Intrigue Over Able Danger Grows

J.J. Green, federalnewsradio.com

WASHINGTON - More information is emerging about the secret military intelligence program Able Danger that uncovered the names of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers a year before the terror attacks.

The unit that was looking for information on al Qaida uncovered the names of prominent American citizens and their questionable connections to China. Those individuals were never accused of any wrongdoing.

"But what you don't know is all the other things that we've done that haven't come to light," says Able Danger team member J.D. Smith.

Key documents related to those prominent individuals, including a university provost and a former high ranking government official, no longer exist.

"There were two individuals who were ordered by the Army to destroy the documents," says Mark Zaid, an attorney for several of the Able Danger team members. "I've spoken to one of them and confirmed that the documents were destroyed."

Able Danger was shut down in part because of concerns about intelligence on U.S. citizens that the sophisticated software dug up.

The elite unit used computer programs, such as Spire, Parentage and Starlight, to track threats to U.S national security.

"What they were doing was determining who had associational links to certain people or entities or places," Zaid says.

Although the Able Danger intelligence pipeline has been terminated, Smith gives the impression that the China issue is still open.

"In my personal opinion, the stovepipes are alive and well. And for those of us in the contractor world, we're very much aware of that," he said.

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