Able Danger: Witnesses now allowed to testify (DOD changes mind)

NRO ^

[slowhand520]

ABLE DANGER [Kathryn Jean Lopez] In from Specter's committee office: Washington, D.C.--Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, will hold a second hearing on Operation Able Danger on October 5, 2005.

In the initial hearing held on September 21, 2005, the Department of Defense refused to produce five key witnesses relating to the identification of 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta. The Department of Defense has now changed their position and will make the witnesses available in a public hearing. The Committee will focus on obtaining corroborating evidence as to what occurred with the pre-9/11 charts and information which were allegedly destroyed by order of DoD personnel.

[Itzlzha]

I was listening to him on Savages show a couple nights ago and he mentioned how one of Rummy's deputies (Steve Camone or something like that?) may have been told about AD back in March, 2001.

That would be Stephen Cambone

[YaYa123]

probably you are being too optimistic, but I'm excited anyway, just to know there will be another hearing!

[pointsal]

Speaking of the swimmer (Teddy), is he going to the hearing?

[Luke Skyfreeper]

It's long past time that Bush stopped defending clinton from his treasonous malfeasances. Bring it out in the open and let clinton explain it.

D*** straight!!

[YaYa123]

follow up ping

[BushisTheMan]

That name sounds familiar. Was he under Richard Clarke?

[bert]

W says...."at a time and place of my choosing."

No SCOTUS background noise, no hurricane background noise.

He chooses high ground with command of the terrain below.

[YaYa123]

The focus of this hearing should be to ask Pentagon officials about any meetings, and communications of any kind, the Pentagon had with 9-ll Commission members and staffers.

[ravingnutter]

According to this interview with Weldon, Cambone was present during a briefing on Door Hop Galley, another classified program, where AD was mentioned. Cambone at the time was a special advisor to Rummy. However, further down in the interview, Weldon says that Cambone may have merely forgotten the reference, since that was not the focus of the meeting.

[nuffsenuff]

WHOA! Maybe it was a Rovian maneuver to attract the media's attention?

[frogjerk]

They need to put the left in defense mode again.

Agreed, especially after the whole Katrina hit piece by the MSM, DNC, Left-Wing Moonbats, etc...

[montag813]

I guess their late night paper-shredding sessions went well. I was impressed with how Specter told that DoD dweeb that he was "suspending" the hearing until the Pentagon became "more cooperative". It was tough talk and it obviously got result. On issues of terror and law and order Specter is a good Chairman.

[Towed_Jumper]

"Nazgul flying at full flight speed back to the citadel at Barad-Dur to strategize with The Dark Lord of the Thighs."

...you've now created an image in my mind that is going to haunt me for years...lol

[kevkrom]

This sudden turnaround on testimony makes me nervous. The DoD's original objection was that it would "compromise security" for these witnesses to testify in open session. Now they say it is okay? It suggests to me that a backroom deal has been struck as to what the witnesses will say, and what they will avoid. Normally, DoD freeing the witnesses to testify would be a good sign. But what bargain has been struck that will decrease the candor and effectiveness of those witnesses?

I'm going to be an optimist and assume that the DoD will allow the public questioning only after meeting privately with the committee to make it very clear what specific avenues shouldn't even be mentioned in public due to ongoing intelligence work.

I.e., in this ideal case, the committee will get their answers, but not expose current operations.

[SubMareener]

He is on really high ground today: Colorado Springs, CO!

[Mayflower Sister]

It's the Briarpatch strategy again. Will the Dems NEVER learn???

[Enchante]

Thanks for the ping! It may all be coming together in a perfect storm now -- I don't know if this was a rope-a-dope or not, but I sure hope so!! Anyway, whatever was intended, the attention of the MSM should be greater now than it would have been without the controversy over DoD witnesses. Of course, as soon as it becomes clear to lazy lib reporters and editors that this will look much worse for the Clintons than for Bush they will try to back off, but maybe now they can't ignore the story entirely..... and if some juicy facts come out about WHO killed AD, etc. that should open up some interesting new avenues....

[popdonnelly]

"Speaking of the swimmer (Teddy), is he going to the hearing?"

Someone has to be there to obfuscate for the Clinton Administration.

[Reo]

"If we find out that someone in the Clinton adm. had the documents destroyed the MSM would report it as "Apparently some low level staffer in a former administration accidentally had the documents destroyed."

Low level like Sandy Burglar. Or if it was Cohen, he will be identified as "Clinton SecDef and former Republican Senator William Cohen"

[mainepatsfan]

The MSM and the Dems are busily digging up as much dirt as possible on these witnesses.