Washington – The Pentagon has been unable to validate claims that a secret intelligence unit identified Sept. 11 hijacker Mohamed Atta as a terrorist more than a year before the attacks, a Defense Department spokesman said Monday.
Larry Di Rita said research into the matter continues but that there has been no evidence thus far that the intelligence unit, called “Able Danger,” came up with information as specific as an officer associated with the program has asserted.
“What we found are mostly general references to terrorist cells,” Di Rita said.
The officer, Army Reserve Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, said Able Danger identified as terrorists Atta and three other future Sept. 11 hijackers in 2000. But, Shaffer said, military lawyers stopped the unit from sharing the information with the FBI out of concerns about the legality of gathering and sharing information on people in the United States.
Shaffer’s assertions have been publicized by Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., vice chairman of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees.
Di Rita said Pentagon researchers have found no evidence that Able Danger had Mohamed Atta’s name. He said he was unsure whether the unit came up with the identities of the three other hijackers but then said that none of Shaffer’s specific claims had been validated.
Shaffer himself has not provided any documentary proof, Di Rita said, and he said Shaffer has presented his information as secondhand.
Shaffer’s attorney, Mark Zaid, responded that Shaffer’s assertions will be proven.
“Additional Able Danger team members are coming forward to specifically validate and support Mr. Shaffer’s account that several of the 9/11 hijackers, including Mohamed Atta, were identified through their efforts prior to the terrorist attack,” Zaid said.
Zaid said the Pentagon is looking for documents in the wrong places and talking to the wrong people.
