Wednesday, August 10, 2005

DoD Intelligence Warned FBI About Moh. Atta?

Just what the hell was going on here?

"Members of the commission that uncovered the government's failures to share intelligence among agencies before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks want to know whether U.S. defense intelligence officials knew for more than a year that four of the hijackers were part of an Al Qaeda cell but failed to tell law enforcement.

...Rep. Curt Weldon, a Pennsylvania Republican who serves as vice chairman of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, said a classified military intelligence unit known as "Able Danger" identified the men in 1999.

That's an earlier link to Al Qaeda than any previously disclosed intelligence about Atta if the information, which Weldon said came from multiple intelligence sources, is true.

...Defense Department documents shown to an Associated Press reporter Tuesday said the Able Danger team was set up in 1999 to identify potential Al Qaeda operatives for U.S. Special Operations Command. At some point, information provided to the team by the Army's Information Dominance Center pointed to a possible Al Qaeda cell in Brooklyn, the documents said.

However, because of concerns about pursuing information on "U.S. persons" — a legal term that includes U.S. citizens as well as foreigners admitted to the country for permanent residence — Special Operations Command did not provide the Army information to the FBI. It is unclear whether the Army provided the information to anyone else.

...If the team did identify Atta and the others, it's unclear why the information wasn't forwarded. The prohibition against sharing intelligence on "U.S. persons" should not have applied since they were in the country on visas and did not have permanent resident status.

Well--it wouldn't be the FIRST time that the Clinton Administration fouled up National Security issues. Sweeping the Bad News under the rug, or re-interpreting laws to prevent investigation/apprehension of foreign terrorists, or selling advanced weapons systems to the Red Chinese...all part of the game with Bill, Hildebeeste, and Jamie Gorelick, their DoJustice stooge who served her masters by blocking investigations...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,165268,00.html

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