Posted on 09/21/2005 3:08:42 AM PDT by ovrtaxt
With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...
Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005 12:55 a.m. EDT Pentagon Blocks Able Danger Testimony
Pentagon lawyers have ordered five members of the Able Danger intelligence team not to testify at an open Senate in hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning about information they developed on lead 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta a year before the 9/11 attacks.
"We have been told I cannot testify tomorrow," Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer told ABC Radio host Sean Hannity. "We have been told to stand down."
Lt. Col. Shaffer, who was the Defense Intelligence Agency's liaison officer to Able Danger, said he was preparing his testimony for the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon when he was told that the hearing "will be classified, it will be secret."
Hours after Lt. Col. Shaffer revealed that he'd been muzzled, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman told the New York Times that open testimony on Able Danger "would not be appropriate."
"We have expressed our security concerns and believe it is simply not possible to discuss Able Danger in any great detail in an open public forum."
However Shaffer maintained that he intended to discuss only details on the program already made public by Pennsylvania Congressman Curt Weldon, a chief advocate of the intense data mining developed by Able Danger.
Lt. Col. Shaffer's lawyer, Mark Zaid, told United Press International that Able Danger team members "were told verbally that they would not be allowed to testify," and that he had requested the decision about his client be put in writing.
Zaid said that the team leader, Navy Capt. Scott Philpott, a civilian analyst named James Smith and other members of the team had all been denied permission to testify.
Judiciary Committee Chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter told the New York Times late Tuesday that he intended to go ahead with the hearing on Wednesday and hoped that it "may produce a change of heart by the Department of Defense in answering some very basic questions."
Lt. Col. Shaffer was clearly frustrated by the bid to muzzle him and the other Able Danger witnesses.
"I'm past the point of no return here. I'm committed to this course of action," he told Hannity. "I'm truly sorry that it appears right now that the Department of Defense is more worried about saving face than they are about getting the truth out."
I think so. Have you seen the cover of Cosmo?
So what would be compromised, its not like they were putting the PDB into the mix.
The solution is simple: answer the damn questions without compromising national security. Or maybe we shouldn't hold the military accountable - at any time - because it might "compromise" our security? Man, the Bushbots just keep coming out of the woodwork.
If Bush thinks, because of Clinton's actions, the office of the Presidency will take a direct hit resulting in permanent loss of public confidence, etc. -- he'll slam the door on open hearings. It's about honoring the Presidency, not Clinton per se.
Bush senior had the goods on Clinton when he ran for reelection, but refused to use it for the same reason...also thanks to Perot, we endured 8 years of horror. The list is endless,(Somalia, The Cole, Embassy bombings, bin Laden, Al Qaeda and 9/11... Clinton is a gift that keeps on giving -- Son of Clinton/quasi...Hill) Appalling.
Yep. Everyone knows about Echelon, and that's several years old by now. Who knows what they have these days.
But if they're prevented from using that info to protect us, what good is it? That's the crux of this whole thing.
Interesting. Life, Freedom, Truth.
It's also CYA time for high office govt. employees.
The verb "had" is past tense indicating she is no longer in that position. Check with Slick to see if she did indeed work in the gov't
You guys might want to tune in to the Able Danger hearings. 9:30 am on C-Span 3.
http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/fullschedule.csp?timeid=211994040703
How in the hell would I know? I'm no more privy to facts on this than you are, meaning neither one of us knows jack shit.
Because I don't know what is going on, I'm not buying into any ruling-class conspiracies YET (but I can already tell that makes me the pariah on this thread).
No Communists in the CIA? Ha now that is funny!
But I remember a story about a 3rd AD 2nd Lt. that used open source material to compile his unit's history, showed it to his CO who in turn showed it to his CO.
That CO showed it to brigade and then Division, some where along the line it got classified, and early example of open source data mining.
This may actually be what has happened.
But I believe more in the idiocy of the powers that be more than a conspiracy.
We, the people, are on our own.
Politicians and bureaucrats are too busy fighting turf battles to warn us of trouble.
Look to the government FOR NOTHING!
Well, we certainly don't want to be found in the same position as the NO 'wards of the state' who sat around and waited to be rescued by the government. I'm sure every good conservative American doesn't want their help.
On the other hand, they limit our ability to defend ourselves in the interest of National Security-- yet they don't take responsibility when hearings like this happen.
The Minuteman issue is a perfect example of the same mindset. What, common citizens actually acting like they have a say in things? They're "vigilantes"!
Wait. The government was "able" to stop the CIA from hiring those with a criminal record. And don't forget that they could keep Walmart from delivering those water bottles to New Orleans during Katrina.
"We have been told I cannot testify tomorrow," Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer told ABC Radio host Sean Hannity. "We have been told to stand down."
Lt. Col. Shaffer, who was the Defense Intelligence Agency's liaison officer to Able Danger, said he was preparing his testimony for the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon when he was told that the hearing "will be classified, it will be secret."
atleast this admits it existed
"it's more compelling to watch Paris Hilton and her latest boob job than be responsible citizens."
Paris has boobs now?
Seriously, This carrot's been dangled and I can't see this just disappearing into the wood work. This story gonna come out in some fashion or another.
Exactly. It did exist. Someone(s) are pulling a major CYA. I doubt we'll see any of it on C-span if they've now classified the meeting as 'Secret'.
Not only that, the enemy apparently holds high office in Washington.
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