DoD Inspector General: Intel Agency Ordered to Stop Pre-9/11 Tracking of Bin Laden

From My.FireDogLake,

The core of IRON MAN’s allegations was that DO5 had produced original intelligence on terrorists that would link to 9/11, including identification of targets at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It was only as an incidental comment about what Congress should have been asking in regards to JFIC’s work (see quote below), that the IG’s response brought up the issue of stopping the tracking of Bin Laden, something the IG report not only confirms, but narrates (bold emphasis added, spellings kept as in original):

The IG report, which does not explain the 18-month delay in opening an investigation, cleared JFIC of any wrongdoing and declared that the intelligence agency had “provided a timely and accurate reply in response to the 9/11 Commission.” In evident response, IRON MAN indicated to the IG investigating staff that “he had never seen the 9/11 Commission questions or JFIC’s response, but that Congress should have asked for files concerning the tracking of Usama Bin Ladin.”

According to the IG report, the 9/11 Commission “had not requested the direct submission of any files or requested information regarding the tracking of Usama Bin Ladin”….

According to the narrative in the IG report, a previous JFIC deputy director of intelligence said that the JFIC commander, identified elsewhere in the report as Capt. Janice Dundas, US Navy, “directed him to stop tracking Usama Bin Ladin. The Commanding Officer stated that the tracking of Usama Bin Ladin did not fall within JFIC’s mission.” At the same time, JFIC analysis of purported Afghanistan “terrorist training camps” was also curtailed, with an explanation that such activities were outside the agency’s Area of Operations and “that the issues where sic] not in JFIC’s swim lane.”