9/11 director gave evidence to own inquiry By Shaun Waterman UPI Homeland and National Security Editor Published 1/15/2004 7:16 PM View printer-friendly version WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The panel set up to investigate why the United States failed to prevent the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, faced angry questions Thursday after revelations that two of its own senior officials were so closely involved in the events under investigation that they have been interviewed as part of the inquiry. Philip Zelikow, the commission's executive director, worked on the Bush-Cheney transition team as the new administration took power, advising his longtime associate and former boss, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, on the incoming National Security Council. "He came forward (to answer questions) in case he might have useful information," said Al Felzenberg, the commission spokesman. The news was greeted with dismay by many of the relatives of the victims who campaigned for the commission to be set up. "This is beginning to look like a whitewash," Kristen Breitweizer, who lost her husband Ron in tower two of the World Trade Center, told United Press International. Jamie S. Gorelick, one of the 10 members of the commission itself, and the other official who has answered investigators' questions, was deputy attorney general in Janet Reno's Justice Department during the Clinton administration. "She was a very senior person," said Felzenberg. "She had an interesting perspective." The families have said for many months that they are not happy with Zelikow's role, which they argue creates at least an appearance of a conflict of interest. They were furious Thursday that they learned from the newspapers he had given evidence. "Did he interview himself about his own role in the failures that left us defenseless?" asked Lori Van Auken, the widow of Kenneth. "This is bizarre." Zelikow -- an historian based at the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia -- has also come under fire from some critics for his close ties to senior administration officials. He has had a longstanding relationship with Rice, who hired him to work for her when she was a White House official in the first Bush administration. The two have written a book together. More recently, some relatives have accused him of being in touch with White House political supreme Karl Rove -- the man widely believed to be the most powerful figure in the administration. http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040115-024012-7011r Condi and the 9/11 commission TIMOTHY J. BURGER WASHINGTON --Poised to convene its first hard-hitting hearings in January, the federal commission investigating the 9/11 attacks continues to be at odds with the White House over access to key information and witnesses. Two government sources tell Time that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is arguing over ground rules for her appearance in part because she does not want to testify under oath or, according to one source, in public. While national security advisers are presidential staff and generally don't have to appear before Congress, the commission argues that its jurisdiction is broader—and it's been requiring fact witnesses in its massive investigation to testify under oath. http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/12/23/timep.rice/ And this jewel from back in Jan of 2002... Bush asks Daschle to limit Sept. 11 probes WASHINGTON (CNN) --President Bush personally asked Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle Tuesday to limit the congressional investigation into the events of September 11, congressional and White House sources told CNN. The request was made at a private meeting with congressional leaders Tuesday morning. Sources said Bush initiated the conversation. He asked that only the House and Senate intelligence committees look into the potential breakdowns among federal agencies that could have allowed the terrorist attacks to occur, rather than a broader inquiry that some lawmakers have proposed, the sources said Tuesday's discussion followed a rare call to Daschle from Vice President Dick Cheney last Friday to make the same request. "The vice president expressed the concern that a review of what happened on September 11 would take resources and personnel away from the effort in the war on terrorism," Daschle told reporters. But, Daschle said, he has not agreed to limit the investigation. "I acknowledged that concern, and it is for that reason that the Intelligence Committee is going to begin this effort, trying to limit the scope and the overall review of what happened," said Daschle, D-South Dakota. http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/01/29/inv.terror.probe/ Its all quite intresting.... indeed..
Further proof that the reign of King George II will go down in American history as the most secretive, imperial Presidency since Richard Nixon. Absolutely disgusting behavior for which there is absolutely no excuse. If I had lost a loved one on 9/11, I would be livid with this Administration. They are soiling the memories of those who died on 9/11.
How so? The invasion of Iraq took more intelligence resources away from the "war on terror" than any congressional investigation could. Think about it.
Wow, this is crazy. Maybe it's time to move forward with an independent inestigation. I don't know enough about this to even say I believe there is a cover up going on. I do agree with Dean's comments when he said that Bush should go ahead and release the information to shed light and dispell all this secrecy business.
That would be nice, but... we also need muckrakers again... I'll settle for an Ida Tarbell and a Lincoln Steffens. Given Mad Cow, another Upton Sinclair wouldn't be bad either.
