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Audacity of Truth
Spinsational:
"We were so busy just getting stuff done and dealing with the immediate crises that were in front of us that I think we lost some of that sense of speaking directly to the American people about what their core values are and why we have to make sure those institutions are matching up with those values."
-Obama, explaining recent Democrat losses, 1/20/10
Velvet Lair- The sexiness of winning the battle of good versus evil January 26, 2010
- Ever wonder why? January 12, 2010
- The decision to bench Peyton Manning: Right or wrong? December 28, 2009
- Is my dad turning into a metrosexual? November 24, 2009
- My “Things To Do For Christmas” list November 23, 2009
Third source backs Able Danger claim
…. z’ plot thickenz:
WASHINGTON — A third person has now come forward to verify claims made by a military intelligence unit that a year before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, it had information showing that lead hijacker Mohamed Atta and other terrorists were identified as being in the United States.
J.D. Smith, a defense contractor who claims he worked on the technical side of the unit, code-named "Able Danger", told reporters Friday that he helped gather open-source information, reported on government spending and helped generate charts associated with the unit’s work. Able Danger was set up in the 1990s to track Al Qaeda activity worldwide.
"I am absolutely positive that he [Atta] was on our chart among other pictures and ties that we were doing mainly based upon [terror] cells in New York City," Smith said.
Smith said data was gathered from a variety of sources, including about 30 or 40 individuals. He said they all had strong Middle Eastern connections and were paid for their information. Smith said Able Danger’s photo of Atta was obtained from overseas.
Rep. Curt Weldon R-Pa., arranged the media roundtable with Smith. Weldon drew attention to Able Danger by speaking about it on the House floor months ago and has publicly called for the Sept. 11 commission to explain why the intelligence information wasn’t detailed in its final report.
Besides Smith, Lt. Colonel Anthony Shaffer and Navy Captain Scott Philpott have also gone on the record, saying they were discouraged from looking further into Atta, and their attempts to share their information with the FBI were thwarted because Atta was a legal foreign visitor at the time.
"This story needs to be told. The American people need to be told what could have been done to prevent 3,000 people from losing their lives," Weldon told FOX News this week.
Indeed. The article goes on to say:
Aides to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., are actively discussing scheduling a hearing on Able Danger and the larger issue of information-sharing between the Pentagon and the FBI.
One of the central Able Danger claims — that military lawyers blocked the sharing of the Atta information from the FBI in the late summer and early fall of 2000 — will be a focus of the committee if a hearing takes place, FOX News has confirmed.
Excellent. Let’s just hope that this is a real hearing and not just an arena for political grandstanding and posturing (I know, I expect too much …).
Of Rep. Weldon, Bryan Preston says:
When the Able Danger saga is done, Curt Weldon will deserve one of two things: a Congressional Medal of Freedom for his courage, or a straight jacket for his lunacy.
Yep – my hunch is that he’s going to come out of this smelling like a rose.
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Ah yes, Curt Weldon…he represents my district; he’s pretty dedicated. Brought El Presidente to my workplace last year too, he did. Maybe I’ll post of picture on my blog of him (Dubya) trying his hand at my vocation sometime….
Your post had nothing to do with the topic. Care to try again, perhaps in a thread where it would be on topic? –ST
Camo: Weldon sounds like a pretty cool guy. On Fox the other day he was very fired up. We need more like him in DC.
Onlooker: Welcome to the ST blog. I’m sorry you took offense to my using Fox as a source but it’s a source I use often here at the blog, and I find that it has just as much, if not more, than the NYTimes, CBS, CNN, etc (considering the rash of scandals they’ve had in the last few years).
Your post was completely off topic. There are others here that it would have fit in better. I can repost it in another one for you or if you want to do it yourself, feel free.
No, I don’t really care to spend any time here. I’ve read what you have to say, and quite honestly I’m less than impressed. This was simply an experiment. I knew that any discourse that went against your beliefs would be yanked. Pretty typical stuff. BTW, you may end up a discussion on another blog, don’t feel the need to threaten me OK?
36% and shrinking. Heh.
Feel free to discuss me all you like. I’m quite flattered that with all the more pressing issues going on in the world you and your ilk would devote any amount of time to talking about lil’ ol’ me. I’m touched, truly. It’s a bit on the sad side, though, that people who are supposed to be adults don’t act very adult-like when they can’t get their way (“their way” being having the ability to come on my blog and insult me and/or others here). Reminds me of the playground back in 4th grade. Pretty typical stuff, considering the source.
“Discourse” isn’t yanked here, although I’m sure that makes for a good rallying cry at the AA blog and elsewhere I may be discussed. What’s yanked here are insults directed towards me and/or my readers but if you want to continue to assert that people get banned here simply for disagreeing, do whatever makes you feel better and gets the hometeam fired up, ‘k? You guys truly need to get a life, and get over your obsession with me and/or this blog. It’s not worth it. There are bigger things going on in life than attempting to come here and insult my intelligence and that of my regulars.
You know one thing I always consider when I post online? I think to myself “I probably shouldn’t post anything that my family would find inappropriate to post. ” I mean, I try treat people with respect both online, in real life – unless they disrespect me, and at that time I respond to them firmly but with a class unfamiliar to some of them, but there are others out there who use the anonymity of being online to trash others in a way that they wouldn’t do to someone they disagreed with in person. They’d likely just politely agree to disagree and move on – kind of like things should go online, as well. I like to think that whatever I write on the Internet I wouldn’t be embarassed for my family or friends to see because I think it’s important to be yourself, whether online or offline. It’s unfortunate that some people seem to have one set of rules for who they are online and who they are offline – and I say that purely on the assumption that I truly don’t believe that what some of these people say online about other people would possibly make it into everyday conversation with acquaintances they meet because these same people who act out on line know it would be considered rude in person. But being online gives some people a different personality, and sometimes that’s not always for the best.
I hope that’s enough for you – and the others who apparently don’t have much else to do but discuss me – to work with in your next round of “discussions.” Maybe one day you’ll find a real issue to discuss and debate rather than sitting behind your keyboard trying to find more clever ways to insult someone you don’t even know. I’ll ask one more time for you guys to get over your obsession with me and/or this blog. It’s petty, it’s childish, and it’s a waste of valuable time for both you and me. We’ve all got better things to do with our time. I respectfully suggest you find something better to do with yours. –ST
Hiya sis, had to comeby and check out the new look, it’s fantastic. I stumbled across the designer and they are bragging about it…..lol…..very nice…
- Erm ….. hate to break up the mutual admiration aspects of the thread, but if memory serves Able-Danger was the focus I believe…. *chuckle* … btw ST, you know you’re having an impact when your advisaries start attacking….
- On Able-Danger it was reported today that the Pentegon is not only blinking, they’re crying Uncle, making a 180 turn-around and statements to the effect that “There is no reason to believe the imformation provided by Able-Danger is inaccurate” …. Now lets see if the press burrys the story to stop the steady march to the filing cabinet that contains the files of Reno and her deputy. Perhaps Clinton will finally get the credit he so richly deserves. If this whole story really comes out, it will be interesting to see what effect it has on Hillery’s political future.
Bang: The more and more that comes out about this story (including what you posted), the less credibility the 9-11 Commission has.