Posted on 08/24/2005 4:56:20 AM PDT by jimbo123
WASHINGTON A Pentagon secret intelligence team identified 9/11 leader Mohamed Atta through a probe of blind Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman the mastermind of the first attempt to destroy the World Trade Center, it was revealed yesterday.
An outside contractor to the intelligence unit, code named Able Danger, has told congressional staffers Atta's name was discovered by a computer data-mining search of connections to Abdel-Rahman, the Muslim cleric in prison for inspiring the 1993 trade center bombing and a plot to blow up New York landmarks.
Contractor James D. Smith testified that a California researcher was later able to purchase Atta's photograph from an Islamic Web site, officials confirmed.
-snip-
"[Data analyst J.D. Smith] found Atta by linkages not to immigration issues but to the mosque system," he said. "Basically [Atta] was associating with known radical clerics."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
When we hear Democrats complain that Bush could have done something, remind them of this from Weldon on the floor of the Senate. It's clear that Clinton could have done something in 2000; cells were located and identified and a plan of action to take them out were provided. But NOTHING was done.
(Source Congressional Record: May 21, 2002 (House) Page H2820-H2834) :
In fact, Mr. Speaker, there is another interesting development that occurred. After the Army showed the capability of the LIWAC model at Ft. Belvoir, other services began to take interest. Special forces command down in Florida contacted the Army and said, hey, we hear you are doing some neat things.
We want to build a mini version of what you are doing down at our headquarters.
I did not find out about this until October of 2001, after the attack on the trade center. A year before, special forces command developed their own mini version of a data processing or collaborative center with very limited capabilities. But what they did, Mr. Speaker, they did a profile of al Qaeda 1 year before 9-11.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Issa). The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) is recognized to continue until midnight.
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, here is the chart, the unclassified chart of what special forces command had 1 year before 9- 11. Interesting. The entire al Qaeda network is identified in a graphic chart with all the linkages to all the terrorist groups around the world.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, I was told by the folks who developed the capability for special forces command that this chart and the briefing that was supposed to be given to General Shelton, Chairman of our Joint Chiefs, had a recommendation to take out 5 cells of bin Laden's network. Mr. Speaker, this was 1 year before 9-11.
This was not during President Bush's administration. This occurred in the fall of the remaining term of President Bill Clinton.
The key question I have been trying to get at is why was this 3-hour briefing, which I also got, I got General Holland to bring his briefers up from Florida with special forces, I went in the Pentagon, went in the tank, and they gave me the briefing, as much as they could give me, because part of it is being used for our operational plan, why was that 3-hour briefing with the recommendations to take out 5 cells of bin Laden's network condensed down to a 1-hour brief when it was given to General Hugh Shelton in January of 2001?
And why were the recommendations to take out 5 cells not followed up on? That is the question we should get answered, Mr. Speaker.
Because 1 year before 9-11, the capability that special forces built actually identified to us the network of al Qaeda. And they went beyond that and gave us recommendations where we could take out cells to eliminate their capability.
So for those pundits out there sitting in their armchairs criticizing President Bush, they have it all wrong.
Gee, did they happen to mention who spent 8 years in the White House with his fingers in his ears going "Nah nah nah nah nah nah" to drown out all the info about Islamist terror?"
Could it, possibly, be the same president who rented our Air Force to the cause of Islam in the Balkans?
Treason. Treason. Treason. That president, and his cabinet should hang for treason.
Usama is a structural/strategy genius. Saddam is a Weapons expert.....and they need not be WMD. The Palestinians were paid by Saddam for years for their bombing escapades against Israel.
Discounting collusion between Saddam and Usama is absurd. How do you think Usama's boys got into Iraq so easily?
Former CIA director (under Clinton) James Woolsey testified in public trial about Iraq-911 link in NY case where federal Judge awarded monetary damages to 9-11 victims...from Iraq.
If these Iraq linkages are finally given air time, it will also lead back to very uncomfortable questions (for the CIA and Clinton justice dept) about the coincidental ties between 9-11 hijackers, Iraq and Oklahoma City.
You mean the blind sheik who was illegally assisted by his lawyer Lynne Stewart, who was supported at a rally by Mother Sheehan whose son was killed in a war against these terrorists?
Maybe this is what Ltc. Shaffer meant last night on CNNBC when he said something about their findings showing links between foreign officials and US officials. I don't know more about his comment as I was not listening but was reading freeper comments about his appearance.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. district court in Washington on March 14, alleges that convicted Oklahoma City conspirator Nichols met repeatedly in the Philippines with World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Youssef, and that Youssef was an Iraqi intelligence agent. If these allegations are confirmed in court, they constitute a stunning indictment of Iraqi state complicity in murderous attacks on the United States well before Sept. 11.
http://www.okcbombing.org/News%20Articles/insightmag_032502.htm
It appears so... and it also looks like they are leaking the results of their inquiries... They need to stop. We need a fair hearing with sworn testimony so the rats can be smoked out. Leaking what is know only gives the guilty time and information to create a cover story.
I sure hope that the FBI has been wiretapping Sandy Berger all this time as a conspirator in a cover up. I am sure that Berger has been in the middle of things since the Able Danger story broke...
Hillary sure has been quiet.
Exactly! And I agree with you 100% about Sandy Berger.
The hijackers used their real names on paperwork. The stewardesses told ATC which seats the hijackers came from.
If German intelligence was following Atta, Benalshib, and members of the Hamburg cell prior to 9/11, why weren't the CIA and FBI? Why were they allowed to enter the USA (after July 1991) using passports from Egypt and Libya that used their own name?
Curiouser and curiouser.
It is starting to sound like you'd have to be blind to not see beforehand how 9/11 was developing. Blind Shiek, blind Clinton, "blind yourself" directives, blinders all around.
No wonder the terrorists moved here to train.
LOL.
The thread connect all of these people weaves around like a spiders web!
I believe Atta also had a warrant out on him for traffic violations. In fact, I think it was more than one.
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