The Continued Flow of MSM Bulls**t!

Multiple HTs to the usal suspects on this one!

One the one hand, the NYT offers this story backing the "Able Danger" pre-9/11 findings.

August 22, 2005
Navy Officer Affirms Assertions About Pre-9/11 Data on Atta
By PHILIP SHENON

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 - An active-duty Navy captain has become the second military officer to come forward publicly to say that a secret defense intelligence program tagged the ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks as a possible terrorist more than a year before the attacks.

The officer, Scott J. Phillpott, said in a statement today that he could not discuss details of the military program, which was called Able Danger, but confirmed that its analysts had identified the Sept. 11 ringleader, Mohamed Atta, by name by early 2000. "My story is consistent," said Captain Phillpott, who managed the program for the Pentagon's Special Operations Command. "Atta was identified by Able Danger by January-February of 2000."

His comments came on the same day that the Pentagon's chief spokesman, Lawrence Di Rita, told reporters that the Defense Department had been unable to validate the assertions made by an Army intelligence veteran, Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, and now backed up by Captain Phillpott, about the early identification of Mr. Atta.

I have highlighted the last paragraph because that story, from the WaPo, is now making the rounds amongst the leftist bloggers (liberal bias?? Nah!!!)

Pentagon Unable to Validate 9/11 Claims

The Associated Press
Monday, August 22, 2005; 11:08 PM

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has been unable to validate claims that a secret intelligence unit identified Sept. 11 hijacker Mohamed Atta as a terrorist more than a year before the attacks, a Defense Department spokesman said Monday.

Larry Di Rita said that some research into the matter continues, but thus far there has been no evidence that the intelligence unit, called "Able Danger," came up with information as specific as an officer associated with the program has asserted.


"What we found are mostly general references to terrorist cells," Di Rita said, without providing detail.

(snip)

Shaffer's attorney, Mark Zaid, responded that Shaffer's assertions will be proven.

"Additional Able Danger team members are coming forward to specifically validate and support Mr. Shaffer's account that several of the 9/11 hijackers, including Mohammed Atta, were identified through their efforts prior to the terrorist attack," Zaid said.

On Monday, Navy Capt. Scott Philpott told Fox News Channel that he had also told the Sept. 11 commission about Atta and Able Danger. In a statement sent to Fox, Philpott wrote: "My story has remained consistent. Atta was identified by Able Danger in early 2000."

Zaid said the Pentagon is looking for documents in the wrong places and talking to the wrong people.

TrekMedic's Musings:

The WaPo story is generally running under the banner of "The Right is Out to Get Bill Clinton, Again!"

I say,..if the shoe fits,....

This will be my last venting before I'm off to the UK for a few days. Enjoy!