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.

[Destructor]

"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."

He's right! If Clinton had taken the Pakistani government up on it's offer, and taken Osama bin Laden into custody when it was offered-- 9/11 could have been prevented.

[MEGoody]

"I'm very uncomfortable when our NSA says that she couldn't have imagined anyone hijacking a plane to use it as a weapon."

Perhaps, but the reality is, we simply cannot anticipate every possible method of terrorist attack and institute laws to prevent same. Then everyone would be whining about their loss of freedom.

Gotta pick what level you want of security vs. freedom.

[ought-six]

Good grief, EVERYTHING that has ever happened since the beginning of time "could have" been prevented. Hindsight is a very convenient thing.

[fourhorsemen]

Again I'd note that the attacks of 9/11 were not the first time someone tried to hijack a plane and use it to attack buildings in the United States. Samuel Byck tried to assassinate Richard Nixon via this method in 1974.

See:
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m1571/23_18/87917222/p1/article.jhtml

[Papabear47]

I am a 57 year old disabled American Vet(sniff sniff).Nam style and I am one who likes no doubts as to whom it is that represents me....And while I have a great deal of respect and admiration for President Bush I cannot say the same for some incompetents and Clinton leftovers who may have dropped the ball.We conservatives must search out the facts and do what is necessary to prevent anything like 911 from happening again,and having said that I know that a 100% assurance is impossible as we are at war and in war nothing is 100%...."Wow.Been here 11 whole days,eh?(sniff sniff)". Did not realize it was that long,however I have spent a great deal of time in less pleasant surroundings,how about you....Will I say (poor baby),why not....How snide of me....Rude also.

[CyberAnt]

"national security ... didn't interfere with this poll numbers"

You are so right. Clinton was more concerned with what people thought of him than he was about protecting the country.

This is one of the reasons why the dems HATE Bush. He doesn't give a rip if he's popular .. he's determined to do what's right for the country, even when some of us Republicans do not agree with his policies.

I also read in a book recently that a democrat House member (Barney), got a measure through Congress (prior to 1994), which kept the CIA and the FBI from being able to do their jobs. This single act alone was one of the biggest BLOCKS TO STOPPING 9-11.

[Papabear47]

"Open all records now or else we will have another Watergate of worse".Wowzers,have I ever caught heat for that statement.OK I am new here,and I have always believed that the truth will come out eventually,so why not admit any failures and correct them rather than ley the DEMs use them against us. I was one of the few in my union(UAW) who thought Clinton was withholding information from us throughout his term about many things,Whitewater,cattle futures for Hilary,Monica,Vince Foster etc.So was I wrong for questioning them (motives).
911 is much more important and all I desire is for a clearing of the good people (yes President Bush is the GOOD GUY)and a repudiation of the incompetents....And thank you for the weasel bear appellation,we U.S.A.F. WILD WEASELS sure whacked a lot of SAM sites in Nam....Of course you meant it as a slight....Duhhhhh....There I go ,responding in kind again....How rude of me.

[Recovering_Democrat]

That's terrific. Fantastic. Tremendous.

[mewzilla]

It is hard for me to come up with anyone more critical of Clinton than Bob Kerrey.

Just the fact that Kerrey is a willing participant in this ought to tell you everything you need to know about Kerrey.

[Papabear47]

Thank you . You seem to be the only person so far who does not think I am a back stabber or weasel as one person called me.We wanted Clinton to come clean(at least I did),however he was not the type to do so.President Bush as far as I am concerned has nothing to hide, but what about those under him,people sometimes fail to do their duty for various and sundry reasons and if that is the case let us find out before the enemy take advantage of our weaknesses.

[Papabear47]

Thank you. I see no problem at all in opening all of them.And yes the Democratic Underground are a bunch of nut cases....Though it seems I am being tossed into that group by some on this site....I wonder why....some of them sound as if they believe President Bush does have something to hide.I pity them.Besides I thought my meaning was clear,we conservatives have nothing to fear from the truth,it is what WE stand for unlike the left.

[Papabear47]

Oh,please what....If you think I am accusing President Bush of any thing,well poopy on you,he is the best President we have had since President Reagan.

[vladog]

You can't get some people to believe in 9/11 now! How could you get anyone to believe it if had not happened yet? The ACLU would have had a field day, in fact the ACLU and others are still bitching about anti-terror measures.

[Papabear47]

For good or bad you hit the nail on the head.If government were more competent we would be living in total servitude to the Anointed.

[Papabear47]

Yes,yes,yes.You forgot Watergate. I have been pleading with people for years to write their representatives about just such matters as I have done,but with few exceptions thy do not care and when they do get a response it is the usual run around,no funding,no public interest or more important things have come up....This is in Illinois,maybe you have better conservative representatives than we.

[Papabear47]

Thank you for a reasoned response.You a correct about all records being opened,even in closed hearings someone can be expected to leak news for their own profit.However those records necessary for national security can be viewed by other than DU types and the problems taken care of with no loss of security.

[Papabear47]

Golly,you are so nice....Or are you.

[Fred Mertz]

I hope Kean doesn't plan to fly anytime soon.

[Republican Wildcat]

Poetic stupidity is still stupidity.

[reformjoy]

CLINTONS PLANNED TO USE TERRORISM TO REGAIN WHITE HOUSE

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1023024/posts