Spitzer blocks top aide from 9/11 Congressional testimony

News from The New York Republican State Committee

For more information: Ryan Moses, (518) 462-2601

WHAT IS HE TRYING TO HIDE?

Spitzer blocks top aide from 9/11 Congressional testimony

ALBANY, NY -- (02/15/2006; 1230)(EIS) -- New York Republican State Chairman Stephen Minarik today demanded Eliot Spitzer explain why he would brazenly prevent one of his closest advisers from providing testimony to a Congressional panel investigating the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

"Mr. Spitzer needs to come clean, and tell us what is more important than the safety and security of New Yorkers" Minarik said. "Government's number one priority is the safety and security of its citizens. Eliot Spitzer should try to help that, not hinder it."

According to today's New York Post, "the House Armed Services Committee had requested testimony of Deputy Attorney General Dietrich Snell - a former top investigator with the 9/11 commission - at a hearing today on 'Able Danger,' the secret Pentagon cyber intelligence program that allegedly turned up the name of Mohammed Atta, the mastermind of the atrocity... Staff members of Able Danger, who will appear under oath for the first time at today's hearing, claim they had Atta's name and photograph on a chart of al Qaeda suspects in 2000 and that they were blocked by Clinton administration lawyers from sharing their information with the FBI." (Latham/Dicker, NYP, 2/15/06)

In addition, Minarik noted that Spitzer's action was the ultimate in hypocrisy. According to the Chairman, he noted that while speaking at a 2004 Democratic National Convention event, Spitzer himself stated: "We have seen in the 9/11 commission report how many errors we made and how many opportunities were missed." (Savage, NY Sun, 7/30/04)

"I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Spitzer that the 9/11 Commission report documented critical errors made, and prime opportunities missed," Chairman Minarik continued. "However, Mr. Spitzer must have a feeble memory, or is just a horrible hypocrite. How else can anyone explain Mr. Spitzer shielding a top aide, who formerly served as an investigator with the 9/11 commission, from assisting our nation's efforts to improve our security at home and abroad?"

"Politics and personal interests should never interfere with the safety and security of our people," Chairman Minarik concluded. "Unfortunately, Mr. Spitzer's actions and rank hypocrisy are putting all of us needlessly at risk. New Yorkers and all Americans deserve better."

This is one of the wierdest things to try to figure out. Spitzer prevents his aide from testifying about 9/11 during the Able Danger hearings, and he gets grilled by the 'New York Republican State Committee'. Spitzer never did anything with the information sent to him by concerned citizens regarding 9/11 through the justicefor911.org petition, and now he blocks his aide from even testifying about 9/11 to a somewhat tame Able Danger hearing.

The article seems more than just a bit misleading in labeling the Able Danger hearings as 'a Congressional panel investigating the terrorist attacks of 9/11'. The Able Danger hearings are far short form a full investigation into 9/11, and since when do republican committees care about blocking information related to 9/11?

It seems like members of the 9/11 Commission wants nothing to do with the story of Able Danger. What is going on here?

Thanks Erik for the heads up.