The Office of Special Affairs or OSA (formerly the Guardian's Office) 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 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 most recent head of OSA International was Mike Rinder, who has since departed from the organization.
Read more about Office Of Special Affairs: Structure, History, Methods
Famous quotes containing the words office of, office, special and/or affairs:
“Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor ... over each other.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“We often see malefactors, when they are led to execution, put on resolution and a contempt of death which, in truth, is nothing else but fearing to look it in the face—so that this pretended bravery may very truly be said to do the same good office to their mind that the blindfold does to their eyes.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“And weren’t there special cemetery flowers,
That, once grief sets to growing, grief may rest:
The flowers will go on with grief awhile,
And no one seem neglecting or neglected?
A prudent grief will not despise such aids.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“These things do not happen by chance. There is much less luck in public affairs than some suppose.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)