First a little clarification:
I worked through the Nixon, Ford (Carter), and Reagan and Bush I years - luckily I packed my duffle bag before Clinton. In addition my success in my work - my beans and bullets was that I didn't follow the crowd, jump on the badwagon, even if everything pointed to the fair.
I was taught that suspicion of the facts is the first general order of intel. Verify your suspicions is the second. Yeah, sometimes I was wrong, but most times I was right. I also learned that "fair" and "goverment" were not synonymous and that just because the forces of light were bright and arrayed in armor , ready to fight - sometimes you were told to "Stand down" right at the crux. Sometimes the battle just didn't get fought.
The point is that while this story is getting sporatic coverage (mostly blogs on both sides of the fence) and a few MSM headlines (mostly repeating each other's AP recount), there really isn't any interest in this story. There simply isn't.
We know that if the MSM could pin it on Bush then it would be wall to wall coverage. If it is, as it seems more critical to the Clinton years, well then that's why some bloggers are frustrated that there isn't more coverage. The truth is that aside from the "blogsphere investigations" and really good arguments to back up their points (on both sides), this story hasn't caught, and likely won't.
Further, since my "Cobweb" announcement was met with "raised eyebrows", it's a fact, and you can take it from the Rooster - if CW says it's over, it's over.
Spector can stand on the White House with a bull horn buck-naked with Weldon singing the Star Spangle Banner- it's just not going anywhere.
Now let me clarify this: I wish it would continue, I am totally facinated by this story and just to let people know, I more well versed in Data Mining than I've let on (a reason for my skeptism).
In anycase, the story is interesting and AJ would have made a fine investigator and I appreciate his doggedness! As well as others like Cpt Ed, Tom Mcguire and others.
Yet, let's not forget, this is Washington. To borrow from the Bible, "Washington is the same yesterday, today and will be forever!" It never changes.
Now to illustrate several things coming up are going to absolutely bury this story.
1) The next SCOTUS nomination (goodbye fall, winter, spring 06).
2) The 2006 midterm elections. In this you can be assured that NO ONE on the Hill or Senate is going to want this anyhwere on the landscape by that time.
As far as the letter from the Commission, my point is that they make some good points, but THE POINT is that there is NO Chart with Atta's mug on it. It doesn't matter what anybody thinks about where it might be, or who took it, u the fact is that without it it's "word against word", and guess who's word is going to reign on in the end?
It's old news and from what we know both sides of the isle have some dirt involved in this - thus no one can use it to their advantage exclusively....so, story over.
Then this little tidbit...
Word is - and it's light at this point, that Weldon is going to get a bit of "plussed up funding" for his trouble.
I take you to the GSN interview with Ltc. Shaffer:
"GSN:
Suppose you get to the point, where everybody says, “Yes, Able Danger existed; yes, they did this great data mining; yes, they identified the cells and Atta; yes, they tried to submit it to the FBI; yes, the lawyers, maybe with good intentions, blocked them; and, yes, that was a royal screw up.” Everyone agrees to all that. What then? What is your goal? What, beyond everybody agreeing that your story is 100 percent accurate, are you looking for?
SHAFFER:
The ultimate goal is what created this whole event to begin with. The intent of Congressman Weldon, and the Army and maybe the leadership was to re-create this [data mining] capability. That’s why this all came up. In the January / February timeframe, we started down the path with Captain Philpott in the lead, saying, “We need to look at how we can recreate the suite of Able Danger capabilities.”
That’s when I came into it, because of my knowledge of, and having managed part of the process last time. Army and Navy went to Weldon and said, “Wouldn’t it be great if we had some funding for this?” That’s the key. [Rep.Weldon] asked the hard question, “What happened to the previous iteration of this?” And that’s when the story came out.
..." I believe it was his intent to put it into the record on 27 June 2005, just to justify the expense of putting this into the upcoming FY2006 appropriations bill. But that was the ultimate objective here -- to build something called Able Providence. Able Providence being the follow up to [Able Danger.] In the simplest terms, to create a global, 21st century armored cavalry capability. Again, the idea here, going back to Gettysburg, when General Buford went after and seized the high ground of Gettysburg. That was a decisive point of that battle."
That was, according to Shaffer the whole purpose of bringing this out in the open - money for the new improved Able Danger.
Well, Weldon?
Mission accomplished! He's going to get his dough and probably more than he could have asked or thought of.
And listen, that is GOOD news. We need this technology operational NOW.
Hush money?
Maybe, but like I said, this is Washington!
UPDATE: Cpt Ed. Speculates about the significance of the announcement of Able Danger witnesses NOW being able to testify. Truth is that this group, primarily Army Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, Navy Capt. Scott Phillpott, and defense contractor John Smith will be allowed to testify to the commission.
I'm not impressed nor see this necessarily as a reversal. Their careers are over or soon to be over. Most of what they are going to say will be pretty much what we already know. Again, CW called the shot initially, possibly he modified his order a bit, but again, these three aren't going to add to the intrigue.
Again, the Check is in the mail.
Filed Under: Able Danger Curt Weldon
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