Able Danger was a small, military intelligence unit under Special
Operations Command. It was created as a result of a directive in
September 1999 to develop a campaign against transnational terrorism,
specifically al-Qaida. According to claims made by Lt. Col. Anthony
Shaffer and confirmed by others, Able Danger had identified the 9/11
attack leader, Mohamed Atta, and the three other lead 9/11 hijackers
as possible members of an al Qaeda cell operating in the United States
by early 2000.
