9/11 Commission Says It Needs More Time - (GOP rejects)

[papau]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/28/national/28TERR.html


911 Commission Says It Needs More Time By PHILIP SHENON Published: January 28, 2004ASHINGTON, Jan. 27 —

The independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks announced on Tuesday that it was seeking an extension of its deadline to complete the investigation until at least July, raising the prospect of a public fight with the White House and a final report delivered in the heat of the presidential campaign.

The White House and Republican Congressional leaders have said they see no need to extend the congressionally mandated deadline, now set for May 27, and a spokesman for Speaker J. Dennis Hastert said Tuesday that Mr. Hastert would oppose any legislation to grant the extension.But commission officials said there was no way to finish their work on time, a situation they attribute in part to delays by the Bush administration in turning over documents and other evidence.

The commission said Tuesday that it had not yet received a commitment from the administration for public testimony from prominent White House officials, including Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser. The panel said it was still in negotiations over the possibility of testimony from President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney."We are telling the Congress and the president what we need to do the best possible job," said the panel's chairman, Thomas H. Kean, a Republican who was formerly governor of New Jersey, in announcing the panel's decision to seek an extension of at least two months.

"Much work remains, and some hard work in finalizing our report." The commission's vice chairman, Lee H. Hamilton, a former Democratic House member from Indiana, said the panel was "mindful of the politics" of an extension, "but if we do not have the extra time, we would not have as many hearings as we would like."<snip>

The administration initially opposed creation of the 10-member independent commission, known formally as the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.Administration officials have acknowledged concern that Democrats, particularly the Democratic nominee for president, will try to make use of the report's findings to embarrass Mr. Bush, especially if the report contains any suggestion that the White House failed to act before Sept. 11 on intelligence suggesting that a catastrophic attack might be imminent. The White House confirmed news reports last year that an Oval Office intelligence summary presented to Mr. Bush shortly before the attacks suggested that terrorists might be planning an attack using passenger planes.<snip>

[lovedems]

1. I have read this before and am totally shocked!

They sure have alot of balls to hold their RNC convention in NYC this year. I hope that the families of 9-11, who deserve the truth, make a big stink about playing politics with the worst attack since Pearl Harbor.

Just when I think this administration can't possibly sink any lower, they somehow manage.

[Homer12]

3. Would Bushco let terrorsist attack the RNC convention?

I'm serious.

About the 9/11 commission, if the RNC stops the commission (not that I want it stopped, it would make a campain issue for the democrats.

[skypilot]

4. That's if the Democrats...

...get the spine to pick it up as an issue. We'll see. The Dems really should go into full attack mode on this.

[utopian]

2. I just don't see Bush testifying

They want this thing under the carpet as soon as possible.

[central scrutinizer]

5. the WMD - Kay thing, while important,

is a distraction and Iraq is far away. This is the issue that we need to hammer on that will finally wake up the sheeple. Why are the Republicans trying to stop the commission? What are they afraid of? Keep hammering on this one - remember all of Bushco's power flows from 9/11. Knock that pillar over and the rest will crumble so fast your head will spin

[OneBlueSky]

6. great issue for the Democrats . . .

let's hope our candidates jump on it, and soon . . . excellent way to go after Bush on 9/11 without actually accusing him of anything . . . other than withholding information and not agreeing to a perfectly reasosnable request by the Commission for more time . . . Kerry and the others should be talking about this TODAY! . . .

[Festivito]

7. PREDICTION: December 2004.

By May: Opps! Can't do it now either. August. Opps, can't release this during such a tuff campaign.

December 24th, 11:15pm, report released, public, i.e. redacted copy, to follow.

[SpiralHawk]

8. The 9/11 coverup by BushCo and the GOP

needs to be made a Major Campaign Issue.

Tell the Truth. What happened?

[mulethree]

9. Executive orders

Executive orders - by Tom Clancey - 1997 - 2,000,000+ copies sold. Japanese pilot kamikaze's the U.S. Capital building with a 747 during the inauguration wiping out most of the government leaders. Iranians brew up some Ebola as a biological weapon. Clancey's hero Jack Ryan gets instantly promoted to President and tries to get americans to swear off politicians when they elect new representatives to fill all the vacancies.

Introduces a very plausible use of a jetliner, and it's huge fuel tanks (24,000 gals 767, 50,000 gals 747), as a precision guided (suicide) missile. Huge kinetic energy (40 tons * 400 mph) plus the incendiary power of 500 napalm bombs.

1993, the basement truck bomb attack on the World Trade Center. Illustrates to the world the desirability of "Symbols of global dominance" as targets for terrorism.

2001, All the above has somehow been ignored (well, not by the terrorists) and 3 "symbols of global dominance" are attacked with jetliners.

Lesson learned? A building like the pentagon is better targeted with a 747 as it carries 3X the fuel.