Weldon not buying 'Able Danger' dismissal

Accuses 9-11 commission of changing its story on Atta info

Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., has accused the 9-11 commission of changing its story several times this week about revelations Defense Department investigators tracking al-Qaida were prevented from passing along information on the presence of Mohammed Atta and three other future hijackers in the U.S. more than a year before the worst terrorist attack in history.

The Pentagon established a special operations task force called "Able Danger" to identify and target al-Qaida on a global basis using advanced technology and data analysis.

But when Able Danger operatives found Atta directing an al-Qaida sleeper cell in New York in 2000, they were blocked from passing it along to the FBI for action, he says.

"The 9-11 commission has released multiple statements over the past week, each of which has significantly changed � from initially denying ever being briefed to acknowledging being briefed on both operation Able Danger and Mohammed Atta," he said. "The information was omitted primarily because they found it to be suspect despite having been briefed on it two times by two different military officers on active duty. Additionally, the 9-11 commission also received documents from the Department of Defense on Able Danger.

Weldon says two critical questions remain unanswered about Able Danger's findings:

Why did the Department of Defense fail to pass critical information obtained through Able Danger to the FBI between the summer and fall of 2000?

Why did the 9/11 Commission staff fail properly to follow up on the three separate occasions when they received information on Able Danger and Mohammed Atta?
"I will continue to push for a full accounting of the historical record so that we may preclude these types of failures from happening again," he said.

Gorelick's later presence on the 9-11 commission was criticized by Attorney General John Ashcroft and others because she was placed in a position of reviewing her own policies during the Clinton administration.

There are also concerns that the staff of the 9-11 commission was stacked with former Clinton administration operatives who had a vested interest in covering up any of its failings.