Able Danger Blog

LTC Tony Shaffer interviewed by Alex Jones

2010-01-10T09:51:00.002-05:00

Tony's new book "The Dark Side of the Force" is due out this summer, pending classification review.

The OSINT Group's ‘Black Swan’ Program

2009-11-17T08:26:00.001-05:00

The OSINT Group, a boutique research firm specializing in open source intelligence (“OSINT”) for the defense industry, and whose roster includes operatives formerly connected to a classified military intelligence program known as “Able Danger,” is now using its unique expertise to offer a competitive information advantage to sophisticated accredited investors.

The “Black Swan” Program is an unclassified intelligence initiative designed for multi-national corporations and financial institutions seeking to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace by using data mining and link analysis techniques of open sources of information. The program’s name is inspired by Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s 2007 book, The Black Swan, in which “Black Swan Events” are defined as rare, hard to predict, and high-impact incidents of large magnitude such as 9/11 and the current global financial crisis.

“The same methods and applications utilized by the U.S. Intelligence Community can be applied to investment risk analysis and research support in the corporate sector,” says Michael Bagley, founder and president of The OSINT Group. “Our team’s use of sophisticated software technology greatly enhances research operations and solidifies investment risk analysis, while ensuring that any information is accessed legally.”

Operation “Able Danger” was a controversial Pentagon program in place from 1999-2001 that used open source intelligence methods, data mining techniques and link analysis to identify several names of the 9/11 hijackers prior to the attacks in New York and Washington. The “Able Danger” Program became infamous, gaining national attention in the media and on Capitol Hill during congressional hearings in 2005 and 2006.

KSM will be tried in New York

2009-11-13T11:56:00.001-05:00

From the AP:

WASHINGTON – Self-proclaimed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees will be brought to trial in a civilian federal courthouse in New York, blocks from site of the devastating 2001 terror attacks. Prosecutors expect to seek the death penalty.

At a news conference Friday, Attorney General Eric Holder also announced that five other suspects, including a major suspect in the bombing of the USS Cole, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, will be tried before a military commission.

Holder said the defendants should be tried where their crimes occurred. The New York courthouse is hard by the site where the World Trade Centers were brought down by two hijacked jetliners. Nearly 3,000 people died there and in another hijacked jet that hit the Pentagon and a fourth hijacked plane crashed in western Pennsylvania.

Holder called the events of Sept. 11 "the deadliest terrorist attacks our nation has ever seen" and said that in the years since, "our nation has had no higher priority than bringing those who planned and plotted the attacks to justice."

Fort Hood killer linked to September 11 terrorists

2009-11-07T18:12:00.002-05:00

From the Telegraph:

Hasan, the sole suspect in the massacre of 13 fellow US soldiers in Texas, attended the controversial Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Great Falls, Virginia, in 2001 at the same time as two of the September 11 terrorists, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt. His mother's funeral was held there in May that year.

The preacher at the time was Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born Yemeni scholar who was banned from addressing a meeting in London by video link in August because he is accused of supporting attacks on British troops and backing terrorist organisations.

Hasan's eyes "lit up" when he mentioned his deep respect for al-Awlaki's teachings, according to a fellow Muslim officer at the Fort Hood base in Texas, the scene of Thursday's horrific shooting spree.

As investigators look at Hasan's motives and mindset, his attendance at the mosque could be an important piece of the jigsaw. Al-Awlaki moved to Dar al-Hijrah as imam in January, 2001, from the west coast, and three months later the September 11 hijackers Nawaf al-Hamzi and Hani Hanjour began attending his services. A third hijacker attended his services in California.

LTC Anthony Shaffer endorses NYC CAN

2009-10-01T16:56:00.006-04:00

UPDATE: The judge rejected their argument and tossed out the ballot initiative. The only ballot initiative that New York City has ever allowed on the ballot was the one that approved an amendment authorizing Bloomberg to run for a third term. At least we know the mayor's really priorities now. Bloomberg: 1 American People: 0

Here is the press release:

28 September 2009
Springfield, VA

I endorse the NYC CAN campaign and support the need for a new, independent, investigation of the events and failures that lead up to the 9/11 attacks.

The original 9/11 Commission inquiry became an exercise in bureaucratic ass-covering and obfuscation of accountability.

I had no intention of joining the ranks of “whistle blowers”. In 2003, when I made my disclosure to the 9/11 commission regarding the existence of a pre 9/11 offensive counter-terrorism operation that had discovered several of the 9/11 terrorists a full year before the 9/11 attacks my intention was to simply tell the truth, and fulfill my oath of office.

Unfortunately, this was a minority view.

Instead of supporting the search for the truth, members of the Bush/Rumsfeld Department of Defense did everything within their power to destroy my 20 year career as a clandestine intelligence operative simply to try to discredit me and my disclosure.

In 2006 I testified before Congress on the pre-9/11 issues regarding the systemic failures I was personally aware of – in both open and closed sessions – and yet nothing was ever done to correct these problems.

The families and victims of the 9/11 attacks are owed a real accounting of why their government failed them. We all deserve answers.

The full accounting has never been made. This accounting is long overdue. I hope the NYC CAN effort will result in a real, detailed, independent investigation that will reveal the full truth – whatever that truth may be.

Tony Shaffer

A ruling is expected tomorrow on the ballot initiative:

September 29, 2009

Supreme Court Justice Edward Lehner has begun consideration of NYC CAN’s motion to reject Referee’s Louis Crespo’s recommendation that the NYC CAN 9/11 petition not be submitted to the voters on November 3. The petition would ask whether or not there should be an independent New York City investigation into 9/11.

Responding to a motion brought by NYC CAN attorney Dennis McMahon, a hearing was held Tuesday September 29 at the New York State Supreme Court, and concluded with the understanding that the Court will likely render a decision on the petition’s legality by Friday, October 2.

Able Danger discussed on C-SPAN this morning

2009-09-28T16:21:00.005-04:00

A reader writes:

A friend of mine called me, very early this morning, 28 September, and said that on Washington Journal, "Able Danger" and Anthony Shaffer's name was mentioned. I checked your blog, but didn't see anything....Apparently William Cohen, Frm. Defense Sec. for President Clinton, was the one being interviewed....You might want to check it out...She mentioned that when he was asked if he had heard of "Able Danger", he said he thought he had. Then they ask if he knew Anthony Shaffer, and he said he did not....My friend said that, when the question was asked about Able Danger, Cohen, sounded like he knew more than he was willing to talk about...

UPDATE: Here is the link. Thanks Sue. From the 1 hour 19 minute mark:

CALLER: Sir, I would be hard put to find you feign ignorance to what I'm about to say and ask you. I would like to know what you know and what you could clarify about Able Danger. This was a Top Secret intelligence agency, Army intelligence, that had long ago infiltrated and had information on Al Qaeda. LTC Anthony Shaffer among dozens of other intelligence officers had given sworn testimony to the Senate that they had information on Al Qaeda and the members of Al Qaeda and their plans to attack on 9/11.

HOST: Senator, any awareness of what he's talking about?

COHEN: I'm vaguely aware of the program but I'm not really in possession of the information at this point to respond to him.

Unfortunately the caller jumped the shark over knowledge of plans to attack on 9/11, so they cut him off and didn't take his question seriously.

Four years after Able Danger story broke

2009-09-14T16:40:00.003-04:00

From Keith Phucas at the Mercury News:

"There was a cover up and the cover up continues," said Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer.

Shaffer, an Army reservist who fought in Afghanistan, was first interviewed about the Army's computer data mining operation, "Able Danger," by The Times Herald for a June 19, 2005, article, "Missed chance on way to 9/11."

Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Lambert, was reportedly distressed about the wholesale destruction of the data, repeating these sentiments to Doug Stanton in his new book about the 2001 Afghanistan invasion, "Horse Soldiers." Lambert said he reluctantly went along with the advice of Pentagon attorneys who recommended pulling the plug on the data mining effort....

In Stanton's book, Lambert also confirms Shaffer's claim that he tried to set up meetings with FBI and SOCOM, a claim the Defense Department refuted in 2005 when Shaffer went public with the story....

Though 9/11 Commission member John Lehman criticized the government for a failure of imagination in thwarting the attacks, Shaffer called this conclusion faulty, considering the commission overlooked the "Able Danger" successes.

"We had plenty of imagination," he said. "We had a pre-9/11 offensive capability."

FBI undercover operative spotted Atta before 9/11

2009-09-12T22:15:00.006-04:00

From ABC News:

On the eve of the eight year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, an FBI informant who infiltrated alleged terrorist cells in the U.S. tells ABC News the FBI missed a chance to stop the al Qaeda plot because they focused more on undercover stings than on the man who would later become known as 9/11 ringleader Mohammed Atta.

In an exclusive interview to be broadcast tonight on ABC World News with Charles Gibson and Nightline, former undercover operative Elie Assaad says he spotted and became suspicious of Atta in early 2001, when he was sent by the FBI to infiltrate a small mosque outside Miami. Atta was there with Adnan Shukrujuman, an al Qaeda fugitive who now has a $5 million U.S. reward on his head.

"There was something wrong with these guys," Assaad, a 36-year-old Catholic native of Lebanon who pretended to be an Islamic extremist, says.

The FBI initially declined to comment but released a statement following the ABC News report, saying: "The 9/11 investigation, the most extensive ever conducted by the FBI, has been reviewed in its totality by the 9/11 Commission, Congress and others. The claims made in the news report and the factual conclusions contained in the story are not supported by the evidence."

The FBI did not specify which claims or conclusions it referred to.

Kevin Fenton at History Commons makes the link to Able Danger:

Atta’s connection to Gulshair Skukrijumah and his son Adnan may be important to one of the most interesting 9/11 scandals: Able Danger. After the attacks, members of an army data mining programme came forward and claimed that, as a part of a project aimed against al-Qaeda, they had identified Atta and three other hijackers, Alshehhi, Khalid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhazmi, as members of an al-Qaeda cell they called “Brooklyn.” The cell got its name because the members all had some connection to the NYC borough, not because they were physically present there. Atta and the others were apparently found to be linked to the “Blind Sheikh,” Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman. However, an explanation as to how this might have happened has been lacking until now.

The elder Shuhrijumah was a close associate of the Blind Sheikh, and had been an imam at the Al Farooq mosque in Brooklyn where Abdul-Rahman preached. In addition, he acted as the Blind Sheikh’s translator and testified for the defence at the WTC bombing trial, as a character witness for Clement Hampton-El. Confirmation of Atta’s attendance at the mosque therefore establishes a clear link between him and an associate of Abdul-Rahman. As we know Alshehhi attended a Florida mosque and that he was close to Atta throughout their time in the US, it is likely Alshehhi attended the same mosque.

However, the FBI informant saw Atta at the mosque in early 2001, whereas Able Danger linked him to the Brooklyn cell in January 2000. It is unclear how Able Danger could have made the link before Atta officially entered the US, although Atta used a bewildering array of aliases—the 19 hijackers together racked up a total of 364 aliases and name variants—and it is impossible to rule him entering the US under another name out.

One possibility is that there was a prior link between Atta and the Shukrijumahs—how likely is it that Atta and the other hijackers just happened to move in on the doorstep of a known associate of the Blind Sheikh and his son, one of al-Qaeda’s top US-based operatives? There may well have been prior links between Atta and the Shukrijumahs, which Able Danger learned of. For example, Atta made two Green Card lottery applications in late 1999 and it is possible he gave the Shukrijumahs’ address in this context.

NYC ballot initiative for new 9/11 investigation

2009-09-11T12:20:00.004-04:00

From Reuters:

In a last minute decision, lawyers for the City of New York have conceded that the New York City Coalition for Accountability Now (NYC CAN), a group comprising 9/11 family members, first responders and survivors, indeed did submit over 30,000 valid signatures to put the referendum for a new 9/11 investigation before the voters of New York City this November.

In an earlier letter from the City Clerk dated July 24, 2009, the City had claimed only 26,003 signatures were valid, 3,997 short of the requisite 30,000. The City's concession that over 30,000 of the 52,000 signatures submitted were in fact valid paves the way for lawyers from both sides to argue the legality of petition.

Asked whether he thought NYC CAN could overcome the City's challenge to the legality of the petition, legal counsel to the petitioners, Dennis McMahon, said, "Absolutely. Although the City has an incredibly successful record of shooting down ballot initiatives, we will be arguing from a fresh perspective that reflects the unprecedented events of 9/11. We believe the courts will see how critical an issue this is, and be persuaded with our legal reasoning and point of view." A final determination on the legality of the petition will be reached in time for the referendum to be included on the November ballot should the petitioners prevail.

Representatives for NYC CAN, 9/11 family member Manny Badillo and Executive Director Ted Walter, arrived at the Board of Elections on the morning of Wednesday, September 9, to assist the court-appointed referee in commencing a line-by-line review of the disputed signatures, only to learn the referee's review had been called off due to a last minute concession by the City. Mr. Badillo immediately got on the phone to inform others of the news.

"The City conceded we have 30,000 valid signatures. Big victory."

The City's concession comes as a result of the immense effort put forth by 50+ volunteers who gave more than 1,000 hours over a two week period from August 10 to August 25 to identify a total of 7,166 signatures that were wrongly invalidated by the NYC City Clerk and Board of Elections. On August 27, NYC CAN filed the 631-page Bill of Particulars cataloguing each of the 7,166 signatures it contended were in fact valid. NYC CAN submitted another 28,000 signatures on September 4 to guarantee the referendum will go on the ballot if they win the court case, bringing the total signatures submitted to 80,000.

NYC CAN must deliver its memorandum of law in response to the City's motion for summary judgment by Monday, September 21. The City will be given an opportunity to reply before the referee's decision is made on Monday, September 28. Fast-track appeals will likely follow no matter who wins. A final decision will have to be made by September 30.

If the referendum passes in November, it would lead to the creation of a local, independent commission with subpoena power that would be tasked with comprehensively reinvestigating the attacks. For more info:

http://www.nyccan.org

From their site:

NYC CAN is non-partisan organization comprised of 9/11 Families, First Responders, Survivors and proud, concerned citizens committed to bringing about an independent, impartial investigation into the events of September 11.

In the months after September 11, a handful of the victims’ families joined together to demand an independent investigation into the government’s failure to defend its citizens on that tragic morning. Their ceaseless efforts led to the formation of the 9/11 Commission, signed into existence on November 27, 2002.

Having thoroughly researched every aspect of the attacks, the Family Steering Committee provided the Commission with 400 questions that would need to be answered for the Commission to fulfill its mandate. After 18 months of proceedings and the release of the Commission’s Final Report on July 22, 2004, the Family Steering Committee determined that only 30% of its questions had been answered, leaving some 250 questions still unanswered.

The validity of the Commission’s findings was further undermined by several factors, including contradictory accounts from the Federal Aviation Administration and the military, stonewalling from the Bush Administration, conflicts of interest among key personnel in the Commission, and the Commission’s failure to hold a single individual accountable for the numerous failures leading up to, on and after September 11.

Today, the feeling persists among many of the families and many New Yorkers that the full truth has not been uncovered and justice has not been served. The growing number of ill and dying First Responders without access to adequate healthcare and financial support adds the necessity of an investigation into the false assurances that the air at Ground Zero was safe to breathe, and immediate remedies for the healthcare crisis afflicting First Responders and nearby residents.

With the federal government failing to deliver an impartial investigation, the 9/11 Families, First Responders and residents of New York City are moving ahead with the conviction that NYC CAN.

New York City voters have the power to legally mandate the formation of a new investigation with subpoena power by petitioning to place a referendum on the ballot in the November 2009 General Election. In September 2008, the petition reached a milestone of 30,000 signatures, the minimum number required to submit the petition to New York City Council for its approval. By June 2009, NYCCAN will eclipse the 45,000 signatures required to bypass City Council, ensuring its placement on the ballot. With the passage of this referendum New York City will take the first giant step towards truth and justice.

Some thoughts from LTC Tony Shaffer

2009-09-11T12:14:00.004-04:00

On September Eleventh:

Today, on this date, in 2001, I was scheduled to meet with Bob Winchester, the Army's Liaison to Capitol Hill on intelligence matters at 9 AM in his office. Bob got tied up and had to postpone the meeting - therefore he and I were not at his office when it was destroyed by American Airlines Flt 77. I am grateful for the sacrifices made by all - on that day and since. Much is left to be done to fix things.

State of Play?

2009-09-08T16:38:00.002-04:00

I haven't seen the movie, State of Play, but maybe I should.

From Phil Heron at the Delco Times:

Ben Affleck plays the troubled congressman. At one point as Crowe digs deeper and deeper into the security company’s business, it’s clear he’s rubbing some powerful people the wrong way.

The kicker comes in a confrontation with someone who knows the inner workings of the company.

I almost spit out my popcorn when I heard it. In fact I rewound the DVD just to be sure I had heard it correctly. Then I went online to research the movie.

This is basically what the guy said: “Do you really think they are going to let some congressman from the 7th District in Pennsylvania do this?”

I kid you not.

Now did we not once have a congressman in this district who knew a lot about the workings of security companies, who likely ruffled a lot of feathers in D.C. with some of his foreign policy beliefs?

Among the many things that Curt Weldon did in his 20 years in Washington was become an expert in many areas of foreign relations. Not all of those beliefs made him especially popular, even within his own party.

Anyone remember “Able Danger?”

There are 435 members of the House of Representatives. Why exactly would the makers of the movie decided to make their character from the 7th District of Pennsylvania?

I have no idea. Maybe it was a coincidence.

If so, they certainly got my attention.

Weldon to speak at conference on the EMP threat

2009-09-03T23:10:00.002-04:00

From EMPACT America:

Protecting America Against Permanent Continental Shutdown From Electromagnetic Pulse:

A National Conference,
September 8th-10th, 2009,
Niagara Falls, NY

-- Featuring former Speaker of the House
Newt Gingrich, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, and other EMP experts from the military, industry, and academia --

A man-made Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) is caused by a nuclear weapon detonated in the atmosphere. This threat is a realistic possibility in this day and age. In fact, two Congressional Commissions have recently warned that America could suffer catastrophic consequences from a nuclear EMP attack by terrorists or rogue states. Their reports also point out that the U.S. can be protected if we act quickly. A House Homeland Security subcommittee is currently meeting and considering legislation, but very little has been done so far. According to the Abstract of the original Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from EMP Attack, U.S. Congress, 2004: “Several potential adversaries have or can acquire the capability to attack the United States with a high-altitude nuclear weapon-generated electromagnetic pulse (EMP). A determined adversary can achieve an EMP attack capability without having a high level of sophistication.” Read the full report

An EMP attack can cripple our infrastructure causing all of our electronic equipment and infrastructure to fail....

From the agenda:

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2009

8:00-8:05 AM
(5 min.)
Introduction and Welcome (Dr. Peter Vincent Pry, President, EMPACT America)

8:05- 8:10 AM
(5 min.)
National Anthem (Rev. Robert Stearns)

Understanding The Threat
8:10- 9:00 AM
(50 min.)
Keynote Address:
The Growing EMP Crisis
Speakers:
Congressman Curt Weldon, former Vice-Chairman House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees
ADM William O. Studeman, former Acting Director CIA
Chris Beck, House Homeland Security Committee
(5 Min. Intro. & Speakers 15 Min. Each)

Fitzgerald gets promoted

2009-08-27T13:52:00.003-04:00

Looks like Peter Lance's reporting has not had much impact on his career so far:

Patrick Fitzgerald, the top prosecutor in Illinois’ Northern District, has been named interim chairman of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC).

In his new role, Fitzgerald will be the lead voice for the U.S. attorney community. It’s the latest high-profile assignment for America’s prosecutor, who has been busy overseeing the prosecution of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), bringing down mortgage fraudsters, and fighting with journalists....

The committee, which represents the views of the nation’s top prosecutors and molds law enforcement policy, has dwindled in size as Bush-era appointees have headed for the exit. Fitzgerald replaces Karin Immergut, the former U.S. attorney in Oregon, who stepped down as chairwoman this month to become a state judge. (Fun facts: Fitzgerald and Immergut share the same birthdate — December 22, 1960 — are both from Brooklyn, and attended Amherst College together.)

Fitzgerald’s assignment is significant. It means the U.S. attorney community now has a chief ambassador with some staying power. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) recommended Fitzgerald for another term, an overture that was well-received by Attorney General Eric Holder....

Fitzgerald will be keeping the seat warm for B. Todd Jones, who, as we reported here, is slated to chair the committee if confirmed. Jones, the nominee for the U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota, has broad support and could see a vote on his nomination in the full Senate before the August recess. Jones is currently a partner at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi in Minneapolis.

Time to end Weldon investigation

2009-08-27T13:09:00.003-04:00

Editorial from the Delaware County Daily Times:

It has been many months since federal prosecutors accepted the plea agreements of Caso and Grimes and yet no other charges have been filed as a result of the government’s investigation.

That probe included the now famous pre-Election Day raids on the homes of Weldon’s daughter and his political associate Charles Sexton Jr.

It was assumed by some at the time that the Justice Department wouldn’t have taken the extraordinary steps to conduct such raids if it didn’t have substantial evidence of wrongdoing on the part of its targets....

They either have some reasonable evidence that crimes were committed or they don’t. They’ve had more than four years to nail this thing down.

For better or for worse it’s time to bring this matter to a conclusion.

Was Weldon targeted by Karl Rove?

2009-08-27T12:35:00.005-04:00

Some interesting details from New Mexico in the Rove investigation:

Wilson pointed to a letter she released in September 2008. The letter, written in response to an inquiry from James Meade in the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), states that her Oct. 15, 2006 e-mail was not related to the U.S. House race but was related to “an FBI inquiry concerning my opponent, Attorney General Patricia Madrid, which occurred while she was running for Congress in 2006.”

The letter states that the FBI asked in June 2006 for information about Madrid’s connection to the political action committee Justice for America. Earlier, Wilson, Domenici and former U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce filed a related complaint with the Federal Election Commission, the letter states.

The letter contains no other details about the probe.

From the Wilson letter to Meade:

“The AP story on October 15, 2006 caught my eye because the FBI, or someone close to the FBI, had leaked information about an investigation of Representative Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania to the media. I believed it was possible we would see a similar leak from law enforcement concerning Mrs. Madrid and that we could be asked by the media to comment on it.

“My staff had contingency press guidance that, if asked, we would confirm that we had received an inquiry from the FBI about Attorney General Madrid and we were cooperating with law enforcement. The recipients of my (Oct. 15, 2006) e-mail knew about the FBI inquiry and the contingency press guidance. This e-mail was intended to be a ‘heads up’ to them. “

The probe of Madrid was not revealed publicly until Wilson’s 2008 letter to Meade was released to the media, but even then the Meade letter was not widely covered by journalists.

In an interview, Madrid said she heard in 2006 from “a number of sources… that the FBI was threatening me.”

“If there was an investigation of me, I’m sure that they were put up to it by Karl Rove, Domenici and Heather Wilson. They instigated all of that,” Madrid said, adding that any allegations made against her were baseless.

“I guarantee you, if the FBI and Iglesias and Karl Rove had had anything on me, they would have used it. They didn’t. They had nothing,” she said.

Some more details:

In October 2006, a month before the midterm elections that cost Republicans control of the Congress, an e-mail chain started by Rep. Heather Wilson, R-New Mexico, faulted Iglesias for not using his office in a manner that would help Wilson in her reelection campaign.

Wilson’s e-mail included a news report about an FBI probe of Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pennsylvania, as an example of criminal investigations proceeding close to election day.

Steve Bell, chief of staff to New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici, forwarded the e-mail to Jennings at Rove’s White House shop, with a note, saying it “seems like other U.S. attorneys can do their work even in election season. And the FBI has already admitted they have turned over their evidence [in a federal corruption probe] to the [U.S. Attorney] in [New Mexico] and are merely awaiting his action.”

Jennings then passed along the e-mail to Rove, saying Iglesias was “shy about doing his job on [Patricia] Madrid,” a Democratic congressional candidate who would lose the 2006 election to Wilson by only 800 votes.

Remains identified as Captain Scott Speicher

2009-08-02T09:20:00.003-04:00

From the DOD press release:

The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) has positively identified remains recovered in Iraq as those of Captain Michael Scott Speicher. Captain Speicher was shot down flying a combat mission in an F/A-18 Hornet over west-central Iraq on January 17th, 1991 during Operation Desert Storm.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Captain Speicher's family for the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country," said Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy. "I am also extremely grateful to all those who have worked so tirelessly over the last 18 years to bring Captain Speicher home."

“Our Navy will never give up looking for a shipmate, regardless of how long or how difficult that search may be,” said Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations. “We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Captain Speicher and his family for the sacrifice they have made for our nation and the example of strength they have set for all of us.”

Acting on information provided by an Iraqi citizen in early July, US Marines stationed in Al Anbar Province went to a location in the desert which was believed to be the crash site of Captain Speicher’s jet. The Iraqi citizen stated he knew of two Iraqi citizens who recalled an American jet impacting the desert and the remains of the pilot being buried in the desert. One of these Iraqi citizens stated that they were present when Captain Speicher was found dead at the crash site by Bedouins and his remains buried. The Iraqi citizens led US Marines to the site who searched the area. Remains were recovered over several days during the past week and flown to Dover Air Force Base for scientific identification by the AFIP’s Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner.

The recovered remains include bones and multiple skeletal fragments. Positive identification was made by comparing Captain Speicher’s dental records with the jawbone recovered at the site. The teeth are a match, both visually and radiographically.

While dental records have confirmed the remains to be those of Captain Speicher, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology DNA Lab in Rockville, Maryland is running DNA tests on the remains recovered in Iraq and comparing them to DNA reference samples previously provided by family members. Results will take approximately 24 hours.

Some members of the Able Danger team were involved in this search:

Speicher was a lieutenant commander when shot down, but because his status remained uncertain, he received promotions during the past 18 years, reaching the rank of captain.

He was originally listed as "Killed-In-Action/Body-Not-Recovered" in May 1991. That status changed in 2001 to "Missing in Action," and then to "Missing/Captured" in 2002 based on sighting reports inIraq. Those sightings have since been discredited.

His status was changed back to MIA earlier this year.

In the six years that the United States has been in Iraq for the second Gulf War, many leads and alleged sightings of Speicher have been investigated and found to be false.

The Speicher family has worked closely with the Navy to ensure the hunt for him would not stop.

Russ Caso sentenced to probation only

2009-07-30T22:21:00.004-04:00

This seems worth celebrating to me, and seems to signal the end of the investigation into Congressman Weldon. Which produced nothing, except Senate candidate Sestak.

Former congressional aide sentenced to probation

WASHINGTON — The one-time top aide to former Rep. Curt Weldon has been sentenced to three years probation for not reporting to the House income his wife made for doing work for a nonprofit company tied to Weldon.

The sentence for Russell James Caso Jr., who was chief of staff for the Pennsylvania Republican, includes 170 days of home detention and 100 hours of community service. He pleaded guilty in federal court in December 2007 to a conspiracy charge and agreed to cooperate in an investigation.

Weldon served two decades in Congress before losing his seat in 2006. He hasn't been charged.

In April, a lobbyist was also sentenced to three years probation for destroying evidence about her ties to Weldon.

Good grief, three years later Sklamberg still can't let go:

During the sentencing hearing, the Department of Justice asked the court to reduce Caso's sentence based on his substantial cooperation in the government's continuing investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Sklamberg from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia as well as Trial Attorneys Armando O. Bonilla of the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section and Gregory C.J. Lisa of the Criminal Division's Organized Crime & Racketeering Section. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service.

Ten years later, more of the same

2009-07-17T17:33:00.014-04:00

Very same reason the Able Danger planning options were not implemented:

From the AP:

The intelligence committee's investigation was triggered by CIA Director Leon Panetta's June 24 disclosure about the hit team program in an emergency briefing he called a day after he canceled the program after learning about it the same day.

The CIA's Counterterrorism Center brought the program to Panetta's attention last month because it wanted to begin training the teams, according to a government official familiar with the matter. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized the discuss the matter.

The effort to develop hit teams to target al-Qaida members, rather than using airborne armed drone strikes or foreign intelligence services, has existed on and off since 2001 but it was never carried out.

"The program (Panetta) killed was never fully operational and never took a single terrorist off the battlefield," CIA spokesman George Little said Thursday. "Those are facts he shared with Congress. We've had a string of successes against al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, and that program didn't contribute to any of them."

Congressional Record: May 21, 2002 (House) Page H2820-H2834:

Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, here is the chart, the unclassified chart of what special forces command had 1 year before 9- 11. Interesting. The entire al Qaeda network is identified in a graphic chart with all the linkages to all the terrorist groups around the world.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, I was told by the folks who developed the capability for special forces command that this chart and the briefing that was supposed to be given to General Shelton, Chairman of our Joint Chiefs, had a recommendation to take out 5 cells of bin Laden's network. Mr. Speaker, this was 1 year before 9-11.

This was not during President Bush's administration. This occurred in the fall of the remaining term of President Bill Clinton.

The key question I have been trying to get at is why was this 3-hour briefing, which I also got, I got General Holland to bring his briefers up from Florida with special forces, I went in the Pentagon, went in the tank, and they gave me the briefing, as much as they could give me, because part of it is being used for our operational plan, why was that 3-hour briefing with the recommendations to take out 5 cells of bin Laden's network condensed down to a 1-hour brief when it was given to General Hugh Shelton in January of 2001?

And why were the recommendations to take out 5 cells not followed up on? That is the question we should get answered, Mr. Speaker.

Because 1 year before 9-11, the capability that special forces built actually identified to us the network of al Qaeda. And they went beyond that and gave us recommendations where we could take out cells to eliminate their capability.

Fitzgerald, Put Up or Shut Up

2009-07-17T14:06:00.003-04:00

Peter Lance challenges Patrick Fitzgerald to actually sue him:

Seven weeks ago Patrick Fitzgerald, the most intimidating Federal prosecutor in America, sent my publisher (HarperCollins) and me a letter threatening to sue us for libel if Triple Cross, a book I wrote, critical of his anti-terrorism track record, was published.

Yesterday marked the four-week anniversary of the book's pub date and although it's been out for a month, we're still waiting for his summons and complaint.

It was the fourth threat letter that Fitzgerald had sent since October 2007 and the man who'd succeeded in getting New York Times reporter Judith Miller jailed for 85 days in the CIA leak probe was growing impatient.

"To put it plain and simple," Fitzgerald wrote, "if in fact you publish the book this month and it defames me or casts me in a false light, HarperCollins will be sued."

Old news

2009-07-16T07:51:00.003-04:00

From October 2001:

CIA Weighs 'Targeted Killing' Missions
Administration Believes Restraints Do Not Bar Singling Out Individual Terrorists

By Barton Gellman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 28, 2001; Page A01

Armed with new authority from President Bush for a global campaign against al Qaeda, the Central Intelligence Agency is contemplating clandestine missions expressly aimed at killing specified individuals for the first time since the assassination scandals and consequent legal restraints of the 1970s.

Drawing on two classified legal memoranda, one written for President Bill Clinton in 1998 and one since the attacks of Sept. 11, the Bush administration has concluded that executive orders banning assassination do not prevent the president from lawfully singling out a terrorist for death by covert action. The CIA is reluctant to accept a broad grant of authority to hunt and kill U.S. enemies at its discretion, knowledgeable sources said. But the agency is willing and believes itself able to take the lives of terrorists designated by the president....

The public face of that campaign is a conventional war in Afghanistan using uniformed troops. Yet inside the CIA and elsewhere in government, according to sources, much of the debate turns on the scope of a targeted killing campaign. How wide should the government draw the circle around bin Laden? And in which countries -- among the 40 or so where al Qaeda is believed to operate -- may such efforts be attempted?

...Senior officials said the president's finding directs new forms of cooperation between the CIA and uniformed military commando units. Some knowledgeable sources said it is also possible that the instruments of targeted killings will be foreign agents, the CIA's term for nonemployees who act on its behalf. That is controversial, because it involves risks of betrayal and conflicting agendas on the part of the agents, but it is also seen in parts of the agency as advantageous.

Link from the Rumor Mill News.

Novo Energies names Weldon to Advisory Board

2009-07-09T15:30:00.005-04:00

Here is their press release:

NEW YORK, NY -- 07/08/09 -- Novo Energies Corporation, Inc. ("Novo"), a public company traded on the Over the Counter Market (OTCBB) under the symbol (OTCBB: NVNC), announced today that it has appointed Congressman Curt Weldon to its Board of Advisors.

Congressman Curt Weldon served in the US Congress for 20 years. When he retired in 2007, he was Vice Chairman of both the Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security Committee as well as a Member of the Energy and Environment Sub-Committee. During his tenure in Congress, he initiated and chaired the US/FSU Energy Parliamentary Relationship, served as Co-Chair of the International Energy Advisory Council and keynoted a number of International Energy Forums. Congressman Weldon organized and led over 50 bi-partisan Congressional Delegations to 75 nations including the first-ever Congressional Delegations into Libya and North Korea. Prior to his successful career in elective office as a Mayor, County Commissioner and Member of Congress, Weldon served as an Educator and University Professor as well as a Director with the INA/CIGNA Corporation at its Corporate Headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Congressman Weldon formed and currently serves as CEO of Jenkins Hill International -- a firm providing International Consulting as well as facilitating International Strategic Relationships. Over 100 professional associations and international organizations have honored Congressman Weldon. Congressman Weldon has been honored with Doctorate Degrees from several US and International Universities and was inducted as an Academician in the Russian Academy of Social Sciences.

Congressman Weldon stated: "I am extremely excited to become a member of Novo Energies' Advisory Board. Ever since I was a member of the US Congress it has been one of my primary missions to assist the countries in North America to become free from foreign sources of energy. In addition, I have adamantly supported alternative energy production and stronger environmental regulations for North America. After studying the plans and prospects of Novo Energies, I chose to become intimately involved with this company as it, among other things: will make a significant impact on the reduction of foreign sources of fuel; is acting in an environmental manner; and is able to produce fuels from plastic and tires, thereby reducing landfills."

"We welcome Congressman Weldon to our Advisory Board. Congressman Weldon shares the vision and direction of Novo Energies to create a leading company in the alternative energy space and will be a valuable asset in assisting Novo Energies in its mission," stated Antonio Treminio, Chief Executive Office of Novo Energies.

About Novo Energies Corporation: Novo is a public company trading on the Over the Counter Bulletin Board Market ("OTCBB") under the symbol NVNC, headquartered in New York, NY. The Company's mission is to continue expanding within the renewable energy sector by developing and implementing renewable energy solutions while maintaining its commitment to conserve energy, natural resources and help reduce pollutants and unwanted wastes. Based upon a novel technology, Novo's wholly owned subsidiary WTL Renewable Energy, Inc. will plan, build, own and operate renewable energy plants throughout North America that will transform residual plastics and tires to valuable liquid low carbon fuels such as diesel, gasoline and fuel additives.

Lance files DOJ complaint regarding Fitzgerald

2009-06-15T21:18:00.006-04:00

The press conference is tomorrow:

June 16, 2009, 9:30 AM EDT
Zenger Room, National Press Club
529 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20045

Here are the latest details:

On Saturday, June 13th, Peter Lance filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice asking that a formal investigation by the DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) be opened as a result of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's 20 month campaign to kill TRIPLE CROSS. Click here to download a pdf of the COMPLAINT. Click here for a copy of THE INTRODUCTION to the new edition of TRIPLE CROSS.

The paperback edition of Triple Cross is in stores tomorrow.

Is Fitzgerald upset over a book deal gone bad?

2009-06-11T17:03:00.010-04:00

Alright, I just read the full exchange between Patrick Fitzgerald and Harper Collins regarding his promised lawsuit over the publication of Triple Cross in paperback, which he did all he could to stop.

This part got my attention, from his October 11, 2007 document request:

(11) any documents reflecting Harper Collins estimate of the market value of my personal reputation, including but not limited to, any documents relating to an unsolicited letter from Judith Regan, on behalf of Harper Collins, to me offering me a "seven figure" sum for the rights to my biography and any documents establishing how that number was derived or otherwise constituting admissions to the nature and value of my reputation at that time....

So, he's suing Harper Collins after being offered "seven figures" by Harper Collins which he obviously never got, or did I miss the story about a Fitzgerald book deal?

Anyway, the main issues Fitzgerald focuses on are these:

Among other things, the book alleges that:

(1) I was part of an effort to conceal from the public prior to 1996 the fact that the FBI had infiltrated in 1991 the terrorist cell that would later bomb the World Trade Center in 1998;
(2) I filed a false affidavit with a federal judge to conceal the purported "fact" that the fatal crash of TWA 800 was really a terrorist attack to which I had been tipped in advance by an organized crime figure and that I otherwise conspired with the National Transportation Safety Board, the 9/11 Commission and numerous others to hide the truth; and
(3) I led an effort to conceal from the public prior to 2003 the fact that the United States government had infiltrated and wiretapped in 1996 the al Qaeda terrorist cell in Nairobi which would later bomb the American embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 1998 and otherwise concealed the role played by Ali Mohamed in the bombing conspiracy.

Each of these allegations is per se defamatory of me....

Here is the response from Mark Jackson at Harper Collins:

With respect to the first claim, the Book never charges that you were part of an effort to conceal the fact that the FBI had infiltrated in 1991 the terrorist cell that would later bomb the World Trade Center in 1993. The one reference you cite on page 209 of the Book does not support your characterization. That reference merely makes the claim that people outside of the FBI and US Attorney's office in New York were not aware of the "real truth" behind Emad Salem and his relationship with certain federal agencies. Immediately following the reference you cite, Lance lists certain details of Salem's history that were not known to the general public. Nowhere in the Book does Lance state or otherwise imply that Salem was not referred to in the publicly filed indictment or during trial testimony.

Your second claim - in which you maintain that the Book accuses you of filing a false affidavit regarding the crash of TWA 800, that you had been tipped in advance by an organized crime figure about the crash and that you conspired with various federal bodies to hide the truth - is also without support in the Book. (Your October 11 letter does not appear to discuss this second claim other that listing it on page 2.)

...But the Book never accuses you of the misconduct that you allege. Instead, after presenting evidence that John Napoli denied telling your office that Scarpa had confided to him that the material was a "fabrication", as you allege in your affirmation, Lance then writes the following:

If Napoli's account is accurate, it appears that two senior federal prosecutors, Fitzgerald and Kelly went along with a government story that characterized the Yousef-Scarpa Jr. intelligence as fraudulent. If, as per Fitzgeerald's affidavit, that occured in conjunction with the late summer decision by the Feds to pardon DeVecchio and destroy Greg Jr. as a potential witness against him, then the creation of the "hoax" and "scam" story by the Feds could, in my opinion, amount to a serious obstruction of justice. (Emphasis added)

Fitzgerald was asked to answer a series of detailed questions raised by this investigation, but through his spokesperson in Chicago, Randall Samborn, he declined.

...The Book does contain a minor error in that the NBC News report regarding intelligence of al Qaeda activity in East Africa, which Lance cited, was apparently first broadcast in December 2000, although the MSNBC.com website containing the report uses an October 24, 2003 date. Harper Collins will correct that dating descrepancy and modify the language in the first full paragraph of page 367 of the Book, but that clearly inadvertent misdating does not support a claim of defamation.

First, the Book does not accuse you or anyone else of improperly withholding evidence that Squad I-49 had advance warning of the bombing plot. In fact, the paragraph which you cite in your letter begins with the phrase "Because of the secrecy surrounding terror prosecutions in the SDNY..." That language does not indicate wrongdoing, but instead suggests that because of the perceived need for secrecy in terrorism trials, the information was not previously disclosed.

Second, although the NBC News article is misdated, it appears that the essence of Lance's point with respect to Mohamed is correct; namely, that the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York did conceal, for whatever reason, Mohamed's extensive role in al Qaeda activity - at least up until the time his indictment was unsealed. As reported in the Book, Mohamed was not called as a witness in either the Day of Terror or the embassy bombing trials. FBI and Justice Department officials chose not to arrest Mohamed in the fall of 1997 at the time of your meeting with him. Further, after Mohamed's arrest, he was kept on a "John Doe" warrant for months. Even after the announcement of Osama bin Laden's indictment in the Embassy plot, U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White expressly refused to comment publicly on Mohamed.

Perhaps most important, the responsible federal agencies did not disclose the critical fact that Mohamed had been an FBI informant for six years prior to the embassy bombings.

Lance presents a number of potential reasons why the government may have wanted to keep secret Mohamed's role as an FBI informant, something that he is certainly entitled to do based on the underlying facts that he presents in the Book.

In sum, Harper Collins does not believe that there is any merit to the claims contained in your October 11 letter. We will, however, take steps to correct the misdating of the NBC News story that you have pointed out with respect to the paragraph on page 367 of the Book. We stand behind Mr. Lance and intend to go forward with the publication of the updated trade paperback edition of the Book, which we regard as an important work of investigative journalism.

All Fitzgerald can really say in response, if you read his next three letters:

I do not undertake any obligation to catalogue the entire litany of sensational misstatements of fact contained in the book, which would be a rather strenuous undertaking.

Apparently, it would be strenuous indeed, if the only one he can prove is the date of an article which was still shown on MSNBC.COM with the same date Lance used!

Whistleblower Hearing Today

2009-06-11T10:47:00.002-04:00

From the National Whistleblower Coalition:

The Senate is holding a hearing on the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act today. The public hearing will be held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 342 at 2:30 PM. Please attend if you are in the DC area or you can watch live online by clicking here.

Now is the time to make your voice heard! If you have not sent an email to Congress send it now! Call Senators Daniel Akaka (202) 224-6361 and Susan Collins (202) 224-2523, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and tell them that all federal employees, including those who report misconduct in national security and defense, must have whistleblower protection with full court access.

During the campaign, President Obama pledged to support effective legislation that would protect all federal employees with a guaranteed right to federal court access. Please urge the Senate to back up this promise.

Today is the day to send an action alert. Today it is imperative to pass this alert on to a friend or co-worker so the Senate can hear form the public while they are debating the scope of the law.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Stephen M. Kohn
President
National Whistleblowers Center

Fitzgerald claims: "This is different"

2009-06-10T22:07:00.004-04:00

From the AP:

Its content goes beyond normal criticism, which "goes with the territory" for public figures, Fitzgerald told The Associated Press on Monday.

"This is different," he said. "The book lied about the facts and alleged that I deliberately misled the courts and the public in ways that in part caused the deaths in the 1998 embassy bombing attacks and in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001."

Fitzgerald said the lives lost in those attacks were personal for him and he decided to stand up for himself because "it is outrageous to falsely accuse me of causing those deaths corruptly."

The author said Fitzgerald has tried to "kill" the book with "baseless" allegations.

"Patrick Fitzgerald accuses me of making charges in the book that I never made," Lance said. "At the same time, he continually fails to respond to the substantive allegations documented in 604 pages, 1,425 end notes and 32 pages of documentary appendices."

Rory O'Connor disagrees with the Fitz:

Okay, so he’s one of the “sexiest men alive” — but what does Patrick Fitzgerald, the U.S. Attorney in Chicago and Special Counsel in the CIA leak case, have against us poor, unsexy journalists? It’s bad enough that Fitzie won’t answer my questions: (“Rory. I just wanted to get back to you and let you know that I am going to decline to be interviewed. Thank you. Pat”) It’s worse that he was responsible for the jailing of New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who spent 85 days behind bars. Now comes word that Fitzgerald, who must have too much time on his hands now that Scooter Libby has been freed and Rod Blagojevich indicted, spent much of the last year and a half going after another journalist, Peter Lance, in an attempt to kill a new edition of Lance’s investigative book Triple Cross by threatening to sue both the author and his publisher for libel.

Originally published in November 2006 by Regan Books, a division of HarperCollins, Triple Cross uncovers the story of how Al Qaeda master spy Ali Mohamed infiltrated U.S. intelligence in the years leading up to 9/11 – “and how the FBI’s elite bin Laden squad failed to stop him.” Among the radicals trained by Ali Mohamed –and photographed by the FBI in 1989 — one would go on to kill Rabbi Meier Kahane in 1990; three were convicted in the World Trade Center bombing in 1994; and two (including Kahane’s killer) were later convicted by then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald in 1995 in what became known as the “Day of Terror” plot to blow up the bridges and tunnels into Manhattan. The book also details how the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s offices in New York prosecuted terrorists before 9/11, including “Blind Sheik” Omar Abdel Rahman, who infamously tried to blow up the World Trade Center, and others who bombed US embassies in Africa. And Lance alleges that Fitzgerald, when he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the 1990s, discounted information that may have revealed the existence of an Al Qaeda cell in New York years prior to September 11, 2001.

Fitzgerald’s stab at censorship is especially chilling coming from such a powerful prosecutor. But the lawman says he has no choice, since the book, which focuses on cases Fitzgerald prosecuted as Chief of Organized Crime and Terrorism in the Southern District of New York, is “a deliberate lie masquerading as the truth” and maintains that “it defames me or casts me in a false light,” as he said in one of four threatening letters sent to Lance’s publisher.

Although he wouldn’t speak to me, Fitzgerald did tell the Associated Press that the charges in Triple Cross far surpass normal criticism, which “goes with the territory” for public figures such as United States Attorneys. “This is different,” Fitzgerald contended. “The book lied about the facts and alleged that I deliberately misled the courts and the public in ways that in part caused the deaths in the 1998 embassy bombing attacks and in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.” Fitzgerald told the AP he decided to protest because “it is outrageous to falsely accuse me of causing those deaths corruptly.”