulation and ignore enforcing regulations bandwagon.  And, Boeing got busy early in the decade with revolving door fraud, as in the case of hiring Druyun Quid Pro Quo for fixing the first tanker contract award in Boeing’s favor.  Such revolving door shenanigans continue as employees eagerly jump from government to Boeing and back to government again, each time performing more service to Boeing such as favors in the form of information, contacts and influence, “adjusting” federal regulations to better the advantage of the company or make such regulations less in the way of opportunities for more questionable business dealings.  Combined with Boeing lobbyists and campaign contributions it is a powerful cabal that works 365 days a year to gain taxpayers dollars.”

Boeing's 747-8 Troubles Deepen: Corporate Neglect Blamed

Boeing’s Troubles Deepen:  Comments by Jon Talton, Seattle Times, with commentary by Boeing Whistleblower, Gerald Eastman.

 

 

Talton and Eastman take on the onerous task of sorting through the PR and spin put on the latest Boeing castastrophe, the malfunctions and delays of the 747-8, and consider who is to blame and why, and what must be done to set things straight.

 

 

Link to article with Mr. Eastman's comments on Mr. Eastman’s blog, The Last Inspector

http://eastmans.site.aplus.net/pblog/index.php

 

 

Link to original article by Mr. Talton in the Seattle Times:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/j ... col07.html

Former Boeing Engineer Found Guilty of Spying for the PRC (China)

Visit Andrea James' blog at the new online Seattle Post Intelligencer and read her comments on the trial of a PRC spy who infiltrated Boeing.  Even more enlightening, read the reader comments that follow the article.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/173894.asp

Boeing Whistleblower, Gerald Eastman, on Corporate& Government Corruption and the Need for Change

Gerald Eastman urges employees of industry to write to the incoming Obama/Biden President/Vice President Elect’s offices to request true whistleblower protections are put into place immediately for all whistleblowers, industry employees or government employees. 

This post is on fire.  After all of the pain and trouble Mr. Eastman has had to go through after trying to make his former employer, Boeing, fly straight, and having them target him for destruction, he’s really found his voice here.  You will want to read it.  Here is the link to that specific entry:

http://eastmans.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php?entry=entry090104-214935

Or you can go to his website: http://www.thelastinspector.com

Boeing 737 Inspections ordered due to possible faulty fuel pump wiring

Link to Original  Full Story:  http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/388557_boeingfuelpump20.html

FAA orders some 737 inspections

Last updated November 19, 2008 5:23 p.m. PT

By JAMES WALLACE
P-I AEROSPACE REPORTER

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered emergency inspections on some next-generation Boeing 737s because of possible faulty fuel pump wiring that could lead to a fire or explosion of the fuel tank.

Gerald Eastman Responds 11-19-08

Thanks, flyover_27, for highlighting my case. I still can say "bad" things about the company, as long as they are the truth. I have never strayed from telling the truth, and my blog, accessible from my website, is pretty hard hitting, most recently pointing out that not only former Assistent Attorney General Paul McNulty perjured himself before congress, but Boeing's CEO Jim McNerney did as well, knowingly (most likely) or not. I just can't give out the details of what Boeing and their counsel ask me in their interviews. True, Boeing did ruin my life in an effort to go on the offensive agaunst one of their most "dangerous" (to their fraud) whistleblowers ever, trying to discredit me and imprison me in the process using illegally gathered "evidence" against me. Had I been convicted, corrupt Boeing management would have had one of their grandest back slapping parties ever in celebration, knowing they had imprisoned a whistleblower on their own crimes, knowing it was they who should have been imprisoned themselves for far worse crimes they committed than I was even accused of. Arrogant? Yes. But they do have a lock on the most arrogant, incompetent, and criminal management since Enron went down in flames.
 
Thanks again
 
Gerald Eastman
 
The Last (Boeing) Inspector
 
www.thelastinspector.com 

 

Boeing Responses to Seattle PI Questions

From The Seattle P.I.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/323843_boeingqa117.html

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/323843_boeingqa117.html

Boeing responses to questions: Round one

Last updated July 16, 2007 10:08 p.m. PT

Before providing executives for interviews, The Boeing Co. asked the Seattle P-I to outline its questions in written form. The P-I submitted two rounds of questions, which are displayed here along with the company's official responses.

Boeing's summary statement:

Follow links to read full response to questions.

The Seattle P.I.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/323842_boeingqa217.html

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/323842_boeingqa217.html

Boeing responses to questions: Round two

Last updated July 16, 2007 10:08 p.m. PT

These are the P-I's second round of questions and Boeing's written responses.

·  Some organizations, including Standard & Poor's, encourage full disclosure of deficiencies even though law does not require it. What factors went into Boeing management's decision not to discuss internal control deficiencies in its filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission?

Follow links to read full response to multiple questions. 

Boeing Whistleblower, Gerald Eastman, Review 11-15-08

Mr. Eastman endured two trials if one can call them that.  Boeing settled in an odd agreement requiring Mr. Eastman not to say bad things about the company, and to agree to undergo several what is turning out to be long interrogations from Boeing managers and legal.  He is still enduring retribution and harassment from Boeing and trying to put his life together that Boeing turned upside down and backwards.    See his website:  http://thelastinspector.com

-GFS

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Internal Boeing Documents Support Whistleblower's Allegations: Aircraft Quality Control Problems Cited

May 8, 2008

Internal Boeing documents obtained by the Project On Government Oversight show that the allegations of a former Boeing quality control inspector facing criminal charges have merit.  Quality control problems at Boeing increase the likelihood that defective aircraft parts end up on planes and flaws in the manufacturing of planes remain uncorrected.  This can potentially threaten public safety and drive up the cost of aircraft maintenance. These documents are linked at the bottom of this release.

Gerald Eastman, the former Boeing inspector, is facing a second trial of criminal charges for disclosing Boeing information to the press.  His first trial last month resulted in a mistrial when jurors could not agree on whether Eastman committed "computer trespass."  Mr. Eastman claims that his involvement with the press stemmed from the lack of corrective actions taken by Boeing and the government in response to his disclosures of wrongdoing to them.

An internal Boeing memo sent to Boeing employees in October 2000 stated that misuse of "production stamps" or "roller-stamping" can result in negative consequences for the company and the individual misusing their stamp.  Roller-stamping is the misuse of production stamps to stamp work on critical parts and assemblies as complete and fully inspected when there has only been a cursory inspection, if one at all, of the part or assembly in question.  Eastman's central claim is that he had perceived widespread "roller-stamping" and Boeing did little to curtail the practice.

"These documents show that Eastman clearly had a reasonable basis for his belief roller-stamping was occurring," according to Nick Schwellenbach, POGO investigator.  "It's one thing to break company policy on releasing documents and getting fired, it's another matter to file criminal charges.  Who do the prosecutors work for?"

The Boeing memo came months after the Federal Aviation Agency conducted a special technical audit of Boeing that concluded that there were systemic quality control problems.  The 2000 FAA special technical audit found "in some cases, manufacturing planning was not adequate, requirements were not followed, inspections were not specific, or personnel were not knowledgeable about requirements."  Thus, "parts, assemblies, and installations are released through the system that do not conform" to approved designs.  Also, in 2000, the FAA proposed "a record $1.24 million in civil penalties against Boeing for inadequate supplier oversight and for failing to quickly report cracked parts on two older jetliners," according to a news report (James Wallace, "FAA Audit Rips Boeing Over 100 Production, Design Problems Detailed; Company Plans Corrective Action," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 11, 2000.). 

Years later, roller-stamping was still occurring when Eastman acted on his concerns.

Boeing certainly was aware of the practice because a Boeing document dated January 2004, states that, "There appears to be a systemic issue within BCA [Boeing Commercial Aircraft] involving parallel process breakdowns of mechanics and inspectors involved in assembling and inspecting aircraft, assemblies and parts."  The 2004 document also states that the FAA examined 55 issues at Boeing between 2002 and 2003 and found that "24% of these issues have involved instances where the mechanic and inspector created and accepted nonconforming conditions"—i.e. roller-stamping.

In further support of Eastman's claims, other Boeing employees became whistleblowers when they reported that Boeing supplier Ducommun was regularly supplying non-conforming parts to Boeing, according to the whistleblowers' False Claims Act lawsuit obtained by POGO.  Now-former Boeing employees Taylor Smith, Jeannine Prewitt and James Ailes were then retaliated against by management because Boeing allegedly did not want to deal with the repercussions of their findings. 

For additional information

Boeing Commercial Airplane Group memorandum, "Use of personal stamps in our production system," October 31, 2000.

Federal Aviation Administration, "Special Technical Audit of Boeing Commercial Airplane Group," December 1, 1999, through February 11, 2000.

Boeing Airplane Program Systemic Issues Chartered Team 1, "Investigation of 'Dual Failures,'" January 2004.

United States of America ex rel Taylor Smith, Jeannine Prewitt and James Ailes vs. The Boeing Company and Ducommun, Inc., Federal District Court of Kansas. Filed on March 11, 2005.   

Founded in 1981, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is an independent nonprofit that investigates and exposes corruption and other misconduct in order to achieve a more accountable federal government.

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