In December 1999, “Operation Able Danger commences. It’s a secret data mining operation ordered by Joint Chiefs chairman Hugh Shelton and General Pete Schoomaker, the head of the army’s Special Operations Command (SOCOM). The Army’s Land Information Warfare Facility (LIWA) searches the Internet for open-source intelligence on al Qaeda. The liaison to the DIA is Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, a decorated counterintelligence officer. The goal: identify al Qaeda targets for elimination.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Peter Lance, Triple Cross, (Timeline) Page 27