The Pentagon has muddled through a three-week investigation into allegations that Operation Able Danger uncovered information in 2000 about the 9/11 hijackers that was not passed on to the FBI. (See DR, 8/18/05.) DOD officials on Thursday said that they have not found physical evidence of the chart alleged to contain a photo of Mohammed Atta, but they did uncover three people—not already identified in news media reports—who recalled a chart with either a photo or reference to the 9/11 hijacker. So far, so good. On to an official description of Able Danger. First, what it was not: a military unit or a targeting effort. What it was: a 15-month planning effort that had as one of its tasks uncovering linkages among and within al Qaeda. Glad we got that cleared up.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.