Citizens deserve truth about Able Danger

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

There is a fuse burning in Washington and it leads to a powder keg called Able Danger. This was the name of a data-mining operation begun by the Defense Intelligence Agency during the Clinton administration.

Its mission was to sort through electronic communications for information about al-Qaida. In February 2000 it claimed to have identified Mohammed Atta and three of his fellow hijackers, including photos. There are reports of several attempts to inform the director of this agency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the FBI with this information. All the collected data has been destroyed and the security clearances pulled from former Able Danger personnel, and they were forbidden to testify.

I telephoned the offices of our congressional delegation and asked if any of this was true. Rep. Michael Michaud and Sen. Susan Collins didn't respond. Rep. Tom Allen told me everything was OK and Sen. Olympia Snowe, who gains my respect day by day, said she took my concerns seriously and would "monitor this developing situation."

With news about domestic spying, corruption, bribery, and how we were deceived into starting a war, it seems that if this is true, this may be America's darkest hour.

We, as citizens, must demand truthful answers. This is far too grave an issue to allow it to dwindle off into conspiracy lore. What did Bush and Co. know and when? He and his administration appear to be creating an imperial presidency justified by 9/11 and the war on terror.

Peter McFarland

Jefferson