Navy Officer Affirms Assertions About Pre-9/11 Data on Atta

NY Times ^ | August 22, 2005 | PHILIP SHENON

[neverdem]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 - An active-duty Navy captain has become the second military officer to come forward publicly to say that a secret defense intelligence program tagged the ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks as a possible terrorist more than a year before the attacks.

The officer, Scott J. Phillpott, said in a statement today that he could not discuss details of the military program, which was called Able Danger, but confirmed that its analysts had identified the Sept. 11 ringleader, Mohamed Atta, by name by early 2000. "My story is consistent," said Captain Phillpott, who managed the program for the Pentagon's Special Operations Command. "Atta was identified by Able Danger by January-February of 2000."

His comments came on the same day that the Pentagon's chief spokesman, Lawrence Di Rita, told reporters that the Defense Department had been unable to validate the assertions made by an Army intelligence veteran, Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, and now backed up by Captain Phillpott, about the early identification of Mr. Atta.

Colonel Shaffer went public with his assertions last week, saying that analysts in the intelligence project had been overruled by military lawyers when they tried to share the program's findings with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2000 in hope of tracking down terror suspects tied to Al Qaeda.

Mr. Di Rita said in an interview that while the department continued to investigate the assertions, there was no evidence so far that the intelligence unit had come up with such specific information about Mr. Atta and any of the other hijackers.

He said that while Colonel Shaffer and Captain Phillpott were respected military officers whose accounts were taken seriously, "thus far we've not been able to uncover what these people said they saw - memory is a complicated thing."

The statement from Captain...

[prognostigaator]

cover-up bump

[Just Lori]

Remember Hilary on MSM news...... "What did this President know, and when did he know it?". I so want her face rubbed in her own s&%t!

[kcvl]

Shaffer, an Army reservist, has been on paid administrative leave for the past 16 months, Zaid said. He was an active Army major during his involvement with Able Danger, Zaid said.

Several defense officials on Wednesday identified the Navy officer as Capt. Scott Phillpott. They discussed matters related to Able Danger only on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the program and the investigation into it.

A Navy spokesman said Phillpott was declining requests to speak with reporters.

Phillpott is now assigned as a Navy staff officer with a program called "Deep Blue," which is developing futuristic concepts for naval warfare, officials said.


******


Phillpott is the Navy official who approached the 9/11 commission's Dieter Snell in July 2004 and said that he had briefly seen a chart that showed AD had ID'd Atta a year in advance of the attacks


******


USS Estocin Decommissioned

Naval Station Mayport Public Affairs, NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla., Apr. 6, 2003


Cmdr. Scott Phillpott, Estocin's commanding officer, said he is enthusiastic about the transfer. "The Turkish Navy is getting a fine warship," he said. "My crew has Estocin in pristine condition, and it will serve the government of Turkey proudly."

[sono]

Excellent ... Pt 1 is being rebroadcast now!

[strategofr]

"Mr. Di Rita said in an interview that while the department continued to investigate the assertions, there was no evidence so far that the intelligence unit had come up with such specific information about Mr. Atta and any of the other hijackers."

now that all the documents have been destroyed there is no evidence. These 2 guys better be careful they don't get destroyed. Me, I'm just watching my old X-files tapes.

[freeangel]

I'm sure hoping that someone, somewhere kept copies of the (oh, what a surprise) missing documents.

[strategofr]

"Smart. I remember hearing Rep. Weldon say there were a dozen of these folks lined up - not necessarily all willing to go public, but there are quite a few sources form which to draw info/corroboration."

good memory. now I remember too.

[disraeligears]

This is the proverbial tipping point. With two career officers coming out on this, it can not be ignored. They may be slimmed; but I believe, like the Swift Boat Vets, this NOW has legs, and will go on. Especially if a few more officers offer verification. Moreoever, in my opinion, Gorelick is toast and Clinton's legacy will be forever tarnished with this (even though it was not much to begin with)

If the dots are ever, ever connected (and published by "respected" historians), and those dots connect any coverup by Clinton of any Chinese fundraising with the "Wall," then you have a scandal the likes which this country has never seen. The ghost of Benedict Arnold will certainly appreciate his name no longer being used as THE benchmark for betraying one's country.

[longfellow]

KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.KLINTON KNEW.

[Enchante]

WOO WOO WOO!!!

The storm is building..... even the NY Times has taken notice.... how long can the Clintonistas keep the scandal under control??

[Shermy]

"KLINTON KNEW"

Knew what? It was known under both the Clinton and Bush II admins that some of the 9/11 terrorists were potential threats, but not Atta.

All this Able Danger stuff adds is a govt. agency that had the name Atta. Maybe.

That's it. And Weldon trying to sell something.

[longfellow]

he knew there were terrorists in this country that wanted to fly planes into buildings since 96. "Dereliction of Duty"

[Coop]

If that's all that was involved, I'd agree with you that it's not much except 20/20 hindsight and a darned shame. But the part that I find VERY troubling is the 9/11 Commission's OMISSION, its changing stories, Jamie Gorelick's role on that joke of a commission, and Sandy Burglar's criminal behavior (which may or may not be related).

[popdonnelly]

Well, at least in the battle between bureaucratic CYA and the truth, the truth appears to be winning.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

It's funny how the Clintons are so quiet lately. Are they on some island paradise dancing by the beach for reporters, or is the senatrix throwing table lamps at Bill's head right about now? No doubt, they're planning their next round of lies and coverups.

[Enchante]

"With his comments today, Captain Phillpott acknowledged that he was the officer who had briefed the commission last year. "I will not discuss the issues outside of my chain of command and the Department of Defense," he said. "But my story is consistent. Atta was identified by Able Danger in January-February of 2000. I have nothing else to say.""

Whether it was from data-mining or "old-fashioned HUMINT" this is a key point: if there are indeed several other officers ready to confirm this, then the story should move forward and is highly significant. Its importance comes from the putative fact that Col. Shaffer says they tried 3 TIMES to share the info with the FBI and were thwarted by idiot liberal lawyers. Sure, there could be lots of info buried in layers of bureaucracy and files, but if policies and/or personnel from the Clintonlites stopped info on Atta and terror cells from getting to the FBI then that is highly significant. Of course, the FBI might have bungled things at that point, but that's a separate issue (and the FBI did do some things right in terrorism investigations, especially when someone like John O'Neill got ahold of something).

p.s. It may well be that Atta's name came from "old-fashioned HUMINT" and that then it became possible to correlate other names and places via data-mining.....there shouldn't be any rule or law against using data-mining to expand the circles of info from a name gained by other means.

[Txsleuth]

I worry that your ping-a-ling to radio producer will do any good for 2 WEEKS....arggghh

I know if John Gibson subbed, he would talk about it..but anyone else is iffy.

[JediForce]

You must break out your Clintonese dictionary. :-)

[tiredoflaundry]

but Gibby will be subbing at one point! :-)

[BluH2o]

The big question is, why is the New York Times printing stories that may prove immensely damaging to their politics? It's totally out of character.

True ... however, every two decades or so the NY Times comes thru with the whole story, in a more, or, less unbiased fashion. I applaud the NY Times for doing the right thing this time ...