Senate Panel Postpones 9/11 Hearing (due to Rosh Hashanah observances)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-5306021,00.html

Seante Panel Postpones 9/11 Hearing


WASHINGTON (AP) - Citing next week's Rosh Hashanah observances, the Senate Judiciary Committee has postponed its scheduled hearing on what a highly classified military intelligence unit code-named ``Able Danger'' knew about the 9/11 hijackers.

But an attorney for a military intelligence officer who was expected to appear said the Defense Department's refusal to allow such testimony - not the Jewish holiday - was the real reason for the delay.

``It sounds better than the truth, which is that DOD is not cooperative,'' said Mark Zaid, attorney for Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, who has said the unit used data mining to link ringleader Mohamed Atta and three other hijackers to al-Qaida more than a year before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Zaid said he was informed on Monday that Shaffer would not be allowed to testify at the hearing scheduled for Oct. 5. Observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins Monday, Oct. 3.