The Able Danger Hearings

When I first heard the phrase "Able Danger", I thought it was one of those left wing-nut conspiracy theories. But today, I can't say that I'm convinced that it's a mere figment of a few paranoid blogger's imaginations. Today in a closed session in Congress, members of the group Able Danger were given permission to testify for the first time about a DOD data mining operation that claims to have identified the Al Qaida leader Mohammed Atta and three of the other hijackers as early as 1999, at least two years before the 9/11 attacks occurred. The officers involved in the data mining operation claim that they were prevented by DOD officials from sharing the information with the FBI.

Congressman Curt Weldon issued a response to the 9/11 Commission statement [7] clarifying the mission of Able Danger, expressing concern over the statements made by various members of the 9/11 Commission, and promising to push forward until it is understood why the DoD was unable to pass the information uncovered by Able Danger to the FBI, and why the 9/11 Commission failed to follow up on the information they were given on Able Danger.

The 9/11 Commission has released multiple statements over the past week, each of which has significantly changed - from initially denying ever being briefed to acknowledging being briefed on both operation Able Danger and Mohammed Atta. The information was omitted primarily because they found it to be suspect despite having been briefed on it two times by two different military officers on active duty.

Additionally, the 9/11 Commission also received documents from the Department of Defense on Able Danger. Congressman Weldon reiterated these statements in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 21, 2005. [8] The Senate Judiciary Committee will be looking into these claims.

There are some things that Americans wish that we never had to worry about, in our daily lives filled with so many details, rent, family, health and the daily grind of surviving in a world that is no longer easy. We are presented with information that is painful to think about, the melting of polar caps, the earth becoming a hostile and cold place to live. We look at images of desperate hunger and poverty and we can't muster enough caring to demand that our armed forces be used to secure the supply of aid to our fellow humans. We turn our eyes away from the photos of torture and trust that an act of Congress prevents it from occurring again.

Or we refuse to believe that the deaths of 3000 of our fellow citizens could have been prevented and we don't really want to know why the DOD did not stop the terrorists when they had the information.

Trust me, it's much easier to believe that there was a perfectly good reason to withhold information that could have saved 3000 American lives. But if you listen to that little voice inside your head, I'm pretty sure it's not saying anything good about the Department of Defense.

I hope these hearings expose the truth, and I hope that the truth is not something that we cannot bear to look at. What could possibly be worse torture? The silencing of information that could have saved 3000 American lives.

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