Congressman: Defense Knew 9/11 Hijackers (R-PA, Curt Weldon)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 8/9/05 | Kimberly Hefling - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - The Sept. 11 commission will investigate a claim that U.S. defense intelligence officials identified ringleader Mohammed Atta and three other hijackers as a likely part of an al-Qaida cell more than a year before the hijackings but didn't forward the information to law enforcement.

Rep. Curt Weldon (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa. and vice chairman of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, said Tuesday the men were identified in 1999 by a classified military intelligence unit known as "Able Danger." If true, that's an earlier link to al-Qaida than any previously disclosed intelligence about Atta.

Sept. 11 commission co-chairman Lee Hamilton said Tuesday that Weldon's information, which the congressman said came from multiple intelligence sources, warrants a review. He said he hoped the panel could issue a statement on its findings by the end of the week.

"The 9/11 commission did not learn of any U.S. government knowledge prior to 9/11 of surveillance of Mohammed Atta or of his cell," said Hamilton, a former Democratic congressman from Indiana. "Had we learned of it obviously it would've been a major focus of our investigation."

The Sept. 11 commission's final report, issued last year, recounted numerous government mistakes that allowed the hijackers to succeed. Among them was a failure to share intelligence within and among agencies.

According to Weldon, Able Danger identified Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Khalid al-Mihdar and Nawaf al-Hazmi as members of a cell the unit code-named "Brooklyn" because of some loose connections to New York City.

Weldon said that in September 2000 Able Danger recommended that its information on the hijackers be given to the FBI "so they could bring that cell in and take out the terrorists." However, Weldon said Pentagon lawyers rejected the recommendation because they said Atta and the others were in the country legally so information on them could not be shared with law enforcement.

Weldon did not provide details on how the intelligence officials identified the future hijackers and determined they might be part of a cell.

Defense Department documents shown to an Associated Press reporter Tuesday said the Able Danger team was set up in 1999 to identify potential al-Qaida operatives for U.S. Special Operations Command. At some point, information provided to the team by the Army's Information Dominance Center pointed to a possible al-Qaida cell in Brooklyn, the documents said.

However, because of concerns about pursuing information on "U.S. persons" — a legal term that includes U.S. citizens as well as foreigners admitted to the country for permanent residence — Special Operations Command did not provide the Army information to the FBI. It is unclear whether the Army provided the information to anyone else.

The command instead turned its focus to overseas threats.

The documents provided no information on whether the team identified anyone connected to the Sept. 11 attack.

If the team did identify Atta and the others, it's unclear why the information wasn't forwarded. The prohibition against sharing intelligence on "U.S. persons" should not have applied since they were in the country on visas — they did not have permanent resident status.

Weldon, considered something of a maverick on Capitol Hill, initially made his allegations about Atta and the others in a floor speech in June that garnered little attention. His talk came at the end of a legislative day during a period described under House rules as "special orders" — a time slot for lawmakers to get up and speak on issues of their choosing.

The issue resurfaced Monday in a story by the bimonthly Government Security News, which covers national security matters.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said he was unaware of the intelligence until the latest reports surfaced.

But Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the 9/11 Commission looked into the matter during its investigation into government missteps leading to the attacks and chose not to include it in the final report.

Hamilton said 9/11 Commission staff members learned of Able Danger during a meeting with military personnel in October 2003 in Afghanistan, but the staff members do not recall learning of a connection between Able Danger and any of the four terrorists Weldon mentioned.

___

Associated Press reporter John J. Lumpkin contributed to this report.

[Tribune7]

ping

[TexasCajun]

Have you read Rep. Curt Weldon's book? ...very interesting.

[Archon of the East]

There needs to be some explaining as to how Jamie Gorelick remained on this commission and how the commission failed to report on this so-called "wall".

Explaining, yea right. When do the organized crime mob or anytone connected with Clinton have to explain anything? My hope was that when the commission was meeting we had some GOP with enough guts to call them out but that was not to be. For god's sake we can't even get a harsh word from any Republican about Berger. The whole thing makes me sick.

[leadhead]

What did Hitlery know? And when did she know it?

Start the chant!

[Peach]

In another article, the Co-Chairs of the 9/11 Commission already ADMITTED they heard this information but left it out of the final report.

Have to protect that Clinton legacy, you know.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

Come on, give me a break!!! Any American with half a brain knows that Bill and Hillary Clinton and their Democrat vermin sat by and let 911 occur. The truth will filter out about this traitor scum that allowed the murder of innocent Americans and others. I know it is hard to believe, but Americans by the millions will vote for these Democrat low life, and usher in their own deaths by their own hands!!! Go figure!!!

[Mo1]

Weldon is on Dom G's radio show right now Talking about staff from the 9/11 Commission NOT telling the panel about the information he had

That now the 9/11 Commission is asking for an investigation to who it was on the staff that hide this information

He also brought up Gorelick's memo that put up a wall about sharing information

Weldon clearly states that this all happened during the Clinton Administration

Also mentioned that the NYT will be running another front page story tomorrow

[Mo1]

Ping to my #27 post

[Howlin]

"The 9/11 commission did not learn of any U.S. government knowledge prior to 9/11 of surveillance of Mohammed Atta or of his cell," said Hamilton, a former Democratic congressman from Indiana. "Had we learned of it obviously it would've been a major focus of our investigation."

Maybe that's what was in Sandy's pants?

[Howlin]

FYI.

[hipaatwo]

Also mentioned that the NYT will be running another front page story tomorrow


Blaming Clinton I hope?

[Mo1]

Have you read Rep. Curt Weldon's book? ...very interesting.

I haven't read the book .. just articles about it ... and they were nothing like what he's been talking about on our local radio station

[Mo1]

Blaming Clinton I hope?

I doubt it

I haven't read today's article in the NYT .. just previous articles about Weldon's book

And they are nothing like what Weldon has been saying on the radio

Weldon clearly stated that most of this all happened under Clinton's watch and how the intell agencies didn't/couldn't share info because of the wall

[hipaatwo]

I hope this gets legs. I'm bet Sept. 11th was planned alot longer than a year.

[Peach]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is what Sandy was hiding down his pants.

And this from another article:

A former spokesman for the Sept. 11 commission, Al Felzenberg, confirmed that members of its staff, including executive director Philip Zelikow, were told about the program during an overseas trip in October 2003 that included stops in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But Felzenberg said the briefers did not mention Atta's name. The report produced by the commission last year does not mention the episode.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1459716/posts

[Tribune7]

Weldon clearly states that this all happened during the Clinton Administration

One of the things that turned me off Curt is the way he pulled his punches during Slick's impeachment. He voted to impeach on the lesser, not the greater, counts.

[Peach]

That now the 9/11 Commission is asking for an investigation to who it was on the staff that hide this information.

Whoa.

These are some names that knew:

A former spokesman for the Sept. 11 commission, Al Felzenberg, confirmed that members of its staff, including executive director Philip Zelikow, were told about the program during an overseas trip in October 2003 that included stops in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But Felzenberg said the briefers did not mention Atta's name. The report produced by the commission last year does not mention the episode. http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1459716/posts

[Peach]

I remember when Ashcroft said, during the 9/11 hearing we were all watching live, that Gorelick created The Wall.

We all thought she'd be bounced from the 9/11 Commission. And instead, they all circled the wagons around her and defended her.

It was at that moment that anyone with a brain realized how tainted the Commission's findings were going to be.

And, as I recall, Freeper Kristinn personally distributed to Commission members copies of Al Gore's report on airline safety. That never made it into the report either.

It was Clinton legacy protection time for that Commission, at least half of them, and they performed beautifully.

[CyberAnt]

"men were identified in 1999"


I was screaming at FOX today .. not one of their reports about this issue included any dates .. therefore leaving the public to believe it happened on Bush's watch.

I was livid .. and I let them know it. I expect that kind of tripe from the MSM .. but FOX viewers deserve to know the truth.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Maybe that's what was in Sandy's pants?

But if that was the case, why on earth would the NY Times break the story last night? It would be the kind of story the Times would ignore as long as possible, then run once in the Saturday edition.