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incarcerated
09-25-2010, 21:56
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/25/pentagon-destroys-copies-controversial-memoir-written-army-officer/

Pentagon Destroys Copies of Controversial Memoir Written by Army Officer

September 25, 2010
FoxNews.com
The Pentagon has burned 9.500 copies of Army Reserve Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer's memoir "Operation Dark Heart," his book about going undercover in Afghanistan.

A Department of Defense officials tells Fox News that the department purchased copies of the first printing because they contained information which could cause damage to national security.

The U.S. Army originally cleared the book for release.

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency attempted to block the book about the tipping point in Afghanistan and a controversial pre-9/11 data mining project called "Able Danger."

In a letter obtained by Fox News, the DIA says national security could be breached if "Operation Dark Heart" is published in its current form. The agency also attempted to block key portions of the book that claim "Able Danger" successfully identified hijacker Mohammed Atta as a threat to the United States before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Specifically, the DIA wanted references to a meeting between Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, the book's author, and the executive director of the 9/11 Commission, Philip Zelikow, removed. In that meeting, which took place in Afghanistan, Shaffer alleges the commission was told about "Able Danger" and the identification of Atta before the attacks. No mention of this was made in the final 9/11 report.

Shaffer, who was undercover at the time, said there was "stunned silence" at the meeting after he told the executive director of the commission and others that Atta was identified as early as 2000 by "Able Danger."

"Dr. Philip Zelikow approached me in the corner of the room. 'What you said today is very important. I need you to get in touch with me as soon as you return from your deployment here in Afghanistan'," Shaffer said.

Once back in the U.S., Shaffer says he contacted the commission. Without explanation, the commission was no longer interested. An inspector general report by the Department of Defense concluded there was no evidence to support the claims of Shaffer and others. But Fox News has obtained an unredacted copy of the IG report containing the names of witnesses, who backed up Shaffer's story when contacted for comment.

Atta was the alleged ringleader of the Sept. 11 hijackers and piloted American Airlines Flight 11 into the World Trade Center.

Shaffer spoke to Fox News before he was asked by the military not to discuss the book. He confirmed efforts to block the book and other details.

Calling the move "highly unusual," he explained that the book had already been cleared for release when the DIA stepped in.

"Apparently, Defense Intelligence Agency took exception to the way the Army cleared the book," he told Fox News.

The documents and exclusive interviews, including an Army data collector on the Able Danger Project, are part of an ongoing investigation by the documentary unit "Fox News Reporting" which uncovered new details about American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and efforts by the FBI to track and recruit him for intelligence purposes after 9/11.

Fox News' Catherine Herridge and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

T-Rock
09-25-2010, 22:56
Always wondered what Sandy the Burglar destroyed, and why Jamie Gorelick was on the 9/11 Commission, considering it should have been a conflict of interest - I’m curious like a cat :D :(

FWIW, Triple Cross has an interesting section on “Able Danger”
http://web.me.com/netgraph1/peterlance.com/Operation_Able_Danger.html

History Commons also has an interesting section as well…
http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?before_9/11=abledanger&timeline=complete_911_timeline

Rep. Curt Weldon says of Able Danger, “I am convinced this is a bigger cover-up than Watergate.… More than 3,000 people were slaughtered and [the 9/11 Commission] deliberately kept the story from being part of its report because it would have embarrassed some of its members.”

Why would the DIA have an interest in destroying something that was already approved by the Army :confused:

AngelsSix
09-26-2010, 16:40
From what I know, there was never an approval through "big Army". He went through the Army Reserve, but it never went higher than that.

Peregrino
09-26-2010, 17:06
Funny. I can't think of a better way to publicize his allegations than to make a big deal out of buying and destroying all copies. Eventually this will explode and whatever/whoever was being hidden/protected will be front page news. :munchin

Paslode
09-26-2010, 17:30
Funny. I can't think of a better way to publicize his allegations than to make a big deal out of buying and destroying all copies. Eventually this will explode and whatever/whoever was being hidden/protected will be front page news. :munchin


Schaffer may get what he wanted after all, exposure of a bureaucratic cluster f-k of epic proportions. Some will hang, others remain hidden and protected.

blacksmoke
10-02-2010, 08:02
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101001/bs_yblog_upshot/pentagon-burns-book-and-makes-it-a-best-seller

I wonder how many of the first run going for 2k on e-bay are going to make it into the wrong hands?

drymartini66
10-02-2010, 11:21
Funny. I can't think of a better way to publicize his allegations than to make a big deal out of buying and destroying all copies. Eventually this will explode and whatever/whoever was being hidden/protected will be front page news. :munchin

Yes, enquiring minds want to know...:munchin

aegisnavy
10-02-2010, 15:40
I wasn't aware of the internal debates going on withing the DoD about what violates OPSEC and what doesn't. Chalk it up to my lack of SA :o What an unfortunate snafu. Probably won't be the last time this will happen.