That’s exactly what I was thinking as the session progressed and Cambone was singing ABLE DANGER praises. But then he ruined his positive momentum, in my opinion, when Weldon asked him “Do you think AD was historically significant?” by spinning it to “Do you think the 9/11 Commission was correct in saying AD was not historically significant?” and then decline to answer that. (I don’t know the exact verbiage, but Cambone was trying not to answer and Weldon came back with “That’s not what I’m asking. I want to know what YOU think.”

I was there only two hours but listened to the rest online. I came away with this impression: Cambone’s office screwed up royally…and had they been upfront and above board with Weldon from the git-go back in August 2005, they wouldn’t be in the hot seat today.

They obviously chose not to do so…for reasons known only to them but now conjectured upon for months in the blogosphere.

Then, when Weldon and Shaffer went public, Cambone’s office compounds its own bad situation by automatically buying DIA’s version of Shaffer’s security clearance issue, and then using it (or allowing it to be used) to shoot the messenger in order to kill the story.

So now they have two problems on their hands.

If you want to get the skinny on the hearings, you’ve got to turn to the smaller media outlets or the bloggers.

Since you were there I would say your call is better than mine. I got the feeling the fireworks were flying in the closed session. I doubt the chair was covering for Cambone. I think Cambone means well and that is why most people are on the sideline – not taking sides really. This is between Cambone and Weldon, and Cambone has enough positive credibilty to have weathered the storm this far. But my guess is Weldon is closing in on him. Cambone handled this all wrong. He should have brought Weldon into his effort and not push if off, and then screw up the investigation like he has. Fights between two good people take this route. It took me a while to see it, but I am more and more sure there is no attempt on Cambone’s part to hide anything. I think he is overly confident and unable to admit he may have been duped by those who are hiding something.

Transcribed letter (2/15/01) from Gerard Van Hoorelbeke to Louis Freeh (facsimile of original follows):

Director Freeh (FBI) 2/15/01
File # 265A-NY-258172

“Private and Confidential”

I had the rare opportunity of inspecting the above FBI 302 forms, that was furnished to me by infomatant Gregory Scarpa who worked this case for the FBI. At any rate, I also had the opportunity to discuss this case file with the person it involves (Ramsey Yousef). After I showed him the file, and after many conversations he uttered in disgust

“That don’t mean shit, soon “Bin Laden” will use your own planes as bombs to take down the W.T.C.”

Quote to the best of my knowledge ….
I forward this sensitive information to you, because I believe it is of national concern, whereas the threat appears to attack the very soul of our nation. I am writing to you like this, because I think the B.O.P. Would botch this investigation, if any, and in view of our personal difficulties I still believe this matter deserves your immediate
attention. I trust you will follow these allegations up with great interest, and with all the resources the FBI has to offer the citizens of America, and their childrens future.

The above 302 forms disturbed me, to the point where I question sending you this information, nevertheless I can only hope you do the right thing, and not wait until something terrible happens
before you act. I must admit the above statement is foreign to me, because I did not take the statement any further.

P.S. I am the only inmate that had access to (Ramsey Yousef) on a daily basis ….. I’ll explain this situation to you, if need be.

Gerard Van Hoorelbeke
10376-029
U.S.P. MAX, P.O. Box 8500
Florence, Colorado 81226-8500

What follows is over 40 pages of the actual FBI302 forms.

SBD

That’s not the impression I got…plus Weldon had already been throwing out warnings about other unnamed witnesses who would be coming forward with sworn statements about other things.

It was so very obvious that Cambone was caught totally off-guard. When Weldon asked whether Butch Willard was on his staff and Cambone responded “He is.”, the OSD staffer sitting directly behind Cambone, who up until this point had been sitting quietly, bolted forward to the edge of his chair and whispered into Cambone’s ear. It was THEN that the chair interrupted Cambone’s answer (not Weldon’s question) and asked that this discussion be continued behind closed doors.

Seemed to me the chair, by interrupting the witness, was trying to help Cambone.

It is very possible. That was Able Danger’s role and the data mining capability allows the analyst to get a world-wide view simply from data. No need for spies or eavesdropping or foreign intel.

I am fairly positive that this is the case. Especially given the way Cambone talked about its success when he responds to Ruiz.

Maid Marion,

Weldon was close to divulging some details about the witness who heard the claims and, since SHE was former intel he was close to pulling a Novak (as in Plame). The fact he twice let it be known it was a woman was what triggered the comment. That’s my guess.

AJStrata

I attended part of the open testimony Wednesday…could only stay for the first two hours.

Found a seat about five minutes before showtime and thought it odd no CSpan cameras were there since they were present at the previous day’s Whistleblower hearing (Rep. Shays’ sub-committee). I just figured CSpan had higher priorities for the crew…but then heard talk that the committee didn’t invite them. Does anyone know if that’s the rule…CSpan must be invited in? My assumption all these years has been CSpan could put their cameras anywhere they wanted (i.e., any open hearings). If it’s true CSpan needs an invite, wonder why they didn’t get one?

Also, before the hearing began at 2:30pm, Philip Zelikow appeared briefly in the room but he came in from the back chamber waiting rooms (is that what they’re called? It’s where the staffers enter and exit) not from the main public entry doors. My guess is he was watching or listening to the open proceedings through audio/video feeds. I read somewhere yesterday that Weldon was highly agitated Zelikow’s subsequent closed door testimony turned out to be unclassified… Very strange… Zelikow acts as though he has something to hide.

Re. item #25, I was perplexed when the chair stepped in and said this discussion should be moved to the closed door session. Any idea why the chair would step in and do this?