Probing Able Danger
Posted by Moonage on 21 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: National Politics
Tomorrow’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Pentagon’s top-secret military intelligence unit known as Able Danger should be quite a show. Rep. Curt Weldon, who deserves most of the credit for bringing the formerly forgotten unit to public attention, is promising as much with a list of potential witnesses who he says will be able to testify that Able Danger identified ringleader Mohamed Atta and several other terrorists inside the United States at least a year before the September 11 attacks.
The list includes:
- Naval Capt. Scott Philpott, an Able Danger team leader, according to the Pentagon, who approached the September 11 commission with what he knew about Atta in 2004.
- Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, the Defense Intelligence Agency employee who acted as liaison with Able Danger team members. Col. Shaffer was the first to come forward with allegations that Pentagon lawyers rebuffed his attempts to coordinate a meeting between Able Danger analysts and the FBI.
- An FBI agent, who, according to Mr. Weldon, will testify under oath that she organized the meetings between the FBI and Able Danger analysts to discuss Atta.
- A Pentagon employee, who will testify that he was ordered to destroy 2.5 terabytes of information Able Danger had compiled, which is roughly equivalent to one-fourth of all the printed material in the Library of Congress. According to Mr. Weldon, this person, as yet unidentified, will also name the officer who gave the order.
Now, where this can get fun is by first exploring who is on that committee:
- Arlen Specter, CHAIRMAN, PENNSYLVANIA
- Orrin G. Hatch, UTAH
- Patrick J. Leahy, RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER, VERMONT
- Charles E. Grassley, IOWA
- Edward M. Kennedy, MASSACHUSETTS
- Jon Kyl. ARIZONA
- Joseph R. Biden, Jr.. DELAWARE
- Mike DeWine, OHIO
- Herbert Kohl, WISCONSIN
- Jeff Sessions, ALABAMA
- Dianne Feinstein, CALIFORNIA
- Lindsey Graham, SOUTH CAROLINA
- Russell D. Feingold, WISCONSIN
- John Cornyn, TEXAS
- Charles E. Schumer, NEW YORK
- Sam Brownback, KANSAS
- Richard J. Durbin, ILLINOIS
- Tom Coburn, OKLAHOMA
Now, my glee in not seeing the name of Jamie Gorelick is tempered by seeing the names of Kennedy, Feingold, Durbin, and Feinstein. None of these people have shown any tolerance for getting to the truth of the issue, but rather playing 100% unmitigated partisan politics.
Given the bizarre chain of events surrounding the 911 Commission, I would expect to see Sandy Berger appearing before this commission. Apparently they’re not being creative enough.
I think everyone should contact the people on that committee list and demand that Sandy Berger explain his actions and whether or not it was a cover-up of Able Danger and the policies that created what Able Danger is now.
These hearings will be broadcast both on C-Span and a webcast. I hope to catch some of it, but the timing’s atrocious for me. If anyone does, please leave comments here. I bet it’s going to be fun to watch.
More blogs on: 911 commission, Able Danger, Sandy Berger, Jamie Gorelick
1 Comment »
on 29 Aug 2007 at 5:30 pm 1.LOOK OUT said …
The Former Able Danger Co, Capt. Phillpott is not a good person. I understand that he is currently under a Naval Inpsector General investigation for becoming an accessory to violation of the civil rights of a African-American sailor onboard the USS Leyte Gulf.
I also understand that The NAVY IG’s and COMNAVSURFLANT are trying to White Wash the results to help Capt. Phillpott and ruin the African American sailor to save any reputation that Capt. Scott Jon Phillpott has left.
If he commited the crime then why are the NAVY IGs and COMNAVSURFLANT committing perjury for him. Double standards are illegal.