Atta known to Pentagon before 9/11

Chicago Tribune on Yahoo ^ | 9/28/05 | John Crewdson and Andrew Zajac

[NormsRevenge]

Four years after the nation's deadliest terror attack, evidence is accumulating that a super-secret Pentagon intelligence unit identified the organizer of the Sept. 11 hijackings, Mohamed Atta, as an Al Qaeda operative months before he entered the U.S.

The many investigations of Sept. 11, 2001, have turned up a half-dozen instances in which government agencies possessed information that might have led investigators to some part of the terrorist plot, although in most cases not in time to stop it.

But none of those leads likely would have taken them directly to Atta, the Egyptian architecture student who moved to the U.S. from Germany to take flying lessons and later served as Al Qaeda's U.S. field commander for the attacks.

Had the FBI been alerted to what the Pentagon purportedly knew in early 2000, Atta's name could have been put on a list that would have tagged him as someone to be watched the moment he stepped off a plane in Newark, N.J., in June of that year.

Physical and electronic surveillance of Atta, who lived openly in Florida for more than a year, and who acquired a driver's license and even an FAA pilot's license in his true name, might well have made it possible for the FBI to expose the Sept. 11 plot before the fact.

Atta is presumed to have been at the controls of American Airlines Flight 11 when it struck the north tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

The FBI has reviewed the voluminous records of its extensive Sept. 11 investigation and can find no mention of Atta before Sept. 11, a senior FBI official said. If the Pentagon knew about Atta in 2000 and failed to tell the FBI, the official said, "It could be a problem."

[NormsRevenge]

Never FoRget

The Gorelick Wall

(/stirring the pot)

[bobsunshine]

Just read this article on Newsday. Another interesting bit of information. I was watching (few weeks ago) the History Channel's Doc on "Inside the Hamburg Cell" and they stated, about halfway into the show,

"that summer (2000) a military group called ‘Able Danger’ alerted the presence of Atta and Al-Shehhi in the United States and identified them as a potential al-Qaeda cell, but they did not inform the FBI due to the statement that they were holding valid entry visas".,

Understand that the hearings have been postponed - no new date set.

[Nathan Zachary]

Clinton knew, but, as he did with Osama Bin Looser, he let him go, and tossed up the Gorelick wall to protect him.

Lunatic lefties try hard to blame bush, but remember, Bush retained many Clinton apointees in the FBI CIA and Pentagon when he first got into office.
Bush didn't even have time to wash down the white house and remove the stains the pervert Clinton left behind before 9/11 happened.

[bobsunshine]

This is what I found about the postponement of the hearings:

Citing next week's Rosh Hashanah observances, the Senate Judiciary Committee has postponed its scheduled hearing on what a highly classified military intelligence unit code-named "Able Danger" knew about the 9/11 hijackers.

But an attorney for a military intelligence officer who was expected to appear said the Defense Department's refusal to allow such testimony _ not the Jewish holiday _ was the real reason for the delay.

"It sounds better than the truth, which is that DOD is not cooperative," said Mark Zaid, attorney for Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, who has said the unit used data mining to link ringleader Mohamed Atta and three other hijackers to al-Qaida more than a year before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Zaid said he was informed on Monday that Shaffer would not be allowed to testify at the hearing scheduled for Oct. 5. Observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins Monday, Oct. 3.

Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who is Jewish, released a statement Friday saying the Pentagon was allowing five key witnesses to testify. The statement came two days after Specter, during a hearing, accused military officials of obstructing his committee by not allowing them to testify.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman reiterated Tuesday that Defense officials had not agreed to such a hearing, but were discussing the matter with the committee.

"They have an ongoing interest in this Able Danger project and we're working with them to provide them with the kinds of information they seek to have on this," Whitman said.

The Pentagon has acknowledged that employees recall seeing an intelligence chart identifying Atta as a terrorist before the attacks. But they said none have been able to find a copy of it.

Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., was the first to come forward to discuss Able Danger's purported intelligence findings. If correct, the intelligence would change the timeline on when government officials first became aware of Atta's links to al-Qaida.

Shaffer was prepared to testify last week that he tried on three different occasions to meet with the FBI to discuss Able Danger's findings. He was barred from doing so by military attorneys who were worried about legal concerns.

Specter said one reason he convened the hearing was to determine whether the federal Posse Comitatus law needs to be amended. The law, passed in 1878, restricts the military's law enforcement role in the United States.

William Reynolds, Specter's spokesman, said the senator would be observing Rosh Hashanah in Philadelphia.

[sydbas]

Bush didn't even have time to wash down the white house and remove the stains the pervert Clinton left behind before 9/11 happened.

Plus remember right from the start everything was delayed for President Bush because of all of that Florida election crap.

[pieces of time]

...and the Rats who held the Senate were stalling on confirmations.

[CyberAnt]

Wow! Chicago Tribune no less .. amazing that they are bringing up Able Danger. I'm very surprised.

I thought the hurricanes had all but obscured it.

[NormsRevenge]

Agreed.

It's a fairly long article too, recaps the high and low points.

[TheCrusader]

Seems like sometimes we have all the 'intelligence' in the world, but not enough common sense to apply it with.

The most regretful failure was that 9-11 could have been prevented with just a little more common sense, (the box cutters the terrorists carried were legal at the time),
a little less PC, (be suspicious of Arab Muslim males bewteen the ages of 18 and 40) and search them),
and a little more dedication to airport security.

[PGalt]

BTTT

[jmaroneps37]

I'll bet this piece has some rat stomachs churning. They, being the people of delusion self or otherwise, probably convinced themselves it was over. Hee hee hee.

[strategofr]

"Wow! Chicago Tribune no less .. amazing that they are bringing up Able Danger. I'm very surprised."

My thoughts are the same. Able Danger is moving up the media food chain---but is it fast enough? At the moment, the bulk of the momentum seems against us---but not as bad as the last time things shifted against us.

Frankly, I can barely believe its gotten this far---fighting both the Democrat and Republican establishments at the same time.

[CyberAnt]

Well .. you are aware that Rumsfeld was consulted about the military witnesses - and he evidently gave his okay.

So .. while the dems continue to lie that Rumsfeld was covering-up .. I don't think he was consulted .. I believe a Clinton-leftover tried to keep the military people from testifying.

[rip033]

Also if everyone remembers that Navy electronic intel gathering plane landed on that Chinese island. I forgot the name of it but he had to deal with that the first month or two of his administration. Big foreign policy issue at the time. I would say the Dems attempted coup in Nov and Dec of 2000 slowed down his administrations start up in the beginning of 2001.

[strategofr]

"Well .. you are aware that Rumsfeld was consulted about the military witnesses - and he evidently gave his okay.

So .. while the dems continue to lie that Rumsfeld was covering-up .. I don't think he was consulted .. I believe a Clinton-leftover tried to keep the military people from testifying."

Personally, I definitely believe Rumsfeld has been involved in the cover-up so far. what we're talking about here, is that a team in the Defense Department identified Atta and three other 9/11 hijackers as a potential threat before 9/11. They were present prevented from getting this information to the FBI

This is a huge issue that would, of necessity, be brought to Bush's attention in some manner. Granted, they are being very careful to insulate him from any cover-up charges, I'm sure. But I don't see any other level, the top like this could be dealt with.

In addition, the very latest news is not quite so positive. Schaefer's lawyer, at least, seems to believe that the Defense Department is backtracking from its initial commitment to allow the five people to testify on October 5.

My sense is that the government is still testing the waters to see if they can keep the whole thing covered up.

[CyberAnt]

This is the military for heavens sake .. they have levels and levels of people in charge.

Sessions - in his statements during the Able Danger hearings said that Rumsfeld's staff was not aware that the SecDef had prohibited the military guys to testify .. and that since the SecDef was due on Capital Hill that afternoon to brief the Senate, Sessions claimed that he was going to ask the SecDef about it.

I heard this statement .. and I saw it on TV .. and the very next day it was revealed that the military people were allowed to testify.

Now .. if Rumsfeld was trying to cover-up .. why would he suddenly change his mind. I don't recall that he does that .. because when he makes a decision - he doesn't waffle and change his mind a few days later.

There are probably hundreds and possibly thousands of people within the Pentagon who do not want this exposed. But .. since Rumsfeld was not SecDef at the time Able Danger was formed and also disbanded .. why would Rumsfeld care if it's hidden or not.

Of course, if you're judging Rumsfeld guilty by the fact that he's there and he's a Bush appointee .. then go for it. But .. you're going to come up empty.

[sydbas]

Yes that is a sort of a forgotten incident. I remember many commenting on how President Bush stayed out of the limelight by not being there when the crew returned to US soil. Something Clinton would have never done as he would have hogged the camera.

[oceanview]

until we know more - until they start naming the names of the people who destroyed Shaffer's document store (if that indeed happened) - saying Rumsfeld was involved in the "cover-up" is a big stretch.

[strategofr]

"Of course, if you're judging Rumsfeld guilty by the fact that he's there and he's a Bush appointee .. then go for it. But .. you're going to come up empty."

No way. I am a huge Rumsfeld fan. I thought his role in the invasion of Iraq was fanatastic.

I realize there are many levels in the military---but I believe sometimes those levels can be used to insulate people. I just can't believe Rumsfeld, and even Bush, wouldn't have been aware of this as soon as Weldon started his complaints in the House. This is 9/11 we are talking about.

Yes, I can see it is possible they would have had a "hands off" attitude for awhile, but by now its pretty clear that something bad happened and someone is covering up.

If Bush wants the truth to come out, he can make it happen easily enough. It seems clear to me that he does not.

Rumsfeld will generally obey Bush's orders, as is his role.

[strategofr]

"naming the names of the people who destroyed Shaffer's document store (if that indeed happened)"

Not only did it definately happen, but the name of the person who did it is publically well known and the person has made statements to the media. What is not yet clear is who initiated the order.