Ably Encouraging Danger

I have not posted much of late- blame it on increasingly compicated negotiations for the our new lodgings. However, as I perused the news stories this afternoon, I could not help but notice the latest on the near-discredited 9/11 Commission here.

After seating the architect of the wall between intellignece and law enforcement, Jamie Gorelick, as a member of the Commission, it appears that maybe the Commission was more concerned about covering their own mis-cues than digging for the truth. According to Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Shaffer, the military intelligence team known as Able Danger actually did attempt to notify the FBI, but were dissuaded by military lawyers- citing the Gorelick Wall! The original story becomes more interesting as the 9/11 Commission claims that they never heard from the Able Danger team. However, the military says that Commissioon staffers and members were informed of the top secret operation, and its results.

The question now is- who is to be believed? As the Commission has now admitted they DID receive info on Able Danger, only to discount it, I would side with Able Danger. However, more information needs to be brought forward before we can really get to the bottom of this one. Kudos to Colonel Schaffer for stepping forward and shame on the MSM for refusing to cover him beacause of their partisan politics.

Hat tips to Glenn Reynolds, Captain Ed and amazingly, the New York Times.

UPDATE I: It appears that not only were the US Armed Forces snubbed by the 9/11 Comission, so was German Intelligence! A new report says that Germany arrested two spies in Heidelberg in February 2001. Not just any spies, mInd you, but Iraqui spies. Captain Ed also reports that during this time period, three of the four ringleaders of the plot were taking trips through Germany. Why? Knowing what we know now about the 9/11 plot, why was this ALSO left out of the 9/11 report? It appears that not only wer the commissioners trying to cover for Gorelick, they weere also trying to cover any apparent or even potential contacts between the 9/11 plotters and Iraqui Intelligence. These trrips may have been coincedence, but they may not. Why did the 9/11 commission not even try to decide which?
Hat tip to Captain's Quarters.

UPDATE II: And it appears that the Commission was whitewashing the Clinton Adminstration as well! So how much whitewash can one Commission apply? Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke- except this one turned out to be tragic instead of comedic. A new report in the New York Times says that the State Department warned President Clinton in 1996 not to allow Osama Bin Laden to relocate to Afghanistan. Naturallly, like the Sudanese offer to arrest and extradite him, the Clinton Administration ignored the warning. Why was this also left out of the 9/11 Commission's report? I think the 9/11 Commission has some explaining to do, personally.