Liveblogging the Committee on Government Reform's National Security Subcommittee Hearing on National Security Whistleblower Protection

The audio of the Able Danger related portions of this hearing are posted here.

The Committee on Government Reform's National Security Subcommittee hearing on National Security Whistleblower Protection will begin momentarily. I will live blog the Able Danger relevant portions in this post. Later today I will post the audio and transcription of the Able Danger relevant portions of this hearing.

1:05 PM - Rep. Chris Shays, CT, is the Chair's opening statement: The powers needed to fight the GWOT could, if unchecked, restrict our freedoms. We need whistle blowers to tell us when things go wrong. National security whistle blowers have less recourse than other whistle blowers-because of the secretive nature of these organizations.

1:12 PM - Rep. Henry Waxman, CA opening statement: Makes the point that today's national security whistle blowers are not afforded the same protections that Karl Rove has benefitted from (he has kept his security clearance even though he has been questioned by the Plame grand jury).

1:15 PM - Rep. Dennis Kucinich, OH: Who will speak up in a dangerous time if whistle blowers are not protected in the national security community.

1:32 PM - Rep. Waxman: the CIA should be more forthcoming and participated in this hearing. The CIA's letter is basically an excuse for not participating.

1:33 PM - Rep. Kucinich: the CIA sounds like it is trying to dodge Congressional oversight.

1:34 PM - Rep. Curt Weldon, PA opening statement: states that Lt. Col. Shaffer came to within 2 days of losing his pay and healthcare for his kids. Shaffer will testify at the Able Danger hearing tomorrow and that hearing will change the nature of life in DC. Gives a list of officers and government officials who had their careers destroyed when they told the truth. Shaffer was approached today by a DIA official asking him what he intended to say in the hearings.

1:39 PM - Rep. Shays instructs witnesses that they each have 6 minutes for their opening statements.

1:40 PM - Samuel Provence: Enlisted in the Army in 1998, specialized in intelligence. His experience in Iraq and Germany troubled him. He's concerned about what the Army is becoming. Intelligence collection procedures were changed there. Young soldiers were scapegoated in Abu Ghraib while superiors were let off the hook. His superiors told him that he'd need to lie about what he experienced. Ultimately he was demoted as a result.

1:43 PM - Lt. Col. Shaffer: The use of the security clearance system to intimidate. There are officers in the beauracracy who abandon their oath of office for self preservation. His disclosure of Able Danger information was the reason he was harrassed. He is no boy scout, that's not why he was hired as an intelligent officer. He's been trained to take risks. DIA arbitrarily removed him from active status. He became involved in Able Danger in 1998. States again that Able Danger was a pre-9/11 project that was to identify terrorists in the US.

1:47 PM - Shaffer defends all the DIA charges against him.

1:50 PM - Shaffer became a whistle blower out of necessity so the truth could be told. Recommends an independent IG to look at issues.

1:52 PM - Opening statements of remaining witnesses.

2:13 PM - Rep. Curt Weldon: If we don't fix the whistle blower problems, no one in government will ever speak up. All of these stories of last 20 years have 1 thing in common-all have been ruined. Weldon is really offended that military would have their careers ruined for telling the truth about what is happening in the services.

2:16 PM - Weldon questions Shaffer: Shaffer states that he's briefed CIA Director as a junior field officer. Shaffer has served for 22 years as an intelligence officer. States what he was doing in Afghanistan, he worked under cover. Gen. Shelton authorized Able Danger and Gen. Schoomaker carried it out. Purpose was to go after Al Qeada's structure using offensive methodology. Cap. Scott Philpott ran AD day to day. He (Philpott) is witnessing tomorrow in closed session. In Jan. 2000 Shaffer took a chart showing Mohammad Atta, the chart showed AQ structure. 7 others have also testified the same. Meetings were set up by the FBI 3 times, that never happened. The Atta information was never transferred to the FBI. Gen. Shelton recently said that he authorized the creation of AD. In 10/2003 Shaffer knew that Zelikow was in Afghanistan. Shaffer met with them and provided a secret level briefing. Told the DIA of Shaffer's briefings and the DIA was not happy. Shaffer tried to meet with 9-11 Commission and he was told he wouldn't need to meet with them. Dr. Zelikow said in the press that he never met with Shaffer at Bagram in Afghanistan. Back in Washington Shaffer's career took a turn for the worst.

2:23 PM - Shaffer lists the Pentagon's charges against him. The charges involve government pens and tiny phone bills.

2:26 PM - Rep. Waxman questions one of the other witnesses.

3:07 PM - Tony Shaffer states that he never intended to be a whistle blower.

3:08 PM - Shaffer recommends transparency of process to improve the situation for whistle blowers. His records did not include any of his awards. Review how security clearances are granted-somehow similar to permits to carry concealed weapons.

3:44 PM - Rep. Chris Shays remarks/questions. He questions witness about process.

3:50 PM - Shaffer describes the process that he was involved with re Able Danger. The people he spoke to did not take an interest in what he had to say about Able Danger. He had assumed that there was a classified annex to the 9-11 Commission report, but he later learned that there wasn't. He was later urged to come forward.

3:56 PM - Rep. Shays asks each witness to submit in writing their suggestions to improve the system.

4:00 PM - Second panel begins. Panel includes Shaffer's attorney, Mark Zaid.

vadkins
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Comments

[topdog08]

Man, will these guys ever shut up and let the witness talk?