9/11 Chair: Attack Was Preventable

CBS ^ | 17 December 2003

[Hal1950]

For the first time, the chairman of the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks is saying publicly that 9/11 could have and should have been prevented, reports CBS News Correspondent Randall Pinkston.

"This is a very, very important part of history and we've got to tell it right," said Thomas Kean.

"As you read the report, you're going to have a pretty clear idea what wasn't done and what should have been done," he said. "This was not something that had to happen."

Appointed by the Bush administration, Kean, a former Republican governor of New Jersey, is now pointing fingers inside the administration and laying blame.

"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. They simply failed," Kean said.

To find out who failed and why, the commission has navigated a political landmine, threatening a subpoena to gain access to the president's top-secret daily briefs. Those documents may shed light on one of the most controversial assertions of the Bush administration – that there was never any thought given to the idea that terrorists might fly an airplane into a building.

"I don't think anybody could have predicted that they would try to use an airplane as a missile, a hijacked airplane as a missile," said national security adviser Condoleeza Rice on May 16, 2002.

"How is it possible we have a national security advisor coming out and saying we had no idea they could use planes as weapons when we had FBI records from 1991 stating that this is a possibility," said Kristen Breitweiser, one of four New Jersey widows who lobbied Congress and the president to appoint the commission.

The widows want to know why various government agencies didn't connect the dots before Sept. 11, such as warnings from FBI offices in Minnesota and Arizona about suspicious student pilots.

"If you were to tell me that two years after the murder of my husband that we wouldn't have one question answered, I wouldn't believe it," Breitweiser said.

Kean admits the commission also has more questions than answers.

Asked whether we should at least know if people sitting in the decision-making spots on that critical day are still in those positions, Kean said, "Yes, the answer is yes. And we will."

Kean promises major revelations in public testimony beginning next month from top officials in the FBI, CIA, Defense Department, National Security Agency and, maybe, President Bush and former President Clinton.

[quidnunc]

Deb wrote: The whole argument is nuts. When I saw that Richard Ben Venista was on the committee, I knew GW would be taking it in the shorts.

They haven't got him yet and Rove is a shrewd customer, so I don't think Dubya & co would appoint people who would do them dirt.

However, if I were George Tenent and some other embeded Clintonistas I might be updating my resumé about now.

[Betty Jo]

Ethel and I think Howlin dosn't understand my mentioning the Cole.

Howlin, I guess, dosnt understand that incompetents in governments are both republican and democrat.

Rabid partisans on both sides will only lead America down to doom.

Truth should be the only agenda in protecting the lives of Americans.

Until FR throws me off, I'll just keep on Freepin and googlin.

To pretend that both political parties protected us is a lie!

[Howlin]

Clue: you posted to ME for, for some reason. I think I've been pretty clear for a long time about what I think of your posts.

[nopardons]

Hey, here's an idea...JUST LEAVE FR !

Since you doubt that the GOP and President Bush in particular, has renegged on its vow to keep us " safe ", then you don't belong here; not to mention the fact that you're naive, blinkered, and haven't a clue about politics, government, nor the way of the world.

[Steel Wolf]

Instead we're treated to Crawford photo ops with House of Saud "princes" and to pabulum about the KSA being an ally in the WOT.

Saudi Arabia's relationship with Islamic terror is being handled like China's relationship with Taiwan. In either case, shortsighted fools have painted themselves into a corner, and it's up to us to keep the lid on. We could simply declare the ugly truth to the world, and damn the consequences. This would only increase our workload and complicate our other efforts.

Also, forcing our own hand would be counterproductive. Just as China knows deep down what the score is on Taiwan, Saudi Arabia knows exactly how we feel about Islamic terror. Some battles are best fought behind closed doors.

[Proud Legions]

Hmmm,

There were literally hundreds of "clues" in hindsite...but that is part of the problem. We had intel that said they would do this on Christmas Day of 2000, on News Years Day of 2001, on Memorial Day, on July 4th, on Labor Day, ect. We also had good intel that indicated over 8000 different targets were being looked at by terrorists groups. If dozens of targets are indicated every day, what do you do...shut down the entire US. Rice did not blow this. Way too many conspiracy theorists (sp?) with way too much time on their hands.

Could we have done better? Sure, we can always do better when you look backward. And we should make fixes. But that is a far cry from saying any adminsitration caused this to happen, or even permitted it to happen due to incompetence.

The one thing that needed to improve was the communication between intel organizations, but that had been a problem for decades, and not a unique Bush Administration problem...he clearly had not had time to fix that one in under 8 months. Good grief, if I remember right he was still trying to get his cabinet confirmed.

[Fred Mertz]

I think I've been pretty clear for a long time about what I think of your posts.

You're really pushing the envelope there, howling. Do you actually think?

You'd be wise to read and learn from Betty Jo's posts.

[Deb]

Kean is a blithering idiot and every Democrat on the committee is hardcore. Of course they'll get nothing on Bush because there's nothing to get, but like this article and all the others, there doesn't have to be any reality to the scandals they create...look at the Haliburton BS.

[onyx]

ETOM, Good evening!


Warning: Agent Mertz is trolling here for fatboy --- posting "selected" comments at their sewer.

It is truly pathetic. FR was fatboy's whole life and he just can't ignore the going's on here. LMAO!

[Fred Mertz]

Hey, here's an idea...JUST LEAVE FR !

Why don't you? It would be a better place without you, and the average IQ would soar! ;^)

[Steel Wolf]

Just out of curiosity, since you seem to agree with the title of this article, what steps do you think the government, Bush's or Clinton's, should have taken to prevent 9/11? What is your vision of competent government, and how could it combat terrorism better?

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

We should make it good then. ; )

[nutmeg]

I'm wondering how much the press will leave out. I mean the part where Clinton had several opportunities to capture Osama Bin Laden but never did.

I'm wondering the same. It seems to me that FReepers are the only people who are aware of Clinton's refusal to take bin Laden back in the mid-90s. Everytime I mention this FACT in public I always get these "looks" from people, as if I'm some sort of kook! :-(

[onyx]

Don't we always? :)

[nopardons]

It would be a far better place if Betty Jo took you with her and the average IG score would remain the same, since neither of yours' register.:-)

[gatorbait]

It never ceases to amaze me to witness the depths of loony cogitation some of these people go to. Howlin, I have to say, I find the conspiracy theorists really do make Howard Dean seem semi normal.
hje Bush haters on the right are as vitriolic as the DUmmies and perhaps less rational as they seem to enjoy slashing their own throats in the name of something they think is principle , but is actually a tantrum

[nopardons]

Good evening to YOU, ETOM.

Who is " fatboy " and what's that all about ?

No...fred is a stalker and he hates most women. This is just his same old, same old. LOL

[Howlin]

Do you actually think?

Here's what I'm thinking right now, Fred: it only took you 1:30 minutes to get over here after he told you he's interested in copying and pasting this thread and sent you on your merry way to provoke some "good copy" for him.

Is that the kind of thing you and Todd enjoy doing? Is it a guy thing? Or is it because everybody over there except you has him on ignore?

BTW, tell him to be sure and copy and paste onyx's remarks over there.

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.