Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer

So... Zelikow... You mean Zelikow. Zelikow... who had met with me in Afghanistan. Philip Zelikow? Philip Zelikow. And who is he? He is the staff director of the 9-11 Commission. Kurt mentioned him earlier. So when I was undercover, again, this is a bit complicated.

So... Zelikow... You mean Zelikow. Zelikow... who had met with me in Afghanistan. Philip Zelikow? Philip Zelikow. And who is he? He is the staff director of the 9-11 Commission. Kurt mentioned him earlier. So when I was undercover, again, this is a bit complicated.

When I was undercover in alias in Afghanistan being the director of operations for the clandestine operations in Afghanistan in 2003, it's when Zelikow came through Bagram, and he was part of the 9-11 Commission. He and several staffers came through, and their task, this is the 9-11 Commission task, was to do research on events before, the day of, and after the 9-11 attacks.

When I was undercover in alias in Afghanistan being the director of operations for the clandestine operations in Afghanistan in 2003, it's when Zelikow came through Bagram, and he was part of the 9-11 Commission. He and several staffers came through, and their task, this is the 9-11 Commission task, was to do research on events before, the day of, and after the 9-11 attacks.

They basically wanted to talk to people with firsthand, anecdotal information. So I raised my hand. It's like, hey, they've probably already heard of this, but I want to talk about Able Danger. And this was October of 2003. And so what I'm going to tell you now is what I told them.

They basically wanted to talk to people with firsthand, anecdotal information. So I raised my hand. It's like, hey, they've probably already heard of this, but I want to talk about Able Danger. And this was October of 2003. And so what I'm going to tell you now is what I told them.

Able Danger was an entrepreneurial concept that was created for the purposes of targeting a non-geographic target, al-Qaeda. You had Eric Prince on a year ago. Eric's concepts, and I love Eric. I consider us friends. I hope so. He believes in entrepreneurial concepts. We did that internally. We were trying to figure out the best and brightest way to go after Al Qaeda, in 1999.

Able Danger was an entrepreneurial concept that was created for the purposes of targeting a non-geographic target, al-Qaeda. You had Eric Prince on a year ago. Eric's concepts, and I love Eric. I consider us friends. I hope so. He believes in entrepreneurial concepts. We did that internally. We were trying to figure out the best and brightest way to go after Al Qaeda, in 1999.

It actually is a PMC model. It is a private military contract. I've talked to him about it. So what we did is that as a reservist, I know you're going to laugh at this, as a major, I was down in Tampa and the DIA rep, Al Downs, said, Go talk. This is a major reservist going to brief the commanding general, Pete Schoonmaker, on my civilian mission. Pete Schoonmaker. Pete Schoonmaker.

It actually is a PMC model. It is a private military contract. I've talked to him about it. So what we did is that as a reservist, I know you're going to laugh at this, as a major, I was down in Tampa and the DIA rep, Al Downs, said, Go talk. This is a major reservist going to brief the commanding general, Pete Schoonmaker, on my civilian mission. Pete Schoonmaker. Pete Schoonmaker.

General Pete Schoonmaker was commander of Special Operations Command in 1999 to 2000. There he is. So imagine, if you will, when people have a hard time wrapping their mind around this, a little old reservist major goes in to brief the commanding general of SOCOM on what I do in my civilian DIA job. Out of that meeting, Pat, General Schoonmaker says, I get him read into Able Danger.

General Pete Schoonmaker was commander of Special Operations Command in 1999 to 2000. There he is. So imagine, if you will, when people have a hard time wrapping their mind around this, a little old reservist major goes in to brief the commanding general of SOCOM on what I do in my civilian DIA job. Out of that meeting, Pat, General Schoonmaker says, I get him read into Able Danger.

And I had no idea what that was. So the next day, I think this was August of 1999, I'm brought down into a secure – yeah, you guys have your thing in a bank vault. Well, SCIFs are like bank vaults. They're secure facilities within secure facilities. I go down, and I'm introduced to Captain Scott Philpott, who's a lieutenant commander, and I'm given this big old binder.

And I had no idea what that was. So the next day, I think this was August of 1999, I'm brought down into a secure – yeah, you guys have your thing in a bank vault. Well, SCIFs are like bank vaults. They're secure facilities within secure facilities. I go down, and I'm introduced to Captain Scott Philpott, who's a lieutenant commander, and I'm given this big old binder.

The binder's about five inches thick. He says, there you go. And I start reading it. Scott. Scott Philpott. And I start reading it. And it is like the e-ticket to Disneyland. We're going downtown to go after Al Qaeda. This is a sweet. This is a concept to go and conduct offensive, offensive operations against the growing threat. Remember, you talked about the value judgment of what you invest in.

The binder's about five inches thick. He says, there you go. And I start reading it. Scott. Scott Philpott. And I start reading it. And it is like the e-ticket to Disneyland. We're going downtown to go after Al Qaeda. This is a sweet. This is a concept to go and conduct offensive, offensive operations against the growing threat. Remember, you talked about the value judgment of what you invest in.

We'd already been hit twice in Africa from al-Qaeda. And there was a recognition that that was a growing threat. So secretly, General Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, you can bring him up. Hugh Shelton was chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 99, had tasked Pete Schoonmaker with Able Danger. Able Danger was a... a campaign plan. You're a business guy, so you guys do campaigns, right?

We'd already been hit twice in Africa from al-Qaeda. And there was a recognition that that was a growing threat. So secretly, General Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, you can bring him up. Hugh Shelton was chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 99, had tasked Pete Schoonmaker with Able Danger. Able Danger was a... a campaign plan. You're a business guy, so you guys do campaigns, right?

Late 99. So it has nothing to do with 9-11. No. Well, it gets there. Let me get you there. So able danger was the offensive concept off the books. Remember, you see in the movies all the time, the euphemism of off the books. We were off the books operation.

Late 99. So it has nothing to do with 9-11. No. Well, it gets there. Let me get you there. So able danger was the offensive concept off the books. Remember, you see in the movies all the time, the euphemism of off the books. We were off the books operation.