Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Able Danger Witnesses to Go Public
Rep. Curt Weldon said Monday that one or more members of an elite team of military intelligence officers who identified al-Qaida hijacker Mohamed Atta as a terrorist threat two years before he led the 9/11 attacks are prepared to go public.
"I can guarantee you that you will be able to have one on your show," Weldon told ABC Radio host Sean Hannity. "You might want to go with your TV show with this, because it will be a major story," the Pennsylvania Republican urged. "And you can interview him directly."
"When the American people see the credibility of this guy and what he's done for our country, along with the others, you become convinced that we have some major problems here," Weldon said.
He also addressed questions that arose over the weekend about whether the claims of the team, code-named Able Danger, amounted to "much ado about nothing."
"Like any patriotic American, if I'm confronted with career senior military intelligence officials who have information that they felt the 9/11 Commission should have looked at, because it directly impacted the events leading up to the attack against us, then I would want that to be taken seriously."
The House Armed Services Committee member also revealed that an FBI witness has confirmed attempts by the Able Danger team to share information about Atta.
"We even now have located the FBI liaison officer who they talked to about setting up the meetings [with the FBI]," he told Hannity. "That person acknowledged that there was a request made to formally bring the FBI in.
"But they couldn't do it because they were told no," he explained.
Weldon confirmed a report in Sunday's Bergen Record which revealed that the intelligence team had pinpointed Atta's whereabouts for an entire year before the attacks, while he lived at a Wayne, N.J., motel and met with other members of the hijack team.
The House Republican indicated he was aware that the Able Danger revelations could have severe political consequences, but he said that the full story was too important to keep from the American people. "If people get embarrassed along the way, I'm sorry for that," he said. "But we're talking about the deaths of 3,000 Americans here."
He remains concerned, however, that the Able Danger witnesses may be subject to retribution, explaining: "I've got to protect their careers and I've got to protect their reputations. ... Unfortunately, I've seen some brave Americans who've simply told the truth, who bureaucrats, for one reason or another, want to go after."
"I want to make sure – and get a commitment – that [the Able Danger whistleblowers] will not have their careers ruined," he said.
Rep. Curt Weldon said Monday that one or more members of an elite team of military intelligence officers who identified al-Qaida hijacker Mohamed Atta as a terrorist threat two years before he led the 9/11 attacks are prepared to go public.
"I can guarantee you that you will be able to have one on your show," Weldon told ABC Radio host Sean Hannity. "You might want to go with your TV show with this, because it will be a major story," the Pennsylvania Republican urged. "And you can interview him directly."
"When the American people see the credibility of this guy and what he's done for our country, along with the others, you become convinced that we have some major problems here," Weldon said.
He also addressed questions that arose over the weekend about whether the claims of the team, code-named Able Danger, amounted to "much ado about nothing."
"Like any patriotic American, if I'm confronted with career senior military intelligence officials who have information that they felt the 9/11 Commission should have looked at, because it directly impacted the events leading up to the attack against us, then I would want that to be taken seriously."
The House Armed Services Committee member also revealed that an FBI witness has confirmed attempts by the Able Danger team to share information about Atta.
"We even now have located the FBI liaison officer who they talked to about setting up the meetings [with the FBI]," he told Hannity. "That person acknowledged that there was a request made to formally bring the FBI in.
"But they couldn't do it because they were told no," he explained.
Weldon confirmed a report in Sunday's Bergen Record which revealed that the intelligence team had pinpointed Atta's whereabouts for an entire year before the attacks, while he lived at a Wayne, N.J., motel and met with other members of the hijack team.
The House Republican indicated he was aware that the Able Danger revelations could have severe political consequences, but he said that the full story was too important to keep from the American people. "If people get embarrassed along the way, I'm sorry for that," he said. "But we're talking about the deaths of 3,000 Americans here."
He remains concerned, however, that the Able Danger witnesses may be subject to retribution, explaining: "I've got to protect their careers and I've got to protect their reputations. ... Unfortunately, I've seen some brave Americans who've simply told the truth, who bureaucrats, for one reason or another, want to go after."
"I want to make sure – and get a commitment – that [the Able Danger whistleblowers] will not have their careers ruined," he said.
