Posted on 11/10/2005 8:35:56 PM PST by zzen01
Edited on 11/10/2005 8:40:10 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
The Army Reserve officer who went public with details about a secret military unit called Able Danger is being fired from his post at the Defense Intelligence Agency, a move that also could end his military career.
Attorney Mark Zaid, representing Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, was informed last week that the agency rejected an Oct. 19 appeal of its decision to revoke his client's top-secret security clearance.
The rejection came nearly two years after Shaffer said he first told the Sept. 11 commission that Able Danger identified four of the Sept. 11 hijackers, including ringleader Mohamed Atta, as terrorists more than a year before the attacks.
Zaid said he cannot prove the action was based on Shaffer's conversations with the commission, but he said the speed of the agency's decision "denotes selective attention."
Without the clearance, Shaffer cannot perform his duties as a senior intelligence officer.
"I expect that Tony will receive a notice of termination also in record-breaking speed," Zaid said in an e-mail.
Shaffer, a 43-year-old native of Kansas City, Mo., began speaking to the media in August after the Sept. 11 commission said Atta had not been identified before the attacks. He has been on paid administrative leave since March 2004, when the Defense Intelligence Agency began looking into allegations he had broken rules.
The allegations against Shaffer ranged from making false statements and circumventing his chain of command to obtaining a medal under false pretenses.
An agency spokesman declined to comment on Shaffer's status, citing privacy concerns.
On Tuesday, Shaffer called the allegations "bogus," noting that the Army promoted him to lieutenant colonel in October 2004.
That promotion would not have occurred, he said, if the Army had concerns with his job performance or personal integrity.
But now, due to the finality of the agency's action, the Army might have little choice but to follow suit, thereby undercutting his uniformed career, Shaffer said.
Shaffer, however, is not without supporters in high places.
U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, last month asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to put any further action against Shaffer on hold until the Pentagon inspector general could review the agency's handling of the case.
Two of Shaffer's former supervisors have backed Shaffer. In separate statements, retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Harding and retired Army Col. Gerry York called Shaffer a model employee and an "outstanding" officer.
Figure Exposed
Ever wonder how much the United States spends every year on intelligence operations?
It's a closely guarded secret, but at a recent conference in San Antonio, a senior government employee told the audience the figure was $44 billion.
The comments made by Mary Margaret Graham, deputy director of national intelligence for collection, were first reported by U.S. News & World Report, which had sent a correspondent to cover the conference.
Details about intelligence spending are classified. Intelligence officials have argued that releasing the figures could damage national security.
But Steve Aftergood, a research analyst at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington, has said there is no harm in disclosing the aggregate amount.
"Anyone who pretends that national security is jeopardized by the release of this figure is a fool," Aftergood said.
This stinks. I've sent so many emails, my fingers hurt.
Some good conjecture, go read it.
Who do they think they're fooling?
Do they really think they can go 'poof' and it will blow away?
Could end his career? It's virtually guaranteed. He'll never make colonel. He could stay in and collect a paycheck, but he'll never get any respect and only get the crap jobs.
The "DIA" "CIA" are JOKES! I know I worked with both during my time in the US Navy.
Update ping.
That figures. There are still World War II and Korea vets that are just getting their medals, many times posthumously. But when the military wants to jam you, they'll get it done yesterday.
It's really too bad that nowadays, generals and colonels don't get their rank by being good officers. They get there by being good politicians.
Any chance of Rumsfeld or Bush counteracting this?
If this means what I think it does, they are firing, probably, the only person in the agency who is a dedicated, concerned, competent, employee. The folks in this country had better wake up and realize that our "intelligence" agencies are one of the few things standing between us and the bad guys. They are not intended to be the social club the CIA seems to have degenerated into.
So far, I've been very disappointed in their performance (although, the military agency does probably outperform its civilian counterpart, the CIA). Both have been lax, stuck in the Cold War model, incapable of cooperation, and, seemingly, unwilling to change.
Are you kidding?
The "CIA" has sucked for years AND the ONLY thing that can be done is MASS firings and DEMOLISH Langley and start over.
No.
Is Shaffer A.K.A. Algore?
Looks like they're trying to suppress any Able Danger talk.
NO good deed goes unpunished.
I sure would like to see someone get to the bottom of this. Heads should roll.
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