This post, like our popular Schiavo Cast of Characters, is designed to summarize who all of the key players in the Able Danger saga, how they relate to each other, and what their roles are. There is a massive amount of information flowing around the web on this topic, and keeping it all straight was making our heads spin, so here is a synopsis for our reference and yours.

This is just a quick start, which I will be adding to and updating over the next several weeks. One real sleeper in all of this is the China connection that seems to be bubbling under the surface. I’ve not quite put my finger on it yet, so it is not included very explicitly in this list, but I have an inkling that it will become much more prominent in the coming days.

Hugh Shelton

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who created Able Danger, a small highly classified US Army Intelligence program, in 1999.

Rep. Curt Weldon

Curt Weldon is a republican representative from Pennsylvania who first disclosed Able Danger’s existence on 6/27/2005. He is vice chairman of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees.

I have learned that, in fact, one of our Federal agencies had, in fact, identified the major New York cell of Mohamed Atta prior to 9/11; and I have learned, Mr. Speaker, that in September of 2000, that Federal agency actually was prepared to bring the FBI in and prepared to work with the FBI to take down the cell that Mohamed Atta was involved in in New York City, along with two of the other terrorists.

Weldon also stated that information regarding Able Danger was given to the 9/11 Commission, and ignored.

“Why weren’t they briefed? Was there some deliberate attempt at the staff level of the 9/11 commission to steer the commissioners away from Able Danger because of where it might lead?” Weldon asked. “Why was there no mention of Able Danger?”

On 10/21/2005, Weldon blasted the DIA for removing Shaffer’s security clearance. (Via Molten Eagle)

So what has happened to Lieutenant Colonel Shaffer, Mr. Speaker? The Defense Intelligence Agency has lifted his security clearance. One day before he was to testify before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, in uniform, they permanently removed his security clearance. And now our Defense Intelligence Agency has told Colonel Shaffer’s lawyer that they plan to seek a permanent removal of his pay and his health care benefits for him and his two children. Why, Mr. Speaker? Because Lieutenant Colonel Shaffer, like Commander Scott Philpot of the Navy, like J. D. Smith, and like a host of other Able Danger employees, has told the truth.

Mr. Speaker, this is not America.

Timothy J. Roemer, John F. Lehman, Lee H. Hamilton, Al Felzenberg

Roemer and Lehman were members of the 9/11 Commission. Hamilton was vice chair of the Commission, and Felzenberg was a spokesman for the 9/11 Commission. All four men denied that they had information regarding the identification of Atta before 9/11.

Hamilton:

“The Sept. 11 commission (search) did not learn of any U.S. government knowledge prior to 9/11 of surveillance of Mohammed Atta or of his cell,” said Hamilton, a former Democratic congressman from Indiana. “Had we learned of it obviously it would’ve been a major focus of our investigation.”

Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer

Lt. Col. Shaffer has claimed that he was the source for Weldon, and that Able Danger identified Mohamed Atta and three other 9/11 hijackers (Marwan al-Shehhi, Khalid al-Mihdar and Nawaf al-Hazmi) as possible members of al Qaeda by mid 2000. From the World Peace Herald:

Army Reserve Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, a civilian employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency who was a liaison to the project said that in early 2000, it produced a chart bearing the names — and in some case photographs — of about 60 people thought linked to al-Qaeda.

Among them was Mohamed Atta, the plot ringleader.

Navy Captain Scott Philpott

Philpott is an expert in futuristic naval warfare who supported Shaffer’s claims with the following statement:

I have briefed the Department of the Army, the Special Operations Command and the office of (Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence) Dr. Cambone as well as the 9/11 Commission. My story has remained consistent. Atta was identified by Able Danger in January/February 2000.

J.D. Smith

Smith is a civilian contractor who worked on Able Danger. He has been identified as the person who discovered Atta’s name as linked to al Qaeda through Omar Abdel Rahman.

Michael Maloof

Maloof was a one time aid to Richard Perle, more recently a Pentagon security official in the office of Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith, who had his security clearance revoked based on allegedly false charges. He was asked by Weldon to work with Eileen Preisser, who ran the Information Dominance Center at LIWA, in writing about Able Danger.

Frankly, I’m still trying to figure out exactly where he fits into the picture. He seems to have been involved with Syria, China technology transfers and Iraq.

He also appears to have the same lawyer as Shaffer and Smith

Omar Abdel Rahman

Rahman was involved in the first World Trade Center bombing, and was apparently the link to al Qaeda by which Able Danger discovered Atta’s name.

Mark Ewing, Lowell Jacoby, Bill Huntington, Earl Sheck.

DIA employees at a high level who are leaving, or who are rumored to be leaving the DIA.

Dietrich Dieter Snell

Executive Director Zelikow Jamie Gorelick staffer who allegedly is the one (via AM) who kept Able Danger from the 9/11 Commission. Snell apparently was also involved in the FBI investigation into TWA Flight 800, for whatever that connection is worth.

UPDATE: Captain Ed wonders about the veracity of the “Snell worked for Gorelick” allegation. [Sentence above corrected per TopDog’s post].

Other resources:

QT Monster has an incredible list of video links about Able Danger.

Random Stuff

Linking to LaShawn’s blogospheric conditions.
Linking to Ian’s open trackbacks Monday.
Taking a Sunday drive with Joyner.