"Able Danger" And A Possible Coverup
By patrickhenry Posted in User Blogs — Comments (5) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Yesterday while browsing the different news stories I came upon one of the most disturbing pieces of information that has not been played much in the media in the recent past since "Able Danger" was revealed on national television.
Rep Curt Weldon, who is currently the Vice-Chair of the House Armed Services Committee, gave a speech on the floor of the House on October 19 that should literally "shake up the defense bureaucracy." I have never had the privilage of meeting Mr. Weldon but he should be considered a reliable source on these matters given his high stature within the House of Representatives.
What happened in this speech? Mr. Weldon essentially accused the defense department covering up a story that could blow the entire 9/11 Commission Report out of the water. What did Mr. Weldon Say? Here is a summation.
OCT 19-Rep. Weldon- What I did not know, Mr. Speaker, up until June of this year, was that that secret program called Able Danger actually identified the Brooklyn cell of al Qaeda in January and February of 2000, over 1 year before 9/11 every happened. In addition, I learned that not only did we identify the Brooklyn cell of al Qaeda, but we identified Mohamed Atta as one of the members of that Brooklyn cell along with three other terrorists who were the leadership of the 9/11 attack.
I have also learned, Mr. Speaker, that in September of 2000, again, over 1 year before 9/11, that Able Danger team attempted on three separate occasions to provide information to the FBI about the Brooklyn cell of al Qaeda, and on three separate occasions they were denied by lawyers in the previous administration to transfer that information......
What happened since "Able Danger" became public with the help of Lieutenant Colonel Shaffer ?
This is the result of attempting to change the military intelligence bureaucracy.
Rep. Weldon- So what has happened to Lieutenant Colonel Shaffer, Mr. Speaker? The Defense Intelligence Agency has lifted his security clearance. One day before he was to testify before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, in uniform, they permanently removed his security clearance. And now our Defense Intelligence Agency has told Colonel Shaffer's lawyer that they plan to seek a permanent removal of his pay and his health care benefits for him and his two children. Why, Mr. Speaker? Because Lieutenant Colonel Shaffer, like Commander Scott Philpot of the Navy, like J. D. Smith, and like a host of other Able Danger employees, has told the truth.
This is absolutely incredible. Shaffer has recieved medals in the past for his work and when he attempts to come public with information he is essentially fired and his clearance permanently lifted.
I urge all who read this to check out Mr. Weldon's incredible speech as his website. The mainstream media should pick up this story and run because this is a national security concern and not politics. Please encourage Mr. Weldon to keep up the good work and to stop this "possible government coverup" dead in its tracks.
Do you thing Weldon is grandstanding?
According to Weldon's story he has also been accused by the military of excessive debt. His personal debt according to Weldon's speech is $2,000. This man has also been accused of carry on an affair. I am skeptical about the government's story because this is how bureaucracy's usually treat whisteblowers.
I am definitely not a "conspiracy theorist" but it appears to be the government really wants this man "shut up."
It will be interesting to see what Weldon does in the upcoming weeks.
Could you provide a link to Weldon's website? Would be interested in reading more.
The story is listed under:
CONGRESSMAN WELDON SPEAKS OUT ON SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST LTC SHAFFER; CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION
Indeed I do think that Weldon has been grandstanding throughout this episode, and selling books by doing it. But that's a completely different question than whether the military is being fair to Schaffer.
I guess I don't understand how you come to the conclusion the government wants him to shut up. They're putting him out where he can tell his story to any random passerby without worry. If you want somebody to shut up, give them a security clearance and tell them bad things will happen if they talk. If you don't care what they say, but their performance is so bad you don't want them in uniform -- yank the clearance and put them on the street.
I'm not familiar with any charges on the debt and affair sides. I don't think they were official, just whispers (which is bad enough). However this always had a strange tone to it. Lt Cols don't get their clearance pulled for $70 in cellphone charges. That's what happens to one-stripers. Or that's the type of thing that happens to people that the military wants rid of, but can't figure a more plausible way to do it. And don't forget, that happened before he started posting to the world about AD. Add to that the fact that he was a liason to a strategic planning group -- those aren't where the military puts people they care about.
My gut feel is that the military cut short their investigation of this affair for one simple reason: there's no need to further humiliate the principals. Schaffer, the Navy Captain, and assorted contractors (names not remembered at this moment) made some spectacular, though unprovable claims. Was there a need to being the investigation to it's logical conclusion that nothing they were saying is supportable by evidence? Some would say yes, but probably the consensus was that humiliation of a couple of officers, though not at the top of their peer group, wasn't worth it. Especially when it is coupled with the potential to humiliate various pentagon officers that were providing very lax supervision to this unit. Schaffer, especially, was obviously going out the door anyway.
So, I've never read much into any of this beyond people talking about things they that they don't understand in forums where they shouldn't be speaking. Unfortunately it seems to have taken on a life of its own and refuses to die.
His clearance was lifted before he came forward, IIRC over some piddly cell phone charges, at least that was his story. The DoD hasn't said a lot about that that I know of. Throughout the Able Danger media frenzy Schaffer was sitting at home because his clearance was already gone and he was on paid administrative leave. In other words nobody trusted him enough to bring him into their unit, even before AD blew up in the news. Then add one complicating factor: One thing you don't do in the military is to start screaming to the press about classified programs, not matter what did or didn't happen.
One more point on how the military operates. The 'special projects' and 'strategic planning' groups like Schaffer got put is is not where they put the sharpest tools in the shed. These people are usually 'on the bubble' players, not quite bad enough to put out of the military, but not somebody that anyone wants in their unit. That's just the way things work in the military. Sometimes people find a home after this type of purgatory, sometimes they don't.
So how long should he be allowed to sit at home and draw pay? After making a grand scene in a position that was supposed to be a chance to write some strategic plans (that nobody would read) and rehabilitate his career he's still without a job. At some point if he can't get a position he has to go off the payroll. No organization would keep him forever, and the military can't afford to stretched as it is.