Posted on 09/16/2005 4:57:30 PM PDT by Roamin53
Sources: Pentagon Wants 'Able Danger' Hearings Closed Friday, September 16, 2005
PHOTOS PHOTO ESSAYS
Click image to enlarge Photo Essays: • Investigating 9/11: The Final Hearing STORIES BACKGROUND LINKS •
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is pressuring the Senate Judiciary Committee to close to the public next week's hearings on a former secret military intelligence unit called "Able Danger," two congressional sources have confirmed to FOX News.
Witnesses from the Pentagon are expected to testify at that hearing; that's why they want it classified. FOX News has learned that committee Chairman Arlen Specter's office is vigorously resisting the request.
Some former Able Danger analysts and Rep. Curt Weldon (search) say the formerly clandestine intelligence unit identified Mohammed Atta (search) and three other of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers one year before the attacks that left over 3,000 people dead. They also claim that their repeated requests to turn over the information to the FBI were ignored.
Weldon said a former Army officer will testify next week that he was also ordered to destroy data that included reference to Atta.
"In the summer of 2000, he was ordered and, or, he would go to jail if he didn't comply," the Pennsylvania Republican said. "He was ordered to destroy 2.5 terabytes of data specific to Able Danger, the Brooklyn [terror] cell and Mohammad Atta. He will name the person who ordered him to destroy that material."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Able Danger was set up under the Pentagon’s Special Operations Command (SOCOM,) which was headed by General Peter Schoomaker who is now the Army's Chief of Staff. Also, General Shelton had been briefed by Able Danger. I suspect that the Pentagon had set up this unit without authorization from Congress and the DOJ, which is why there is a cover-up.
At this point, all I really want to know...is who ordered them to destroy the evidence that Able Danger even existed...
If we find out who that is....it will probably answer a lot of questions..
Very possible!
If this was set up without Congress' knowledge..then the all deserve a medal!!!!
I say, anything clandestine HAS to be known by the fewest # of people at ALL, let alone in the career government positions...who all leak, just because they can.
If they close this hearing, with the exception of something that is absolutely of great national security sensitivity, it will be a whitewash, imo.
Perhaps someone in the Pentagon discovered that a copy of the data was made before it was erased. Thus the sudden call for "closed hearings". If memory serves me right...there were some interesting names these guys came up with regarding...shall we say...foreign entanglements.
That may explain the reason they want this behind closed doors. Since the public is already aware of the basics of the program most of the testimony can be made in the open...the nuts and bolts can be in closed session...that makes sense. The call for the entire hearing to be closed does not. JMHO.
JEDI
Yes, it will. And what can we do about it. I feel so helpless. Which makes me so angry.
The Commander in Chief at that time is the logical suspect. This could not be done without his knowledge.
Funny....the name that keeps popping into my head is Clarke too....RICHARD CLARKE...remember him? Former "terrorist czar". I want him in the witness chair too.
JEDI
I hope it is public.
We deserve to know ALL of the FACTS about what was and WAS NOT done to prevent the horror that was 9/11.
The people involved acted under orders. We deserve to know WHO MADE THOSE ORDERS.
This is a very big deal. Very big. And it goes to the heart of why we were not able to defend our nation.
After Clark retired, he went to work for a data mining corporation, Acxiom Corp., the Little Rock, AR-based data firm. He joined in December 2001. Acxiom was trying to get a piece of the TIA pie, which was under The Information Awareness Office
I'm losing confidence. In our Republicans to stand up for what's right and in the government in general. They all protect each other. Bah!
Maybe I have my Clarke's confused.....CLark-lexia
Then there's that NYT reporterette who won't talk. Is she still languishing in the slammer?
So many dark secrets in shadowy high places. Please, Lord, let them all come out into the light.
Leni
They may both have had a hand in this mess. And where are the Armed Service and Intel committees on this? Shouldn't they have jumped on this by now? Interesting isn't it?
JEDI.
Yes.
Maybe so, but their noses get out of joint if they think that Americans' civil liberties are being threatened because the USG is spying on them with some rogue operation. In September 2003, Congress eliminated funding for the controversial nationwide identification system and closed the Pentagon's Information Awareness Office, which had developed TIA.
DOD's OIG wrote a tough report in 2003 on the TIA Program. Able Danger was probably the forerunner of TIA. Politically, the program is radioactive, which is why the Pentagon is probably reluctant to provide information on AD.
TS was saying that Weldon was going to be on his show today but it never happened and no explanation. I thought that was strange.
I just hope that the reason that Weldon hasn't asked for an investigation in the House yet...unless he has, and I haven't heard...is because of all of the Katrina stuff this last couple of weeks...
I DO know that he is angling for the Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee...and with all of the hoo-ha going on about Homeland Security, right now...he might be reluctant to make waves...but
he better...he has been promising a lot of us that he was going to follow through, plus, he already had Lt. Schaeffer, and the other guy, "out" themselves..
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.