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Why Able Danger Was Scrapped (And Then Ignored by the 9/11 Commission): The China Connection
1/16/2006 | americaprd

Posted on 02/16/2006 8:59:40 AM PST by americaprd

General Overview

At yesterday’s House Armed Services Committee hearing on Able Danger, Congressman Curt Weldon (R-PA) repeatedly asked witnesses if a chart produced by the Land Information Warfare Activity (LIWA) / Information Dominance Center (IDC) on Chinese front companies operating within the United States played a role in the dismantlement of Able Danger. The answer was consistently yes.

What exactly was this document that was developed and what were the implications of it for the Clinton Administration? As you will see, the information raised serious questions for the Democratic Party and the Clinton White House in regards to the transfer of sensitive military technologies to China, and how export controls were relaxed in favor of individuals and companies who gave heavily to the election campaigns of Democratic candidates and President Clinton.

In response, the Clinton Administration set about disbanding LIWA and its sister organization, Able Danger, which was investigating Al Qaeda. They wanted to sweep this information under the rug and were, for the most part, successful. But later, when word began to trickle out that Able Danger had actually uncovered some information that could have prevented the 9/11 attacks, Democrats loyal to the Clinton Administration were shocked. They could not let the truth come out about Able Danger and its successes, or else they would have to answer for why the group was disbanded. The reason, of course, being that Able Danger and LIWA were dismantled to cover up the Clinton Administration’s complicity in transferring technology to China.

In short, Able Danger was a collateral victim of the successes of the data mining efforts being performed by LIWA. 9/11 could have been prevented if the Clinton Administration had not disbanded Able Danger and LIWA, which it did to cover up very embarrassing information that the data mining efforts of LIWA were uncovering in regards to China.

History

In mid-1999, Congressman Weldon requested that LIWA develop a chart of Chinese front companies operating within the United States. The results were staggering, showing a complex web of organizations within the United States, including major U.S. defense contractors, who were involved in the transfer of sensitive technologies to Communist China. It also showed how Chinese agents had successfully funneled ten of million of dollars in campaign contributions to the DNC and President Clinton’s reelection campaign.

An accompanying timeline developed by LIWA was equally shocking, showing how the Clinton Administration had liberalized exports rules for a number of extremely sensitive dual use technologies that China could utilize for military purposes. These included very advanced encryption technologies that made it harder for our intelligence community to do its job and rocket technology that allowed China to increase the range of its offensive intercontinental ballistic missiles. China in turn, then transferred these technologies to others nations that included Iran, Syria, Libya and Pakistan. (see page 3 of the timeline

Weldon does an excellent job of outlining the revelation showed by the chart and timeline developed by LIWA showed. Briefly, the cumulative impact of the Clinton Administration’s actions – in exchange for campaign contributions, allowed China to:

o Develop reliable Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles with insights into MIRVing that ICBM force.

o Miniaturize nuclear warheads.

o Implement a command and control structure for its growing ICBM force.

o Develop an integrated command, control, communications, computer and intelligence encrypted network to enable better military command and control over vast areas, even beyond China itself.

o Improve power projection for its surface fleets, submarines, and long-range cruise missiles capable of hitting not only Taiwan, but also Japan from mainland China.

o Produce more proficient fighter and bomber aircraft capable of greater distances and speeds.

This was impeachable material and it scared the hell out of the Clinton Administration. But ultimately, Weldon was shouting into the wind, as the mainstream media largely ignored these explosive findings and instead relied on the somewhat whitewashed findings of the Cox Report. Weldon, you may recall, was in fact a member of the Cox Commission, but he was unsuccessful in his efforts to have this data included in the report, and was instead relegated to putting this information out independently.

Why did the Cox Commission ignore this data? Because it could have caused embarrassing questions for Republicans as well as Democrats. In fact, attempts were even made by conservatives – perhaps fed by Clintonites within the Department of Defense -- to discredit Weldon by linking him to campaign contributions that he accepted from defense companies that were involved in the transfer of sensitive technologies. Never mind the fact that it was Weldon who had revealed this information to begin with. Interested parties needed to paint him with a broad brush to discredit him with the mainstream media. Weldon’s decision to go independent also seemed to rankle Republican leadership, as he was passed over for a slot of on the coveted House Intelligence committee, presumably because he was not a team player.

But while the information was largely ignored by the media and the powers that be that put together the Cox Report, the Clinton Administration took notice. They promptly undertook efforts to hamstring and ultimately dismantle LIWA and other data mining operations. That included Able Danger.

I believe that when Able Danger began to uncover Al Qaeda links and cells operating within the United states, they had already become known as a “persona non grata,” both within the intelligence community and among other federal agencies. The Clinton Administration had already begun efforts to slowly and quietly dismantle these programs, and word was filtering through the federal bureaucracy. The poor treatment of these data mining operations and the intelligence they were collecting may have may also have been partially due to the fact that other agencies were threatened by the good work being performed by these data mining operations and saw it as encroaching on “their turf.” I believe it was a confluence of both factors, with the Clinton Administration cronies playing on the jurisdictional and turf issues as a way of ensuring that LIWA and Able Danger were ultimately scrapped.

As a result Able Danger and its work were quietly folded -- until the 9/11 Commission began soliciting information from federal employees on the work they were performing on pre 9/11 intelligence and Al Qaeda. They, in effect, had opened a can of worms when they began talking to people about Able Danger. To include information on Able Danger in the 9/11 Commission report would require an explanation of why their work had been halted.

I suspect some of the connections on the charts developed by LIWA included unsavory links to prominent Republicans, as well as democrats, which was why it was not included in the Cox Commission Report (I have heard that Condoleezza Rice was one such person.) There may very well have been no real, credible connection, but simply the inference that there were connections may have been alarming for Republicans.

Rather than revisit an issue that would reap irreparable harm on both parties, Republican and Democratic members of the 9/11 Commission opted to omit any references to Able Danger. Perhaps they justified it in their own minds as something that could not be fixed in hindsight and “for the good of the country” was best not made public. Once that decision was made, it became imperative for the bureaucracy to continue to stick to the line. Otherwise, it would reveal a cover up of monumental proportions.

Former members of the Clinton Administration and DNC clearly have the most to lose in this information being made public. In fact, Weldon is now facing a tough race this cycle from former Vice Admiral Joseph Sestak, a member of President Clinton’s National Security Council during the time frame in question. He represents the highest ranking "Fighting Dem" seeking a seat in Congress. Governor Edward Rendell, former chair of the DNC, also cleared out two of Sestak's primary opponents in the past two weeks to provide him with a clearer shot at Weldon. In a district that voted for Kerry last Presidential election cycle, former members of the Clinton Administration may defeat Weldon and finally be successful in putting Able Danger to rest once and for all.


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: abledanger; atta; cantonsong
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To: Supernatural

He knows. Weldon, "I've seen what they do and they're -- neither side wants this to come out."


41 posted on 02/16/2006 10:27:37 AM PST by Simo Hayha (An eduction is incomplete without instruction in the use of arms to defend against harm.)
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To: americaprd

Nice work. Here are some related thoughts.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1470936/posts

This is a vanity that I wrote last year. I posted the summary the other day, but it does seem to explain why the Republicans are complicit in this cover up.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1509680/posts


42 posted on 02/16/2006 10:29:06 AM PST by ovrtaxt (Join the FR folding team!! http://vspx27.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/main.py?qtype=teampage&teamnum=36120)
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To: americaprd

I don't want Weldon for Congress.

I want him for President!


::still listening to the hearings from yesterday::


43 posted on 02/16/2006 10:29:31 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Supernatural

They are trying to unseat Weldon in the coming election.
Will be interesting to see from where his opponents get their funding.

Should he win, he will be in danger, for sure.


44 posted on 02/16/2006 10:29:44 AM PST by the gillman@blacklagoon.com ("If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth!")
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To: ozoneliar

http://qtmonster.typepad.com/qt_monsters_place/2006/02/audio_of_able_d.html


45 posted on 02/16/2006 10:30:24 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: americaprd

mark


46 posted on 02/16/2006 10:33:17 AM PST by Lexington Green (Hollywood Patriot - Now THERE'S an oxymoron.)
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To: ovrtaxt
Curt Weldon

Show your support!

a href="CurtPa07@Mail.House.Gov"

47 posted on 02/16/2006 10:36:12 AM PST by yoe
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To: the gillman@blacklagoon.com

I don't give a damn about the Presidential elections anymore. This "lesser of two evil" garbage just doesn't cut it for me anymore. According to the Constitution it is Congress that holds most of the power. We need to find good men and women who don't belong to the "status quo" and elect them to Congress. IMO that is our best hope at turning this mess around.


48 posted on 02/16/2006 10:36:24 AM PST by Ex-expromissor (Know Your Enemy)
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To: ovrtaxt

Bump!


49 posted on 02/16/2006 10:38:20 AM PST by auboy (The press practices free screech. And they're really good at it.)
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To: the gillman@blacklagoon.com

That is Murtha's area too. If Able Danger opens all the way up, Murtha will be exposed for authorizing monies that enabled 9/11.

Weldon will never get reelected with Murtha there.


50 posted on 02/16/2006 10:38:44 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: ovrtaxt

... So that's my theory. To summarize, the GOP wants to keep a relatively strong DNC around as a threat. Not strong enough to win, ideally, but strong enough to scare conservatives. This arrangement solidifies and secures their position, and even if they miscalculate and lose an election or two, they can always come back to run again and probably win. But the complete marginalization of the Democrats spells an end to the GOP as well. If conservatives felt that they had nothing to lose, they would bolt the GOP for greener pastures to the right, and perhaps form a conservative party strong enough to challenge the GOP...


Your big theory is far better than Rush's Big Theory.

I am less kind and subscribe to a higher level of malice.
They want to keep the Dem elites around because they are in the same club. They need the present cartel to advance their true agenda, which is anything but a conservative one.

A strong vital new conservative party would bring about the end of their globalist one world fantasies.

They are willing to risk our destruction to keep their plan alive.


51 posted on 02/16/2006 10:39:01 AM PST by the gillman@blacklagoon.com ("If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth!")
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To: americaprd; Alamo-Girl; Jeff Head; Travis McGee; GOP_1900AD; A. Pole; chimera; ALOHA RONNIE; ...
BTTT!
52 posted on 02/16/2006 10:39:39 AM PST by Paul Ross (Hitting bullets with bullets successfully for 35 years!)
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To: americaprd; Alamo-Girl; ravingnutter; backhoe; ScaniaBoy; Enchante

The time line chart is particularly interesting, and quite incriminating. It's got more impact than just reading umpteen different articles and disconnected facts.

I had the idea for FR to have a live timeline interface for the research geeks. That way, the findings that turn up due to good detective work could be easily displayed and communicated. Of course, I have no idea how to actually do that, but perhaps there's some software on the market that could be integrated, if we had the bandwidth? Perhaps a stand-alone site?

Just thinking out loud again...


53 posted on 02/16/2006 10:40:08 AM PST by ovrtaxt (Join the FR folding team!! http://vspx27.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/main.py?qtype=teampage&teamnum=36120)
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To: the gillman@blacklagoon.com
A strong vital new conservative party would bring about the end of their globalist one world fantasies.

that's the key. Of course, people who think that way are tinfoil freaks and marginalized... but the internet holds a lot of power that hasn't yet seen it's true potential.

54 posted on 02/16/2006 10:42:17 AM PST by ovrtaxt (Join the FR folding team!! http://vspx27.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/main.py?qtype=teampage&teamnum=36120)
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To: Alamo-Girl; backhoe; Fedora; piasa; LiteKeeper; ovrtaxt

Between all the data we have been gathering over the years, and the charts, we can blow this wide open.

Bumping to me for another look.


55 posted on 02/16/2006 10:42:53 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: americaprd; Calpernia; nw_arizona_granny; DAVEY CROCKETT

Great analysis - ping.


56 posted on 02/16/2006 10:44:16 AM PST by Velveeta (<------says: Buy Danish Havarti...........)
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To: ovrtaxt

...but the internet holds a lot of power that hasn't yet seen it's true potential....




That's why I can't just give up and die quite yet.


57 posted on 02/16/2006 10:48:41 AM PST by the gillman@blacklagoon.com ("If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth!")
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To: americaprd

Fox news, and expecially Shawn Hannity, need to hammer on this. Although I don't think Shawn is necessarily the sharpest tool in the shed, he is a dedicated and tenacious advocate for conservatism. When he gets his teeth into an issue he won't let up and usually gets enough attention that the MSM has to deal with the story. Without Fox news I'm not sure the Swift Boat Vets story would have ever gotten the play it did - the MSM would have ignored and thus buried it. Fox needs to hammer on this every single day to force the MSM to take note.


58 posted on 02/16/2006 10:49:37 AM PST by joebuck
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To: americaprd
Clinton Administration’s actions – in exchange for campaign contributions, allowed China to ...

Clinton is the biggest traitor in US History and should've been impeached, removed, tried and punished for TREASON. Instead, he was only impeached on "red herring" charges of lying to a grand jury about Monica.

I pray that he will some day be held accountable for selling out the American people.

59 posted on 02/16/2006 10:49:39 AM PST by The Sons of Liberty (Former SAC Trained Killer)
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To: Velveeta

bttt


60 posted on 02/16/2006 10:50:37 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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