Got To The Source!
Posted on 08/10/2005 2:26:47 PM PDT by ElCapusto
War on Terror 9/11 commission members want claim on Atta pursued
WASHINGTON – Members of the commission that uncovered the government's failures to share intelligence among agencies before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks want to know whether U.S. defense intelligence officials knew for more than a year that four of the hijackers were part of an al-Qaeda cell but failed to tell law enforcement. Lee Hamilton, co-chairman of the now-disbanded commission, said Tuesday that members of the Sept. 11 commission could issue a statement by the end of the week after reviewing claims that defense intelligence officials had identified ringleader Mohammed Atta and three other hijackers.
"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 commission's report on the terrorist attacks, released last year, traced government mistakes that allowed the hijackers to succeed. Among the problems the commission cited was a lack of coordination across intelligence agencies.
Rep. Curt Weldon, a Pennsylvania Republican who serves as vice chairman of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, said a classified military intelligence unit known as "Able Danger" identified the men in 1999.
That's an earlier link to al-Qaeda than any previously disclosed intelligence about Atta if the information, which Weldon said came from multiple intelligence sources, is true.
A group of 9/11 widows called the September 11th Advocates issued a statement Wednesday saying they were "horrified" to learn that further possible evidence exists, and they are disappointed the 9/11 Commission report is "incomplete and illusory."
"The revelation of this information demands answers that are forthcoming, clear and concise," the statement said. "The 9/11 attacks could have and should have been prevented."
With the 9/11 commission disbanded for a year under provisions of the legislation that created it, some of the panel's members have said congressional committees should investigate Weldon's assertions.
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 terrorist 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-Qaeda 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-Qaeda 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 attacks on New York City and Washington that killed nearly 3,000 people.
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 and did not have permanent resident status.
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 that the staff members do not recall learning of a connection between Able Danger and any of the four terrorists Weldon mentioned.
Daniel Marcus, General Counsel of the Commission, was for many years a partner in the Washington law firm of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, serving on the firm's Management Committee from 1995 to 1998. During the Carter Administration Mr. Marcus was Deputy General Counsel of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture. He returned to Government service in 1998 as Senior Counsel in the White House Counsel's office. From 1999 to 2001 he held several senior positions at the Department of Justice, including Associate Attorney General. Last year he was a Visiting Professor at Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Marcus is a graduate of Brandeis University and Yale Law School, and was a law clerk for Judge Harold Leventhal of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
I get Savage delayed on www2.krla870.com/listen/.
He's makeing more sense on this that any others. Listen before flaming.
did Savage say that the Bush administration has said they won't look into this? is that possible?
I didn't hear him say that he has heard anyone from the Administration say that. Do you think this Administration will look into it?
EXCELLENT Thread!!!
bkmrk for future reference
I thought I heard him say that at the very beginning of the show, and later he would give the website he got the info from.
I haven't heard the Administration even reference it. I'm not saying the haven't but I haven't heard it. From their past behavior however I would say it would only be a glance and let it go. That's just me
Well duh! I found it in my own post on this thread.
:-)
Certain commissioners knew this all along, it just didn't get into the report. God only knows how deep the Clinton treachery goes.
Right you are. I think some of Clinton's bombs are still out there. This is another one and there are more.
Clark, Wilson and Gorelick and now this treasonous behavior may be just a few that we know of.
Why W didn't clean out all the Clinton people is beyond me. But with the cozy relationship they have lately makes me wonder.
ping for reference
It's beyond wonderment.
The first thing the Marxist, hillbilly duo did was dismiss all U. S. Attorneys. They handed missile guidance technologies to their new handlers (after the temporary demise of the USSR) the Chinese Communists and, in the name of their god PC, hid the identities of the muslim killers who destroyed 3,000+ Americans on 9/11.
Unfortunately for us that was just a few of the treacheries committed.
W's apparent admiration of the Clintons and Clintonistas is depressing.
Thanks for the link. I missed that one.
#72 is a definite winner!!!!!!!!!!
Conspiracy is what the Clinton Duo's administration was all about.
These two Marxist, Hillbilly, Trough-Slurpers were the two most nefarious (and that covers a lot of crud that's occupied the White House) traitorous criminals in the nation's history.
Junior Senator Hillary made the majority of the decisions for that administration and had, there is no doubt, her government provided, well-manicured hand in this piece of shamful treachery.
Hillary for President! (Some American fools just can't get enough.)
Thanks! Gorelick should have never been on that committee, she should have been in front of it.
The big problem is that the present administration, in true Republicrat tradition, will hold up the carpet while the dirt is swept under by the DemocRATs.
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