The Pentagon will not permit its employees to testify at today’s public hearing on Able Danger, reports the New York Times. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Specter registered his surprised, but will go forward with the hearings anyway.
I don’t know enough facts to pass a definitive judgment on the Pentagon’s decision, but on the face of things I don’t have a problem with it. The testimony of the DOD witnesses would seem to involve senstive national security information, and the Committee presumably can get that testimony in private session. Thus, the Pentagon’s decision shouldn’t impede the Committee’s investigation. It will impede the ability of Judiciary Committee members to grandstand, but they’ve had plenty of opportunities to do that recently.
UPDATE: Andy McCarthy at NRO’s corner has a different view. He may be right, but I think he vastly over-estimates the ability of Chairman Specter and the Committee as a whole to conduct a hearing that can get to the facts the public is entitled to know without exposing, and thus compromising, our intelligence methods.
Via Captain Quarters
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