This week the Bush Administration prevented witnesses from providing public testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee about Able Danger, "a secret military unit that is said to have identified four of the Sept. 11 hijackers more than a year before the terrorist attacks." [Foxnews.com, 9/22/05] Even Republican members of Congress blasted the White House's unwillingness to be open and honest with the American people about our fight against terrorism.
The Bush White House has once again shown a preference for playing politics rather than protecting the American people from terrorist attacks. At every turn, this Administration has been unwilling to investigate its own officials, their friends and their cronies. Now, even Republicans in Congress are rebelling against Bush's inability to tell the truth about his Administration's failures. It's time for President Bush to stop stonewalling and demonstrate genuine leadership by working with Congress to independently and thoroughly answer the serious questions about our national security raised by the failures of Able Danger and the failed response to Katrina.
GOP Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA): Bush Administration Owes American People an Explanation. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter blasted the Pentagon's decision not to allow five key officials to testify in front of his committee. "I think the Department of Defense owes the American people an explanation of what went on here. The American people are entitled to some answers." Specter also noted, "that looks to me like it may be obstruction of the committee's activities, something we will have to determine." [Reuters, 9/22/05; AP, 9/22/05; Foxnews.com, 9/22/05]
GOP Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA): Pentagon Wants to Avoid "Egg on Their Face." "A Pentagon spokesman had said the decision to limit testimony was based on concerns about disclosing classified information, but Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, said he believed the reason was a concern 'that they'll just have egg on their face.'" [New York Times, 9/22/05]
GOP Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA): "There's something wrong with the system, and we should be able to discuss that." [Portland (Maine) Press-Herald, 9/22/05]
