Welcome Back. We Missed You

Able Danger is back in the news, courtesy of former FBI Director Louis Freeh.

There are other questions that need answers. Was Able Danger intelligence provided to the 9/11 Commission prior to the finalization of its report, and, if so, why was it not explored? In sum, what did the 9/11 commissioners and their staff know about Able Danger and when did they know it?

The Able Danger intelligence, if confirmed, is undoubtedly the most relevant fact of the entire post-9/11 inquiry. Even the most junior investigator would immediately know that the name and photo ID of Atta in 2000 is precisely the kind of tactical intelligence the FBI has many times employed to prevent attacks and arrest terrorists. Yet the 9/11 Commission inexplicably concluded that it “was not historically significant.” This astounding conclusion—in combination with the failure to investigate Able Danger and incorporate it into its findings—raises serious challenges to the commission’s credibility and, if the facts prove out, might just render the commission historically insignificant itself.

The go to folks on this story are Captain Ed, AJ Strata and MacsMind.

Together, those three have this whole thing covered. Go back through their archives. It's certainly an eye opener.

UPDATE:
Atlas Shrugged notices the Freeh article, and wonders what else did the 9/11 Commission know, and when did they know it. That's a fair question, but a more pointed question is who in the 9/11 Commission's staff decided that Able Danger wasn't worth examining in further detail. I would like to see that person put under oath to testify as to their knowledge of Able Danger, how they decided not to include it in the Commission's report, and whether there was a political dynamic to excluding both Able Danger and the White memos from the public report.

UPDATE:
QT Monster (and cross posted to the Able Danger blog)notes that Freeh's comments should help push Able Danger out of the shadows and into the media's glare. Here's hoping that the media actually bothers to pay attention. For a change. And Rep. Weldon's getting some heavy hitters to call for hearings. More than 200 members of Congress have signed up.