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Editorial: Congress should hold ‘Able Danger’ hearings
11/20/2005

The adage in Washington is that the cover-up is worse than the crime. That appears to be the case in the case of "Able Danger" and the case being built by our congressman, U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon. Mr. Weldon insists there was an Army intelligence operation within the Pentagon called "Able Danger" which identified Sept. 11 hijacker Mohammad Atta and others as terrorists intent on doing harm to America.


But when the 9/11 Commission presented its final report, there was never a word about "Able Danger" or the Pentagon operation or the clues that Atta and his men were in the United States, plotting their attack on the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and the White House.


And this is where the cover-up comes.

Mr. Weldon sought to have five people who had knowledge about the secret intelligence unit testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing. However, at the last minute, the Pentagon refused to allow the five to testify.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the committee could be privately briefed, but the Pentagon would not allow public testimony on the issue.

This week, Weldon petitioned fellow House members and obtained a majority in calling for open hearings on Able Danger and how much the Pentagon knew about the band of terrorists within our borders for a year before Sept. 11. He also wants to know why 9/11 Commission staffers covered up details of the special intelligence unit.

We support Congressman Weldon in his efforts and urge the House and Senate leadership to stage the public hearings and get to the bottom of the matter.

It’s only fair to the memory of those who died in the terror attacks in 2001 and for their families, who have been seeking the elusive truth for too long.