Former flight school owner says U.S. intelligence failure ruined his life

By LAUREN GLENN, WILL ROTHSCHILD and PAUL QUINLAN

VENICE — While Mohamed Atta was taking flight lessons in Venice in the months before the 9/11 attacks, a little-known intelligence arm of the federal government may have identified him as a member of the al-Qaida terrorist group but took no action to stop him.

The classified military intelligence unit called “Able Danger” identified Atta and three others as possible members of an al-Qaida cell operating in the United States more than a year before the 9/11 attacks, U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., vice chairman of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, told the New York Times.

(more…)

POSTED: 10:51 am EDT August 16, 2005
UPDATED: 11:06 am EDT August 16, 2005

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The state’s largest anti-terrorism drill continues Tuesday.

The exercise began Monday and involves more than 80 state, federal and local agencies. Tuesday’s drill includes a mock raid on a terrorist safe house at Fort Bragg and a retaliatory strike with a radioactive dirty bomb.

Monday’s drill saw soldiers storm a bus full of visiting congressional dignitaries held hostage. The soldiers then teamed up with an elite FBI unit to track down terrorists.

(source / full list of drills)

August 15th Interview.

(download mp3)

Part I from August 3rd is still available (here)