[[Ralph Olberg]] was a prominent American businessman involved in spearheading the procurement of [[United States|U.S.]] weapons and technology for the [[Mujahideen]] in [[Afghanistan]]. He met with [[Ted Gunderson]], [[Tim Osman]], and [[Michael Riconosciuto]] in early 1986 to discuss his role with the worldwide support network for the Mujahideen, the Afghanistan Resistance Movement against the [[Soviet Union|Soviets]].[^1] Discussions included the Mujahideen's willingness to field test new and esoteric weapons and return research reports with photos. They also discussed the capture and/or defection of high-ranking Soviet military personnel with sensitive compartmentalized information, and the availability of their briefings, including a Soviet defector who was a communications officer with detailed information on Soviet military C-3I ([[Command Control Intelligence and Communications]]).[^1] Olberg's group also discussed the Soviet-directed weapons system referred to as "[[Blue Death]]," with witnesses claiming that corpses did not decay even after six months of exposure. They considered the possibility of [[Michael Riconosciuto]] analyzing one of these units captured by the Afghan rebels to help develop effective countermeasures. Other topics included a military joint venture in [[Turkey]] to produce specialized ammunition and a lobbying effort to legally obtain Stinger II missiles and their variants.[^1] It was understood that they were working on a legally sanctioned arms assistance project to the Afghan rebels, with Olberg operating through the Afghan desk at the State Department and Senator Humphrey's office. [[Danny Casolaro]] later confirmed this. Olberg indicated a potential "turf battle problem" with certain factions of the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] and their group, MSH (Management Science For Health), who argued that Olberg and [[Tim Osman]]'s group did not truly represent the leadership of the Afghan rebel resistance. Olberg and Osman proposed an unprecedented leadership meeting in Washington D.C. to prove their group represented the full leadership of the Mujahideen.[^1] When contacted by [[Ted Gunderson]] later, Olberg initially denied the meeting had taken place but then admitted to it and asked Gunderson not to discuss it.[^1] --- ### Footnotes [^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.