The 9/11 commission was, in fact, informed about the pre-9/11 discovery of lead hijacker Mohammed Atta by a secret military team. According to the New York Times, the commission’s staff was told by a “uniformed military officer” that the final report would be incomplete without mentioning it. The panel on Wednesday asked Congress to find out why it was denied info on the so-called “Able Danger” discovery.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.