Michelle Malkin noticed a speech by Rep. Curt Weldon, the Congressman who helped uncover Able Danger by finding team members brave enough to go public with their recollections of the program and its identification of the 9/11 hijackers over a year before the attacks. Now Weldon has gone on the rhetorical attack himself, angry at a DIA vendetta that he claims has been waged against Shaffer and the delay in public hearings on the Able Danger program:

A vocal House Republican is calling for a new probe into what he says is a "witch-hunt" by defense officials against a Sept. 11 intelligence whistleblower.

Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Penn., told United Press International that officials at the Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA, had "conducted a deliberate campaign of character assassination" against the whistleblower, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer.

How inept has the DIA been in its campaign against Shaffer? They have hung up his clearance over a series of offenses that go back to his teenage years, events that had to have already been reviewed for clearance renewals over and over again. The DIA now suddenly thinks that the supposed theft of a few pens and a notepad from a meeting when Shaffer was 15 years old makes him a security risk for the nation -- but their own staff shows them to have less sense than teenagers:

Weldon told UPI he had written to the Department of Defense inspector general to ask for "an immediate formal inquiry, with people testifying under oath," into what he called "a clear witch-hunt" against Shaffer, who has been on administrative leave while minor allegations about some expenses are investigated.

Weldon's move comes after Shaffer said that boxes of his personal effects, returned to him by the DIA earlier this month, contained both government property and classified documents.

"Sending classified material through the mail is a felony, and much more serious than any of these minor, trumped up charges against (Shaffer)," he said, adding that "I want the appropriate persons held accountable."

Weldon says that the DIA wants to fire Shaffer. That has him enraged and ready to resign from Congress if necessary to pursue the case against the DIA. Michelle reports that Weldon says the smears are about to get a lot more personal:

You can't let a Lt. Col.'s career be ruined because of a bureaucrat in the DIA...We're seeing lying. Distortion. Wolf Blitzer told me that a Defense Department official told [Blitzer] that Shaffer was having an affair with a member of my staff...he doesn't even know my staff! What do we stand for if not the truth? I'll leave my post, but not until I get justice for this man and the American people.

...scum at the Pentagon are spreading malicious lies.

More on this as it develops. If the DIA really has resorted to these tactics, then it only demonstrates even more that they fear Shaffer and the rest of the Able Danger revelations. What has them so afraid?

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry is

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference A Vendetta Against Tony Shaffer?:

» Able Danger - The Great Summer Story - Re-Awakens! from Macsmind - News, Conservative Commentary and Common Sense
Per Michelle Malkin, Weldon blew his cool, threatened to resign on CSPAN. [Read More]

Tracked on October 19, 2005 11:24 PM

» Is this why they are so afraid? from TOPDOG08.COM
Captain Ed asks: If the DIA really has resorted to these tactics, then it only demonstrates even more that they fear Shaffer and the rest of the Able Danger revelations. What has them so afraid? I'm starting to think they... [Read More]

Tracked on October 19, 2005 11:52 PM

» Weldon Goes Ballistic from The Strata-Sphere
Michelle Malkin is correct when she says Weldon went ballistic tonight on the House floor. My good friend Pedro gave me the heads up and we have it recorded. I had a date with the lovely wife over a few episodes of 24, 1st season - but I did catch a... [Read More]

Tracked on October 20, 2005 12:19 AM

» A true American Hero stand up for whats right from The Pink Flamingo Bar Grill
I wonder how long it will take for John Podhoretz to rise to the defense of the President's team covering up Able Danger [Read More]

Tracked on October 20, 2005 1:14 AM

» Able Danger 10/20 from Voice of the Taciturn
Much to do today, so nothing major to post at this point. Michelle, Captain Ed, AJ, TopDog08, etc. provide as good a round-up of the Weldon-o-rama as can be found. Will be adding additional input throughout the day. [Read More]

Tracked on October 20, 2005 7:47 AM

» Curt Weldon: Gorelick Aide Blocked Able Danger Tes from Hard Starboard
Newsmax relays the scoop: "The person who debriefed [Able Danger analyst] Scott Philpot was, in fact, the lead staffer for Jamie Gorelick," Weldon told the Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes. "His name was Dieter Snell." Weldon contended: "It ... [Read More]

Tracked on October 22, 2005 2:41 PM

» The 9/11 Omission is Back in the News from ShrinkWrapped
Pardon my cynicism, but isn't there something unseemly about the members of the 9/11 Omission, who somehow missed the Able Danger story and allowed Jamie Gorelick, the author of the very regulations that prevented the CIA from talking to the [Read More]

Tracked on November 15, 2005 2:50 PM