TA-ANALYSIS: 9/11 Commission Releases Final Report; Criticizes Congress, Clinton, Bush

The nearly 600 page independent 9/11 Commission report is to be released today. The report calls for a general overseer of U.S. Intelligence, but will not recommend the position as a Cabinet one. The move is to help keep the position from being influenced by the White House.

Key points in the review:
* At least 8 of the 9-11 hijackers passed through Iran
* A "failure of imagination," not governmental neglect, allowed 9-11 to happen.
* Both Clinton and Bush administrations were "ill-prepared" for an attack
* Our response was ineffective.
* No single person is responsible.
* The greatest criticism was aimed at the CIA and FBI.
* The government did not allow a group of Saudis to slip out of the country just after Sept. 11 when all planes were grounded.
* An attack of greater proportions is not just possible, but likely.
* Al Qaeda seeks creative methods to kill Americans.
* bin Laden has inspired affiliates and imitators.

Recommendations:
* Complete intelligence overhaul.
* More secure borders
* A "Director of Intelligence" overseeing the CIA, FBI & other intelligence agencies
* A National Counterterrorism Center to unify counterterrorism intelligence & operations
* Unifying and strengthening Congressional oversight
* We need to remain on the offense
* Intelligence agencies need to unify and work together
* Stronger House and Congressional committees on counterterrorism
* DO NOT recommend a new intelligence agency
* "We must ... preserve the liberties we are fighting for." - Lee Hamilton, Commission Chairman



Key findings of the report are to be:



Going to be an interesting few days as the Dems and the Cons try and spin this both ways. On the bright side, maybe some good will come from this.


[edit on 22-7-2004 by Banshee]

[edit on 7-26-2004 by Valhall]

The details of the report are being released right now.

New information will be added to the above story.

Blame should not be a focus of this report, what it needs to do is show a clear and expedited plan on how to change these failings to help prevent any attack like this from being experienced again.

The way Gov. Kean was sounding, saying that "even bigger" attacks are not only possible but likely tends to be setting up a major change in our security procedures in the near future.

We must keep a close eye in the following months to make sure that our congressmen do not go too far in their efforts to prevent this from happening again, ie: loss of personal freedoms......this will both interesting and trying as the pending changes are proposed and debated.....

[edit on 22-7-2004 by JacKatMtn]

"We have not interviewed every knowledgeable person or found every relevant piece of paper."

Page xvii of the 9/11 Commission Report.

john

Thanks for adding all that, Banshee. You rock

Here's a link to the full report:
www.9-11commission.gov...


Actually, I thought it was pretty light on Bush and Clinton. The main problem the panel saw was that Congress blew its role as the overseer of US Intelligence.

OK, seriously, WHY is this being sold in bookstores???????
apnews.myway.com...

This just seems a little out there to me.

Actually, I have nothing against it being sold in bookstores. I actually did my undergraduate thesis on this same topic (Intelligence Failures and 9/11). Most of the information I got is readily available, and there were plenty of unclassified items at that time too (2002-03).

But it's most likely being sold in the interest of full disclosure. And as a way to silence most sides of the argument. It silences the "Fahrenheit 9/11" crowd....(redirect, I won't say it SILENCES them, but it's the intention) who think that Bush was solely responsible for 9/11, and it also addresses the other crowd who feels that it was soley Clinton's failures in the office, and it also addresses many of the schools of thought in between.

This being sold is a great effort to set the record straight. Then again, it might be a sign that we don't trust the government to tell us the truth, so we have to see it in writing and buy it from Barnes and Noble. Then we might, MIGHT start to believe what our govenment says.

Then we might, MIGHT start to believe what our govenment says.

No, we won't

I think the problem with the report is that it blames everyone, while indicating that the intelligence community is mainly at fault. But there's no definitive finger pointed at anyone saying "That's the mistake that made it happen, and this is the person that did it." I don't know if that could ever happen, but the fact that it's not there will create problems.

What bothers me most is that the report really drives home the fact that we will be attacked again. There is also a very high chance the attack will be much larger than before.

Upon it's release the House and Senate are leaving on vacation. We are at war, shouldn't our elected officials spend time working on this issue now? Why are they taking this vacation instead of entering a special session to address the changes that are needed? Why are our troops being killed every day yet my congressman is going to spend time at his vacation home and helping others run for election?

This is bothering me more and more as I think about it. An independant panel has determined where we failed and how we are at risk NOW not after a vacation period and our elected officials have chosen to go ahead with "business as usual".

Demand action, we spent the time and money to get this report out, we should demand our elected officials deal with it today.

Well i think the report was a good thing now that it is over. I feel they were unbiased pretty much and that is something i found suprising.

THe only thing that gets me is they seem to be on a high horse. They seem to know how to fix all the problems and what we should do.

Its alot easier to say what went wrong and what we should have done after it happen and i think that is what we all should consider.

Hindsight is always 20/20. Should've could've would've. Now they know where everything went wrong in dealing with the whole situation. As long as the government and us learn from this, then maybe, it will become a safer place. Safer for the country and citizens, and safer for the world.

I do feel that the report should be free. Why buy it, when it is available on line for free.

9-11 Commission Report

it's like having a copy of the Warren Commission. some people have this little fascination with "owning a piece of history" wonder if parents will be giving copies of this to their kids like parent's did with the Warren commission's report. *sigh*

This is an interesting speech by a democrat, and I enjoyed the entire thing. Here is a link:

www.truthorfiction.com...

And an excerpt:

Tragically, these hearings have proved to be a very divisive diversion for this country. Tragically, they have devoured valuable time looking backward instead of looking forward. Can you imagine handling the attack on Pearl Harbor this way? Can you imagine Congress, the media, and the public standing for this kind of political gamesmanship and finger-pointing after that day of infamy in 1941?

Some partisans tried that ploy, but they were soon quieted by the patriots who understood how important it was to get on with the war and take the battle to America 's enemies and not dwell on what FDR knew, when. You see, back then the highest priority was to win a war, not to win an election. That is what made them the greatest generation.

Please take the time to look over the full speech if you are really interested.