Reading 9/11 Report: A Question of Priorities
by KevinSeptember 27th, 2006
I have decided to do something that I have put off for the last few years: reading the 9/11 Commission report. I have read sections of it, of course, but put off reading the whole thing because the sections I did read were so infuriating. I was also hoping that some other histories of the day would come out. The 9/11 report was a product of both consensus and the government. And while no one has ever shown that there are significant errors or significant omissions, the nature of the report dictates some level of both conservatism in its conclusions and an interest in breadth at the expense of depth. That makes it a starting point, not the final word. It has taken awhile, but reliable histories are beginning to emerge. I will be comparing those to the 9/11 as I go along. This is going to be an intermittent feature, though I hope to write on it at least once a week. As I come across things in the report that I find intriguing, important, or infuriating, I will write about them. I hope to also compare the 9/11 recommendations with the actions of the government since its release and with the opinions of independent security experts. There is a lot of heat around 9/11; maybe this can help shed some light on the matter.
So let us begin.
And let us immediately become infuriated. Just a handful of pages into the preface we find this subtle passage:
We conclude this list of thanks by coming full circle: We thank the families of 9/11, whose persistence and dedication helped create the Commission. They have been with us each step of the way, as partners and witnesses. They know better than any of us the importance of the work we have undertaken.
That is a direct reference to the history of the creation of the commission. The law creating the commission wasn’t passed until November 27, 2002 — fourteen months after the attacks. By comparison, the investigation of Pearl Harbor started almost immediately. Why the delay? To be blunt, the Bush Administration fought the creation of the commission tooth and nail for more than a year. Without the tireless efforts of the 9/11 families, the Commission might never have had been created. Not only would we have lost the history of the event, we would have lost the lessons that history taught us and the public would have been denied the information they need to judge the performance of our politicians on terrorism related matters. And Bush, apparently, was fine with that possibility:
President Bush took a few minutes during his trip to Europe Thursday to voice his opposition to establishing a special commission to probe how the government dealt with terror warnings before Sept. 11.
Mr. Bush said the matter should be dealt with by congressional intelligence committees.
CBS News Correspondent Bill Plante reports that Mr. Bush said the investigation should be confined to Congress because it deals with sensitive information that could reveal sources and methods of intelligence. Therefore, he said, the congressional investigation is “the best place” to probe the events leading up to the terrorist attacks.
If Bush had had his way, much of the information in the 9/11 report would have remained secret and unknown.
Even when the Commission was established, the Bush Administration tried to hamstring it. It was given a very tight deadline — eighteen months — and a miniscule budget — three million dollars. The republican chair asked for a minimum of eleven million more. The Bush Administration also fought releasing documents the commission demanded. Bush and Cheney also refused to appear separately before the commission and refused to allow the session to be recorded or a transcript to be made.
None of this appears in the report, aside from that one oblique reference. But that reference is a reminder that the 9/11 commission members were not happy with the delay and the stonewalling. For us, it’s a reminder that the Bush Administration appears more interested in protecting its approval ratings than in the demands of an open society.
Categories: 9/11 Report, General |
NY 2747+254+125+ESP191+RUS331+GB52+IND209= 3 9/11 +BALI202= 4 11.3 +WTC6= 4 119 +USS COLE17= 4136 = JEAR 1941 WEEK 36
Rosie,
Thank you for having the courage to speak your mind on this issue. The truth may never be proven, but the doubts are definity there that the tragedy of 9/11 was really what it was presented to be. Anyone who doubts that our Government would actually orchestrate, or at least permit such an atrociy to take place, has had his head in the sand for too long. Way past time for people to wake up and demand accountability from our elected officials.
how and where were the explosives put into all three towers? in the fire extinguisher systems? elevators? were some of the elevators closed off that day? is there anyone out there that worked in the towers prior to 911 and saw activities by construction/electrician-looking workers drilling holes, running wires.were the offices left in disarray in the morning when you came to work?…what about the plane loaders at the airport? did you notice extra security in the loading areas especially near certain cargo?..somebody from the towers and the airport must know something…speak up people
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