Able Danger - Data-mining, Atta, and a Blue Dress

GovEx, has this article today that has ole AJ Strata "sorta" dancing in the streets, but like I told 'em before, "you should have been in the business" - AJ had this thing pegged from the git-go. Give it a read.

For myself, not much to add, we think alike. So just a few thoughts though on the article. In essence it just recaps the story, but then also gives us the whole picture and moreover the "moral of the story".

Again, and I don't know how to really put this. But in the real world of "international intrigue", there is sometimes "sacrifice", and other times, as AJ found out and as this article tells us, there is just good old fashion "Blue Dress" CYA at work. But remember this, life isn't fair and neither is intelligence work.

However, we also have to understand that beside the reasons cited for Able Danger's demise, There are other reasons that doomed it as well. One reason may be simple who we are - or rather who we were prior to 9/11.

The very reason that some people are in a huff about the "Secret Prisons" farse, is the fact is that possibly the United States isn't ready for a this type of scrutiny of it's people, or for the hard facts of serious intelligence gaming to be made known to it.

Ma and Pa Kettle would freak if they knew how much of their information is farmed, collected and stored on a daily basis.

Before September 11 we were more or less a victim of our own "openness", and desire not to be too secretive. We know that one of the concerns with sharing the data from Able Danger was "legal" - heh, only in America. At least pre 9/11 America.

Septemeber 11th, brought the needed reforms in the Patriot Act, but it also brought a slew of legal and constitutional hassles and questions as well.

Yes America changed on 9/11. Which is why I think we haven't had an attack on this soil since. In spite of the 9/11 Omission Commission's opinion on the matter, we are going just fine.

I don't want hearings on Able Danger just so we can hang people. That solves nothing and quite frankly if that were the case the hearings wouldn't see the light of day.

The article ends with the future of Data Mining and of harvesting other technologies to enhance our IC efforts. That's what we should be looking forward to in hearings and hopefully that's the way they'll pan out.



iraq Politics News murtha Able Danger Curt Weldon

December 07, 2005

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