Sept. 11 Panel: Bush, Clinton Not to Blame - No Evidence to Blame Clinton or Bush Administrations

ABCNEWS.COM ^

[Sub-Driver]

Sept. 11 Panel: Bush, Clinton Not to Blame Sept. 11 Commission Chairman Says There's No Evidence to Blame Clinton or Bush Administrations

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Dec. 18 — The chairman of a federal commission looking into the Sept. 11 attacks said Thursday that mistakes over many years left the United States vulnerable to such an attack, but he resisted pinning blame on either of the last two presidential teams. "We have no evidence that anybody high in the Clinton administration or the Bush administration did anything wrong," chairman Thomas Kean said in an interview with ABC's "Nightline" taped for airing Thursday night.

Kean said the 10-member National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States has not decided whether to ask former President Clinton or President Bush to testify. He also said that any conclusions about the performance of high-level officials "will be reached when we are finished with our job, not now."

Kean sought to clarify remarks attributed to him in a CBS News report that aired Wednesday.

In the CBS interview, Kean said the commission's report, due May 27, will detail "what wasn't done and what should have be done" to prevent the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

He added, "There are people that, if I was doing the job, would certainly not be in the position they were in at that time because they failed."

CBS reported that Kean's comments constituted "pointing fingers inside the (Bush) administration and laying blame."

On Thursday, Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark labeled Kean's statements "disturbing" and said they showed the Bush administration could have done more to protect America from a terrorist attack.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said Kean's comments meant "that Bush administration officials had valuable information that could have prevented the terrorist attacks."

But Kean said in Thursday's interview that he did not mean to suggest that certain federal officials should have been fired after Sept. 11. He said he was commenting on obvious mistakes that were made, such as letting terrorists into the country and letting dangerous items onto planes.

"There are a number of steps along the way, that if they had occurred differently, this event wouldn't have occurred," he said.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said he reviewed the CBS report and did not believe Kean leveled accusations against the Bush administration.

"There is nothing that we have seen that leads us to believe that Sept. 11 could have been prevented," McClellan said.

Kean, a former Republican governor of New Jersey, was appointed by Bush to lead the bipartisan commission.

[Aeronaut]

...most thinking Americans don't buy any of it.

We can only hope...! BTW: Thank you for the Sunday morning efforts you do.

[mystery-ak]

It's not the *thinking* Americans Im worried about, it's the moron voters that worry me.

[mitchbert]

Agreed. As a parallel, the rot in Canuckistan is not just the fault of the former Chretien government, although he accelerated it beyond what many thought was possible. It began wholehearted with Trudeau, but in fact can be traced back to the Tory government of Diefenbaker (cancelling the Arrow, not fighting for the right to make the BOMARK {s?} nuclear missle, etc). It can happen slowly and the realization of the damage doesn't emerge until situation nearly critical. I hope we come out of it. I deeply hope America doesn't fully slide into it. I'm an optimist, though, I must admit :-)

[cyncooper]

Chris Matthews was being his obtuse self on this matter and now I see Keith Olbermann promoing his show just starting and this heads the list.

Kean's words actually were oblique, but certainly could be construed to be wielded against Bush. Did CBS distort or did he deliberately craft his words to be interpreted as the hearer wished? I don't trust him.

Matthews also had that widow that's leading the charge specifically against Condi in the 9/11 matter.

Here's Olberman quoting the CBS story. Ah, Olberman just said Kean referred "vaguely" to the Bush administration.

[breakem]

how about Adams or Washington?

[ironman]

"Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said Kean's comments meant "that Bush administration officials had valuable information that could have prevented the terrorist attacks."

Will Lautenberg be retracking his statement?

[Ima Lurker]

Are you kidding? There are plenty of people who will believe it. Some because they are stupid and some because they want to.

[bdeaner]

It should have been obvious with anyone with the eyes to see that CBS was twisting Kean's words so that they communicated what they wanted to hear -- that is, as constituting an attack on the Bush administration -- rather than what he actually said. Read the original CBS report again. Kean never points a finger at the Bush administration. He said that 9/11 could have been prevented. That same has been said a number of times by the Bush administration, in statements, for example, by Rumsfeld and Powell.

[Ann Archy]

Anyone see Crisssy Matthews just beat up Peggy Noonan?? What an ASS he is. I detest him now.

[arasina]

Did CBS twist Kean's words? Did they slant their story? Did ABC see a possibility that their man Clinton's "legacy" would be "smeared" if they let the CBS "report" stand? I don't believe for a minute they did this out of some sort of journalistic CONSCIENCE and I still don't trust Kean.

[cyncooper]

Some people saw the spin CBS put on their story and went nuts. I did too at first, until I read a little closer. Goes to show how effective media bias can be.

That's what I pointed out yesterday, too.

And there's talk of both Bush and Clinton "testifying" for this committee. Can you imagine Clinton's smarmy "testimony"? I get sick to my stomach thinking of how he would craft his whole message to point blame away from himself and toward Bush, while President Bush would stick to facts.

The truth will out, but it is painful to watch those who wish ill to this administration deceptively twist information.

Ack. Olberman hauls on Gary Hart who just said "Yes, this was preventable".

[sinkspur]

Will Lautenberg be retracking his statement?

He won't remember he made it.

[mitchbert]

Anyone see Crisssy Matthews just beat up Peggy Noonan??

Details please!

Did Matthews let her get a word in?

Peggy is an intellectual giant next to him. I can't believe she could have had a chance to adequately respond and not crush him like a bug. More info please. Thanks.

[woodyinscc]

Lawrence O'Donnell just said on hardball that President Bush, while not being legalese, intimated to the American people that SH was involved in 911 because he mentioned OBL and SH in the same speeches. These guys are desperate, and logic like this, spoken in all sincerity, can only help our side. O'Donnell should be ashamed of himself.

[Wait4Truth]

Wesley Clark said today that President Bush failed in his oath of office. Gary Hart just spoke the word "impeachment". I guess they are really going to try this, aren't they?

[Sub-Driver]

he's senile...........

[waRNmother.armyboots]

It is not what the Clinton administration did, but what it failed to do that left this nation vulnerable for 9-11.

[woodyinscc]

I saw the whole thing, he is getting desperate. Peggy Noonan is no one to pick on, and she did not lose her cool.

[Toskrin]

Everyone on both sides needs to stop blameshifting.

There's only one person to blame - OSAMA BIN LADEN.

[Dog Gone]

Canada today is where America would have been 20 years from now if 9/11 hadn't slapped us into reality. I don't wish a 9/11 on Canada to undo the past mistakes, nor do I think it will happen. At present, Canada is no threat to the ambitions of terrorists, so there is no reason to target it.

The only question I have is whether Canada will be willing to change its policies to the point where terrorists perceive it as an adversary. I don't have any reason to be hopeful in the short term, but I do keep hoping.