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9/11 Commission

From Alfawiki
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
Company typeGovernment commission
IndustryInvestigation, Security
FoundedNovember 27, 2002; 23 years ago (2002-11-27)
FounderUnited States Congress and President George W. Bush
DefunctAugust 21, 2004 (2004-08-21)
FateDisbanded after issuing final report
Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
,
United States
Area served
United States
Key people
Thomas Kean (Chairman), Lee Hamilton (Vice Chairman), Philip D. Zelikow (Executive Director)
Products9/11 Commission Report
OwnerUnited States federal government
Number of employees
10 commissioners plus supporting staff (2003-2004)
ParentUnited States Congress

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, commonly referred to as the 9/11 Commission, was created on November 27, 2002, to conduct a thorough investigation into the September 11 terrorist attacks, which rank among the most devastating acts of terrorism worldwide. Established through Congressional legislation, its mission was to provide a detailed narrative of the events, assess the readiness and response of the U.S. federal government, and offer recommendations aimed at preventing future terrorist activities.

Led by Thomas Kean, the former governor of New Jersey who served two terms, the commission included an equal number of members from both major political parties: five Democrats and five Republicans. The legislation forming the commission was enacted into law by President George W. Bush.

The commission's conclusive publication, titled the 9/11 Commission Report, was issued on July 22, 2004. This comprehensive 585-page report compiled evidence gathered through numerous interviews and testimonies. A central finding highlighted significant shortcomings within the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), suggesting that more effective efforts by these agencies might have thwarted the attacks.

After releasing its final report, the commission officially disbanded on August 21, 2004, with its website subsequently preserved in an archived state.

History

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States was formed on November 27, 2002, through a joint effort by President George W. Bush and United States Congress. Initially, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was appointed as chairman. However, Kissinger stepped down within weeks due to potential conflicts of interest involving his consulting firm. Former U.S. senator George J. Mitchell was then named vice chairman but resigned on December 10, 2002, to avoid conflicts related to his legal practice. Subsequently, on December 15, 2002, President Bush designated former New Jersey governor Tom Kean to lead the commission.

By early 2003, financial constraints posed a risk to meeting the May 27, 2004 deadline for the commission’s report. In late March of that year, the Bush administration approved an additional $9 million in funding—falling $2 million short of what was requested—to sustain operations. The commission’s inaugural hearings occurred from March 31 to April 1, 2003, held in New York City.

Members

  • Thomas Kean (chairman), Republican; former Governor of New Jersey
  • Lee Hamilton (vice chairman), Democrat; former U.S. representative for Indiana's 9th congressional district
  • Richard Ben-Veniste, Democrat; attorney and former chief investigator for the Watergate Task Force
  • Max Cleland, Democrat; former U.S. senator from Georgia who resigned in December 2003 citing concerns over a White House cover-up
  • Fred F. Fielding, Republican; attorney and former White House counsel
  • Jamie Gorelick, Democrat; former U.S. deputy attorney general during the Clinton administration
  • Slade Gorton, Republican; former U.S. senator representing Washington state
  • Bob Kerrey, Democrat; President of New School University and former U.S. senator from Nebraska who replaced Cleland after his departure
  • John Lehman, Republican; former secretary of the Navy
  • Tim Roemer, Democrat; former U.S. representative for Indiana's 3rd congressional district
  • Jim Thompson, Republican; former governor of Illinois

Supporting staff included:

Initially appointed by President George W. Bush as chairman was former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. Congressional requirements mandated Kissinger disclose clients associated with his consulting enterprise, Kissinger Associates; his refusal led to his resignation. Subsequently, Bush appointed Thomas Kean—who governed New Jersey for two terms from 1982 to 1990—as chairman.

Testimony

Several prominent U.S. federal figures provided testimony to the 9/11 Commission, including:

  • George W. Bush, then U.S. president, gave a private statement in the Oval Office lasting over three hours. His testimony was not under oath and lacked an official transcript due to classified information. Initially, he limited his remarks to the chairman and vice chairman but later consented to address the entire commission.
  • Dick Cheney, vice president at the time, also testified privately in the Oval Office without oath or formal transcription for similar security reasons.
  • George Tenet, director of the CIA
  • Colin Powell, Secretary of State
  • Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense
  • Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor, originally declined to testify under oath but ultimately appeared publicly and provided sworn testimony.
  • Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State
  • Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense
  • Tom Ridge, Secretary of Homeland Security and former governor of Pennsylvania
  • John Ashcroft, Attorney General

Former officeholders who were summoned to testify included:

  • Bill Clinton, former president, who testified privately without a time limit; his testimony was recorded.
  • Al Gore, former vice president, gave separate private testimony from Clinton; this was also recorded.
  • Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State
  • William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense
  • Sandy Berger, former National Security Advisor
  • Richard A. Clarke, former chief counter-terrorism advisor on the National Security Council during both the Clinton and Bush administrations
  • Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City
  • Janet Reno, former Attorney General
  • Sibel Edmonds, former FBI translator

President Bush and Vice President Cheney insisted on providing joint private testimony without taking an oath, whereas Clinton and Gore testified separately. Condoleezza Rice initially resisted testifying under oath, which led to legal discussions before she ultimately gave sworn public testimony.

Report

The commission published its final document, the 9/11 Commission Report, on July 22, 2004. Upon release, chair Thomas Kean remarked that both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, as presidents, were "not well served" by agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency. The commission conducted more than 1,200 interviews spanning 10 countries and examined upwards of two and a half million pages of documents, including classified national security records. Prior to publication, sensitive information was redacted from the report.

Additional supplementary reports were issued later, focusing on topics such as terrorist financing and travel.

NORAD falsehoods

John Farmer Jr., senior counsel for the 9/11 Commission, disclosed that officials from government and military sectors had consistently provided Congress, the Commission, media outlets, and the public with largely inaccurate accounts regarding who had knowledge during the attacks. He emphasized that there was a conscious choice within government circles to withhold the truth about the national response on the morning of September 11. The [NORAD] recordings starkly contradicted official narratives. Commission chairman Thomas Kean concurred, stating: "To this day we do not understand why NORAD gave us such misleading information; it was so far removed from reality."

CIA withheld information

According to commission chairman Thomas Kean, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director George Tenet provided misleading testimony and was "clearly not forthcoming" during his appearance before the commission. By spring 2000, FBI agent Doug Miller, assigned to the CIA's Bin Laden Issue Station, had identified that Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, both suspected members of al-Qaeda, had entered the United States and were residing openly in southern California.

Although Miller attempted to notify the FBI, his efforts were obstructed by the CIA. A draft cable intended to alert the FBI, prepared by Miller, was discovered later but was never transmitted at the time. Both individuals subsequently participated as hijackers on American Airlines Flight 77. The CIA did not inform the commission that it had monitored these hijackers' arrival and activities within the U.S. over a year prior to the attacks. Co-chair Kean claimed this omission was intentional, stating: "It was deliberate... Secrecy was ingrained in these agencies' culture."

Criticism

The commission encountered scrutiny over possible conflicts of interest, particularly concerning executive director Philip D. Zelikow, who collaborated on a book with Condoleezza Rice. Questions about the final 9/11 Commission Report have been raised both by some commissioners and outside analysts regarding its thoroughness and openness.

Legacy

Several months following the commission’s conclusion and report release, chair Thomas Kean along with other commissioners embarked on a nationwide tour to advocate for their proposed measures aimed at mitigating terrorism risks, noting that some recommendations were being neglected. Kean and vice-chair Lee Hamilton authored Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission, published on August 15, 2006, which detailed the obstacles faced during the commission’s work. They expressed that the commission had been "set up to fail," voicing frustration over repeated false statements from Pentagon and Federal Aviation Administration officials that nearly led to an inquiry into possible obstruction of justice.

Further reading

  • Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission, by Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton (Random House, August 2006)
  • The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation, by Philip Shenon (the Twelve - Jan. 2008)
  • The Next Ten Years of Post-9/11 Security Efforts, Q&A with 9/11 Commissioner Slade Gorton (July 2011)

External links

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