Action News 5 - Memphis, TennesseeMid-South company plays role in bin Laden raid

(WMC-TV) - We may never know all the details of the raid that took down Osama bin Laden, and for good reason. But the Action News 5 Investigators have uncovered a Mid-South connection to the raid.

Mid-South native Jamie Smith is a former CIA officer and current CEO of SCG International, a private intelligence company that trains military elite at facilities around the world.

Last May, the Action News Five Investigators profiled SCG's intense special ops training facility Holly Springs, 5,000 square foot compound set up with mock living quarters, a classroom, cafe, hotel rooms and even an airplane.  At the time, Smith told us he had plans to build a Middle East village spanning 9 city blocks with buildings that are three stories tall.

After the raid at bin Laden's three-story compound in Pakistan, Action News 5 returned to the training facility to ask if the plan that took out Osama bin Laden was actually put together in our own backyard.

"I can tell you that we've had SEALs here on the property training and I've personally been involved in providing some of the training to members of the SEAL community, specifically to SEAL Team 6," Smith said.  "The connection here to the Mid-South though, with that particular raid in that community, if I could just leave it at the fact that it's a strong connection."

Smith won't discuss it beyond that point, saying it is classified information The identities of SEAL Team 6 have not been released, and just last week CIA director Leon Panetta warned that employees who leak information will be investigated.

A new group is training in Holly Springs right now. We can't identify them, but they work for the federal government and they're studying the intel obtained from the bin Laden raid for a new overseas mission.

"We're using Bin Laden's situation as a case study, and then these guys will be running a safe house next week," Smith said. "Some place where the locals don't want you doing what you're planning to do, they are actively wanting to oppose you, so you have to work covertly, and you still have to carry out your mission. These guys behind us are going through a course that teaches them how to do that."

During our visit, Action News 5 saw no evidence of a model village at SCG - Smith says his team never built it.  They've been too busy, he said.

To learn more about SCG International, and the type of training conducted at facilities around the world, click here.

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