Able Danger hearings are on C-Span 3. Ret. Major Erik Kleinsmith, now with Lockheed Martin, has just testifed that he personally does not remember seeing Mohamed Atta's name or photo on any Able Danger chart or document, but believes the five people "implicitly" who have testified that they saw his name (Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, Orion contractor JD Smith, Navy Capt. Scott Phillpott, Westphal, etc). He says he made the decision to delete the documents, based on his understanding of Army Regulations, and that he did so in May/June 2000.

Update: What am I missing? Mohamad Atta was not a "US Person" back in May 2000, was he? (9/11 commission report says he entered the US on June 3, 2000). Condoleezza Rice, however, was, and me thinks that had more to do with the closing of Able Danger, deletion of the documents, etc. Shaffer attorney Mark Zaid mentioned in his testimony today armed federal agents coming to Able Danger contractor's JD Smith's Orion Scientific office in May, June 2000 timeframe to seize their data. But his chart (unclassified) was in the trunk of his car. Too bad he threw it out, according to Zaid, in 2004.

What's with Specter's obsession with Posse Comitatus? That's not the act or law that guides the US military's decision to destroy US person information after 90 days!

Posted by Laura at September 21, 2005 10:48 AM