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.

[nopardons]

No doubt; perhaps many little windows. LOL

[onyx]

Too bad, Freddy. You'll have to decipher that one all by yourself.

[nopardons]

Aaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww .....

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

AAAAMEN!

Finally, we have a logical poster who sees the big picture for what it is!

Now on the other hand, I would not let Klintoon off the hook one iota! (That's pronounced "Eye-Yoda" to you LPs)

[nopardons]

Much nicer picture. Oh yes, and a big, juicy ZOT, from the kitties, is nice to conjure up too.

[Mo1]

You sound just like Mad Cow Halfbright

Oh I like that name .. can I steal it?;0)

[Mo1]

Just replace the thought with something more pleasant...like a mushroom cloud. : )

Skip the cloud .. I think only mushrooms would help every that thought

[nopardons]

Be my guest. :-)

[justshe]

Where is it posted that FR is REPUBLICAN?

---

It may not be posted that FR is Republican...but you may want to take a gander at this post from the owner of FR.

Howdy Mike. Long time no see. It's a love hate relationship. Fred's actually a good guy and he's been part of FR forever. The conservatives have split into so many factions that even old friends are constantly ripping at each others throats. I try to tolerate the old-timers who turn on us for as long as I possibly can, but many of the most aggressive right-wingers are so eager to see Bush fail that they've fallen hard for any of the leftist propaganda coming down the pike (even the most obvious tinfoil conspiracy crap) and have actually ended up joining the dark side. Right meets left. When it becomes obvious that they've gone all the way over and start working full-time to defeat the Republicans, then I usually have no choice but to let them go. Otherwise, it's pure civil-war hell around here. Fred hates to see any of our old friends go. So do I.

But my most immediate goal is to have a complete turnover in the judiciary or to dump as many liberals from the court as we possibly can and also to keep the legislative agenda out of Democrat hands. It's a certainty that the Democrats will not appoint or confirm conservative judges or advance the conservative cause so that leaves the Republicans as our only option.

I want to see a reversal of Roe vs Wade and a complete rollback of the leftist feminist/homosexual/gungrabbing agenda and a ton of other liberal/socialist crap rescinded/abolished etc, and I want to see it in my life-time! For this reason, IMHO, we must continue holding the White House and continue building on the Republican majority in the Congress. There is no other way.

Thus I am unwilling to allow Free Republic to be used to damage Bush or ANY of the Republicans chances, especially with fabricated leftist propaganda. For this, I am labeled a traitor to the conservative cause. So be it. Come hell or high water I'm sticking to my guns on this one. The Democrats are NOT going to be allowed to retake control of our government any time soon and that's a fact!

471 posted on 07/09/2003 9:19:43 PM PDT by Jim Robinson (Conservative by nature... Republican by spirit... Patriot by heart... AND... ANTI-Liberal by GOD!)

Bold formatting is mine.

Howdy Mike. Long time no see. It's a love hate relationship. Fred's actually a good guy and he's been part of FR forever. The conservatives have split into so many factions that even old friends are constantly ripping at each others throats. I try to tolerate the old-timers who turn on us for as long as I possibly can, but many of the most aggressive right-wingers are so eager to see Bush fail that they've fallen hard for any of the leftist propaganda coming down the pike (even the most obvious tinfoil conspiracy crap) and have actually ended up joining the dark side. Right meets left. When it becomes obvious that they've gone all the way over and start working full-time to defeat the Republicans, then I usually have no choice but to let them go. Otherwise, it's pure civil-war hell around here. Fred hates to see any of our old friends go. So do I.

But my most immediate goal is to have a complete turnover in the judiciary or to dump as many liberals from the court as we possibly can and also to keep the legislative agenda out of Democrat hands. It's a certainty that the Democrats will not appoint or confirm conservative judges or advance the conservative cause so that leaves the Republicans as our only option.

I want to see a reversal of Roe vs Wade and a complete rollback of the leftist feminist/homosexual/gungrabbing agenda and a ton of other liberal/socialist crap rescinded/abolished etc, and I want to see it in my life-time! For this reason, IMHO, we must continue holding the White House and continue building on the Republican majority in the Congress. There is no other way.

Thus I am unwilling to allow Free Republic to be used to damage Bush or ANY of the Republicans chances, especially with fabricated leftist propaganda. For this, I am labeled a traitor to the conservative cause. So be it. Come hell or high water I'm sticking to my guns on this one. The Democrats are NOT going to be allowed to retake control of our government any time soon and that's a fact!

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

ROTFLM_O

[Mo1]

DANG AGAIN!

help every = help after

[onyx]

Okay, girlfriends, I've gotta get myself out of here. It HAS been fun.

ETOM, you try to play nicely with the other boys and girls. :)

Good night, yall.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

'Night!! ; )

[Fred Mertz]

This one's a keeper too! LOL

[Once-Ler]

I'm pretty sure BF means Boy Friend.

[nopardons]

Pleasant dream...and ETOM...I don't " play well with cretins ". LOL

[Fred Mertz]

Thanks.

[Map Kernow]

It is probably better that an agency like See BS would air this. They are famous for their political affiliation with the DemocRATS. This will be seen as nothing more than another political "hack-job" by the left.

To us, certainly. What concerns me is not CBS' obvious bias, but the fact that Kean made his comments to them. You don't need a translator to know he was saying, "I HAVE AN AGENDA." It's the sinister unprofessionalism of Kean that disturbs me, releasing this statement to such an obviously anti-Bush media forum.

[Map Kernow]

We need to see the full report and not some prerelease sound bite statement that is just asking to be misused by the propagandists and the politicians.

Exactly my point. That's why Kean needs to be told off, in private, that his little CBS "screen test" was way over the top, and that he should keep his Jersey mug shut tight until the full report is released.

[Betty Jo]

Well, you agree when I tell you that Clinton is scum, but not Bush.

Why do you think I know about Clinton, but not Bush?

I have never gotten $$$$ from Bin Laden or any other Arab Muslim,but Clinton and Bush both have.

Who do you think was dealing with the Taliban for Afghan oil?

I dont have business relationships with the Bin Ladens and other Muslims but Clinton and Bush both did/do.

I havnt had Arab Muslim terrs and funders in the White House, but both Billy and Georgie have.

I am not blinded by $$$$$ and partisan politics but both Clinton and Bush are/were.

I am just a silly old uneducated dingbat,but I have not caused the death of thousnads of Americans, but both Bush and Clinton have.

So, hurray for any telling of any truths that any commission can tell!