Senators (D & R) Accuse Pentagon of Obstructing Inquiry on Sept. 11 Plot

[UpInArms]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/22/politics/22intel.html

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 - Senators from both parties accused the Defense Department on Wednesday of obstructing an investigation into whether a highly classified intelligence program known as Able Danger did indeed identify Mohamed Atta and other future hijackers as potential threats well before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The complaints came after the Pentagon blocked several witnesses from testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a public hearing on Wednesday. The only testimony provided by the Defense Department came from a senior official who would say only that he did not know whether the claims were true.

But members of the panel, led by Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the Republican who heads the committee, said they regarded as credible assertions by current and former officers who took part in the program. The officers have said they were prevented by Pentagon lawyers from sharing information about Mr. Atta and others with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The senators said they would demand that the Pentagon provide more information and they left the door open for more hearings.

"I think the Department of Defense owes the American people an explanation as to what went on here," Mr. Specter said.

...more...

[LetsGoMurphys]

1. Im liking Senator Specter more every day...n/t

[Wilms]

2. If you're not, at least, LIHOP, you're not paying attention. n/t

[Gregorian]

3. The old "We don't know" defense.

How can they swear under oath that they didn't know. WE KNOW! And we just read the news.

Uh, yer honor, we didn't know, because his face was hidden behind yellow post-it stickums.

Who did they have testifying? Eb from Green Acres?

I've been wanting to know how republicans can be so good at ignoring truths that are damaging this country. Specter obviously is starting to feel the heat.

[davidwparker]

4. Yet one more piece of evidence that points to 9/11 being

preventable and allowed to happen by this administration. I've order David Ray Griffin's books. Unless I see evidence that tells me the * administration didn't know, I'm concluding they were being it.

[sabra]

5. Moonie Times: Atta files destroyed by Pentagon (during the Clinton admin)

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050921-102450-4688r.htm

Atta files destroyed by Pentagon

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Pentagon lawyers during the Clinton administration ordered the destruction of intelligence reports that identified September 11 leader Mohamed Atta months before the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, according to congressional testimony yesterday.

A lawyer for two Pentagon whistleblowers also told the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday that the Defense Intelligence Agency last year destroyed files on the Army's computer data-mining program known as Able Danger to avoid disclosing the information.

Retired Army Maj. Erik Kleinsmith, former director of the Army Land Information Warfare Center, told the panel he was directed by Pentagon lawyers to delete 2? terabytes of computer data -- the equivalent of one-quarter of the information in the Library of Congress -- on Able Danger in May or June 2000 because of legal concerns about information on U.S. citizens.

Maj. Kleinsmith said keeping the data beyond 90 days would have violated an Army directive limiting the collection of information on U.S. citizens.
"Yes, I could have conveniently forgot to delete the data, and we could have kept it," Maj. Kleinsmith said. "But I knowingly would have been in violation of the regulation."

[alittlelark]

6. They are trying DESPERATELY to 'muddy the waters'

so ppl will have a hard time seeing the 'rotted democracy' at the bottom of the pond.

[sabra]

7. interesting few paragraphs towards the end though...

Mr. Weldon said he thinks Able Danger was shut down after a "profile" of Chinese weapons proliferation linked two Americans to Chinese students at Stanford University engaged in technology acquisition for China.

During the profile, the names of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, at the time the Stanford University provost, and former Defense Secretary William Perry were mentioned in the data and created "a wave of controversy," he said.

After Congress sought the data, "tremendous pressure was placed on the Army, because this was a prototype operation, and they shut down the Able Danger operation," Mr. Weldon said.

[CountAllVotes]

8. some guy called into Mike Malloy

It was I believe Monday night - he was saying that Rice was a Chinese spy.

And the story begins ... :popcorn:

[nofurylike]

9. "because of legal concerns about information on U.S. citizens." spun for

intensified tyranny.

protecting privacy CAUSED it all!!!

well then, of course they gotta toughen up that patriot act!

:sarcasm:

:puke:


peace

[paulthompson]

10. Aha! A link to Condi Rice

Now we find out why Able Danger was shut down in Feb. 2001, one month after Condi Rice becomes National Security Advisor:

Mr. Weldon said he thinks Able Danger was shut down after a "profile" of Chinese weapons proliferation linked two Americans to Chinese students at Stanford University engaged in technology acquisition for China.
During the profile, the names of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, at the time the Stanford University provost, and former Defense Secretary William Perry were mentioned in the data and created "a wave of controversy," he said.
After Congress sought the data, "tremendous pressure was placed on the Army, because this was a prototype operation, and they shut down the Able Danger operation," Mr. Weldon said.


I've been puzzling over this since coming across some obscure articles like this one mentioning Chinese espionage ties to a "university provost and a former high ranking government official."

Intrigue Over Able Danger Grows

WTOP - Federal News Radio
September 1, 2005
http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?sid=558226&nid=251&pid=4

[paulthompson]

11. See this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4846388