Posted on 08/11/2005 5:57:46 PM PDT by TonyInOhio
It behaved disgracefully and in a nakedly partisan fashion, with former officials of the Clinton administration attempting to use the platform to damage the president's reelection chances. Then, after months of ludicrous conduct, out of nowhere came the brilliantly conceived and written report that set a new standard of eloquence and coherence for government documents, became a major bestseller and redeemed the commission's reputation.
Well, that didn't last long.
In a story filed at 7:10 PM, the Associated Press is now confirming all the particulars of what will now forever be called the Able Danger disaster. The 9/11 Commission staff did hear about intelligence-gathering efforts that hit pay dirt on the whereabouts of Mohammed Atta -- in 1999 -- and deliberately chose to omit word of those efforts.
And why? Because to do so might upset the timeline the Commission had established on Atta.
And why is that significant? Because the Mohammed Atta timeline established by the Commission pointedly insisted Atta did not meet with an Iraqi intelligence agent in Prague.
And why is that significant? Because debunking the Atta-Iraq connection was of vital importance to Democrats, who had become focused almost obsessively on the preposterous notion that there was no relation whatever between Al Qaeda and Iraq -- that Al Qaeda and Iraq might even have been enemies.
I was very skeptical of this Able Danger stuff about Atta, thought it was just sme way Rep. Curt Weldon was trying to sell a book. No longer. This is clearly becoming the biggest story of the summer -- the fact that, as Andy McCarthy alluded to, the "intelligence wall" set up by 9/11 Commissioner Jamie Gorelick when she was in the Justice Department did, in fact, cause the linchpin of the 9/11 attacks to evade capture by American law enforcement.
So was the staff a) protecting the Atta timeline or b) Jamie Gorelick or c) the Clinton administration or d) itself, because it got hold of the information relatively late and the staff was lazy?
More important, what will co-chairmen Tom (pound his fist on the table) Kean and Lee (look sorrowful) Hamilton do and say in the next 36 hours about this calamity?
Hugh is SERIES brother.
"Why did this hit so big now? We were discussing it here during the commission hearings. Did some MSM have a slow news day?"
You were discussing Able Danger---or Gorelick's wall? Gorelick's wall is an old story made new. Able Danger is new---to me.
That Clinton has cancer? or some other more fatal disease?
-PJ
...and why they were so determined to keep Gorelick on the panel, as well.
Grandpa Dave said it on another thread. We need to concentrate on HOW the wall forced a government agancy that had identified Atta as a terrorist to speak nothing of it to the governement agencies that could have taken him down and PREVENT 9/11. All those lives sadly snuffed out. Because of Gorelick's wall. And the Democrats had her sit on the commission investigating the whole thing!!!!!
Hypocrisy, thy symbol is a kicking ass!
"I don't want Tom, Lee or any of the 911 commission even near this now."
God, no. Some members of that Commission would have even more reason to obscure the truth.
I didn't say they would cover it fairly... I don't expect them to. But it has the potential to really mess them up.
You forgot that during the whole time, Cheney was in the White House "hidey-hole" rubbing his hands together...lol
Times broke the story because they thought they could smear Bush with it.
That it points to Clinton means they didn't properly edit the news.
Exactly. The American people have a right to know what happened, so it doesn't happen again.
The 9/11 commission pulled off this scam under the Bush administration.
And why was Jamie Gorelick on the Commission, again?
Jersey girl.
It appears that the commission members are staying in their bunkers for the time being.
ping
I'd like to have a trial, myself. I'd love to see it described in open court how Sandy shoved documents into his shorts.
Maybe the Swift Boat Vet's need to be reactivated.
Yep... I think CBS is still saying that the documents 'ring true'...
The new media (the people) finally have a voice and I for one am grateful.
great thread
Now THIS has the potential to reach Watergate proportions.
I fear the MSM will bury this.
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