Sept. 11 Leak Probe Focuses on Sen. Shelby, Paper Reports

Reuters | 01.22.04 | Unknown

[kcvl]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Justice Department probe of the leak of classified information about intercepted messages prior to the Sept. 11 attacks is focusing on Sen. Richard Shelby, former chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.

The newspaper cited a law enforcement official and congressional sources as saying that the probe has focused on the Alabama Republican who was head of the intelligence panel at the time of the disclosure.

The FBI is trying to determine the source of the leaked information that the super secret National Security Agency (NSA) had intercepted two messages hinting at an impending action on the eve of Sept. 11, 2001, but did not translate them until Sept. 12.

The information was first disclosed publicly on CNN after a 2002 classified hearing in which the director of the NSA spoke to lawmakers behind closed doors.

Citing unnamed sources, The Washington Post reported that a grand jury has been hearing information and has taken testimony from at least two witnesses including Shelby's former press secretary.

Shelby, who now heads the Senate Banking Committee, told the newspaper in a statement that he had never compromised classified information.

"To my knowledge, the same can be said about my staff," the statement said. The Post quoted the statement as saying Shelby had had no contact with investigators for more than a year.

A spokesman for Shelby could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Post said it was unclear how long the 18-month investigation had focused on Shelby or how close the FBI was to concluding the probe.

The NSA, based at Fort Meade, Maryland, is one of the government's most secretive intelligence agencies. Much of its information carries a higher classification than other sorts of intelligence. It is illegal to release classified information.

[kcvl]

On June 19, 2002, CNN, citing "two congressional sources," quoted phrases contained in two classified NSA intercepts from Sept. 10, 2001, that hinted of an impending terrorist operation. The intercepts included the phrases "The match begins tomorrow" and "tomorrow is zero day." This information was revealed by NSA's director, Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden, during a closed session of a joint House-Senate panel investigating the Sept. 11 attacks.

CNN reporter Dana Bash, who was credited by her network with getting the scoop, was interviewed by FBI agents, sources said. Her office said yesterday she was traveling with President Bush. She did not return a phone message to comment.

At the time, Vice President Cheney chastised committee members publicly about the disclosure of sensitive information. Critics said the administration was trying to stop public disclosure of embarrassing information about the lapses in intelligence and security surrounding the attacks.

Cheney's criticism prompted the House and Senate intelligence committees to encourage an FBI investigation of themselves. Within two months, FBI agents had the phone records, appointment calendars and schedules of 17 senators and had questioned more than 100 people, including all 37 members of the committee and about 60 staff members.

The agents typically asked lawmakers and staff members if they were willing to take polygraph tests.

[McGavin999]

What would be the point of leaking that non-information? It doesn't say a think about where.

[woofie]

The intercepts included the phrases "The match begins tomorrow" and "tomorrow is zero day."

Upon reading these 2 messages I immediately think that people are going to hijack airplanes and fly them into buildings....(scarcasm )

[FranklinsTower]

Was this the info that got Hillary to screech "Bush Knew!" on the Senate floor a while back? If it was, I'd be looking under those rocks.

[kcvl]

The entire article doesn't make any sense to me.

[faithincowboys]

Well, the trouble with what Shelby did is that he allowed the people that said those things to know that we knew who they were--that's a problem.

Clearly, this is old news and no matter what the Left says
Bush could not have prevented 9-11. The intel agencies could have--they report to the President, but he is not in every bureau and cannot know every lead and investigation.
The intel people failed and that's that.

A trouble for the Dems is that they neutered the intel agencies and the military since Vietnam and Watergate. Kerry is exposed on this in particular. Edwards is a neophyte with absolutely no nat'l security cred and Clark is bleeping nuts. Dean is not viable. Hillary won't do the trick. I don't think they have anybody that can pass the nat'l security test.

[Lancey Howard]

Some cryptic "messages" (which were probably sent in an Arabic dialect) were intercepted on Sept. 10th, probably along with a hundred (a thousand?) other NSA "intercepts", and they were already translated by the 12th? That's pretty fast work.

So, what's the "scoop" here again?

[Lancey Howard]

The entire article doesn't make any sense to me.

In a secret "closed door meeting", the NSA revealed to certain lawmakers that the NSA had intercepted messages ("the match begins tomorrow" and "tomorrow is zero day") on Sept. 10th and had them "translated" by the 12th. (The planes hit the WTC on the morning of the 11th.) We should therefore have known, from these obvious clues, that terrorists were planning to hijack planes and fly them into various major targets. If only the NSA had not tawdled, and if only they employed mind-readers and psychics. The whole thing never would have happened. See, Bush could have, and should have, prevented the whole disater. It's Bush's fault and now he is trying to cover it up. Blah, blah, blah.

It's a non story. No "there" there.

Good night.

[kcvl]

Thanks.

[XHogPilot]

I don't think they have anybody that can pass the nat'l security test.

Unfortunately, this doesn't matter to enough voters. In 1992, Impeached 42 was elected President with a whopping 43% of the popular vote. The public knew he was a draft dodging, skirt chasing, "Southern Lawyer" with no National Security experience yet he still made it into the White House.

[leadpenny]

Bush could not have prevented 9-11. The intel agencies could have-- . . .

Fact or opinion?

[Amelia]

It's a non story. No "there" there.

The story HERE, if there is one, is that a top GOP Senator is being investigated for leaking classified information.

Did he, or didn't he? Whether or not WE think the information was useful is a different question altogether.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

Prevent terrorism, kill terrorists.

[jimtorr]

The Intel agencies knew little more about 9/11 beforehand than we did. Trust me.

There had been chatter for years about hijacking airplanes and flying them into buildings. The bldgs mentioned were all over the world.

I recall that I read about it in the newspapers sometimes, for crying out loud. If Bush knew, then so did Shrillary.

[leadpenny]

That has been my thought process over the years. When I was flying for a living I flew in and out of National (Reagan). Either the north or south approach didn't take too much imagination to see what could happen if a pilot or someone else was bent on suicide. That is the way I always thought it would happen. A suicide corporate pilot could break off on final and be in the Capitol Dome in seconds.

[Physicist]

So, what's the "scoop" here again?

The issue is that how we obtained those messages is far more important than what they contained. By leaking these messages, a vital source of intelligence may have been compromised.

Maybe Mohammed, a key Al Qaeda contact person, is sitting somewhere in Denmark, communicating via PGP-encrypted email. He thinks it's secure, and doesn't realize that NSA broke his key a long time ago. He occasionally sends something really important. Along comes Senator Bigmouth, who blabs that on Sept. 10, someone said, "the match begins tomorrow" and "tomorrow is zero day". That sounds awfully familiar to Mohammed, who checks his (encrypted) communications, and realizes that SOMEHOW, his communication channel is not secure, so he ditches it for something else.

[Mo1]

Upon reading these 2 messages I immediately think that people are going to hijack airplanes and fly them into buildings....(scarcasm )

That's what I was thinking also

[Quilla]

Excellent summation.

[mikegi]

That sounds awfully familiar to Mohammed, who checks his (encrypted) communications, and realizes that SOMEHOW, his communication channel is not secure, so he ditches it for something else.

Yep, that's the problem. Whoever released the info should not have been so specific (eg. the quote). However, after watching "Clear and Present Danger" on TV the other day, I'd have to say that it isn't a secret that we intercept all kinds of communications.

Another question I have is whether the "match begins tomorrow" stuff actually referred to 9/11. Did it? Or was it just more blabbing by jihadists? How many times since 9/11 have we been told of "chatter" about impending attacks that never happened?

BTW, congratulations on your new daughter.