Posted on 09/20/2005 9:08:30 PM PDT by bobsunshine
my notes so far:
Biden says he is here because of his high regard for Curt Weldon, and much he told me I was unaware of , and it turns out to be true.
Specter and Biden both are vouching for Weldon. Biden says Weldon is a strong republican but he has no political agenda here. Biden says his staff verifies Able Danger uncovered Atta before 9-ll. Biden is disappointed, can't understand why the DoD witnesses have been pulled...Biden thinks this is a mistake. Biden says Specter never takes no for an answer, and Biden expects Specter to pursue those witnesses.
Biden has to leave, will stay as long as possible, and hopes the Pentagon will reverse itself. Biden says he's seen no reason for their action.
Senator Kyle welcomes Weldon, appreciates his efforts, blah blah. Klye says we are going to have a lot of work ahead of us. Kyle agrees with Specter that their committee must do a lot of work on posse commitattas in order to resolve problems.
No one elsse on the committee there, This is a big diss!
Weldon begins reading, thanks Biden and Kyle for showing up.
Able Danger existed. 5 have told me and your staff that Atta and 3 other terrrorists were identified before 9-ll.
Weldon makes the point: The pentagon says the 5 can't testify because of classified information, but wweeks ago said all the Able Danger info was all open source information, not classified.
Weldon says it was a 9-ll commission member who encouraged him to investigate Able Danger.
Biden elicits the informaition "
Able Danger started in 98, terminated in 2000.
Biden asked why was Able Danger shut down.
Weldon says important names were included in data mining. (It was Condeleeza Rice)
this was prototype operation, so sensitive to coincidental, embarrassing information.
Weldon says it was significant reason Able Danger was shut down.
Massive data mining is the same info Dems and Reps use in gathering voter information.
Biden says he's inclined to accept what the witnesses would have said as truthful, the part that confuses Biden is it started in the Clinton administration, continued through Bush administration. Biden doesn't understand why Pentagon is so adament it be hidden. Doesn't understand why a cover -up is necessary. to protect Clinton? to protect Bush?
Biden will submit questions in writing.
Specter asks about "character assasination' Weldon says witnesses were threatened, LTC Schaaeffffer haad his security clearance removed day before yesterday. Weldon says Pentagon's Larry Dirita questioned the memory of Philpottt.
Weldon says the pentagon did not conduct a formal investigation. No notes, not supoenas, just "informal" meetings.
Eileen Prisser (sp) concurs Atta was identified by Able Danger before 9-ll.
Clines Smith (sp) is contractor who will tesstify today who told him to destroy Able Danger data, and threatened with loss of job andd possible jail if he refused.
General Lambert was the Able Danger customer who wasn't told data was destroyed.
Kyle will "game" why pentagon might want to keep testimony from being made public.
Because it might reveal ability, might tip somebody off they were part of an investigation.
Weldon says he agrees with Kyle those concerns are bogus. The information was open source, not classified. "Vote Smart" is the political project to ID voters....it's the same as Able Danger. 'you mean we can use open source mining for votes, but not for national security?"
Grassley makes an appearance, he hopes despite the Pentagon's resisstance, that Specter will continue to pursue this. Grassley sayss, "you can't have the pentagon hiding information from the congress." What's at stake here is whether we are going to let the Pentagon prrevent us from doing their jobs. All those stars and ribbons must not prevent us from doing our jobs.
Grassley will submit questions in writing.
Two weeks after 9-ll, Able Danger info fwas taken to Weldon. Weldon took info to Steven Hadley. Hadley asked, "where'd you get this info on Atta and the Brooklyn Cell?"
Hadley said, "ive got to show this to the man", meaning the president. Hadley was deputy national security chairman.
Slate Gorton has written a letter to Specter which will be put into the record. Damn! I wish Specter had read it aloud. !!
Weldon leaves witness table.
Three lawyers comprise 2nd panel. They speak for their clients.
Mark Zaid, looks very young. He says he's here as surrogate, his lawfirm represents covert clientss involved with national security
LTC Schaeffer, James Smith, private contractor, are his clients.
Zaid says sthis is not a partisan issue, both sides involved in CYA. Nothing is classified
No Pentagon official has told Zaid they were concerned with classified info getting out.
Who made the call? Rummy?
The explanation by this lawyer sounds similar to something that the www.namebase.org does.
By the end of 2000 documents were ordered destroyed.
I want to clear up something tghat is wrong in the press.
At no time did AD place Atta in the United States. (What?)
Hasn't Weldon said something different?
"Think of the Six degrees of Kevin Bacon......."
Zide: What we need to focus on is the current location of the other several dozen AQ terrorists who were on that Atta chart and see if they are planning attacks against the US.
Why is Specter trying to stop him from talking?
Hey, wasn't the galaxy supposed to be on Orion's belt? (a little men in black humor)
No Pentagon official has told Zaid they were concerned with classified info getting out.
That makes sense because it was all open source documentation. No government data bases were used or classified information.
I think he knew that Sen. Kyle needed to leave, that's all...
Eric Clidesmith, Lockheed Martin Company, extensive resume in intel world. Army Commendation medal and others being listed. National Defense Service medal. Member of Army until 2001 with rank of Major to speak next.
Eric: Has 28 training officers on the ground overseas being trained in AD and teaches classes.
He provided analytical support to several combat commands and other customers. Our most prominent operation was a data mining operation.
See the end of the thread article. There is more out there from another subcommittee.
"It turns out that Dr. Pricer testified before a closed session of Congressional subcommittee on national security exactly one month after 9/11. That testimony isn't available, but Rep. Christopher Shays mentions her on the record in the next day's public testimony"
Thanks for posting that, I tuned in late.
Did see Zaid say that at NO time was Atta identified as being in the country prior to 9-11 -- Zaid says it was mistakenly reported in the media that he was.
No one knows...we are supposed to find out WHO ordered the documents destroyed...
but I am getting a sinking feeling that it will be someone we DON'T know...which to me...would make it easier for DOD or whoever, to keep stuff "off the record".
I am getting the distinct impression that other than us and the witnesses...there isn't much interest in this..
I am hoping a big name like Richard Clark, Albright, or at least Tenet was the one to order the destruction of the documents...then this MIGHT get more attention.
May - June 2000 data was deleted
DATA WAS DELETED IN MAY / JUNE OF 2000!!!!!!
bump your recapping and thank you!
Specter: What knowledge do you have about the allegation about the destruction of documents:
Answer: It's correct. I deleted all data.
We had collected data and an unclassified all source data source charts that we had produced as well as one or two charts that were provided to us but we'd already gone beyond their analysis.
Specter: What kind of information was deleted?
Answer: Everything. We had done analysis of AD and tried to get worldwide perspective of where this group - AQ - operated. No specific operation within the US but only a presence of what was known.
Info was deleted in May/June 2000.
Visited by inhouse general counsel to remind me of the intelligence operations we were operating under. Army Regulation 3-81-10 and I brought a coyp with me. We can temporarily retain info about US persons not to exceed 90 (?) days. While we were shut down we couldn't do further analysis of the data.
It was a friendly visit, not adversarial. He told me to delete the data or we'd go to jail because of regulations.
We had to abide by info that says we can only retain info for 90 days.
Is there a relationship between those regulations and Posse Comatatus? (sp)
Only from an intelligence perspective.
Specter: Explain it to me.
Answer: We could conduct intel analysis and collect info on US persons. Posse Comatatus was never brought up at our level. We stayed with the army regulation.
Why does it has to be Specter, we a better questioner.
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