The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #68706   Message #1159764
Posted By: GUEST
12-Apr-04 - 08:13 AM
Thread Name: BS: The Aug 6th Presidential Daily Briefing
Subject: RE: BS: The Aug 6th Presidential Daily Briefing
Teribus, it doesn't look like you completely understand the remit. From the 9/11 Commission's website:

"The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9-11 Commission), an independent, bipartisan commission created by congressional legislation and the signature of President George W. Bush in late 2002, is chartered to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks. The Commission is also mandated to provide recommendations designed to guard against future attacks."

You need to understand that all of the commission members are being interviewed by the media, it isn't simply Kerrey. Parts of the investigation is being done behind closed doors for obvious security reasons. Other parts of the testimony is being done behind closed doors, because the White House has refused to cooperate any other way (the White House was opposed to any investigations of 9/11).

All of the members of the commission are regularly being interviewed by the media, and writing op ed pieces about the investigation. While you might consider that unethical, in the political mainstream in the US it is not viewed that way at all. The commission is doing, I think, a fine job of maintaining openness and transparency in this investigation, which is very important to the American people, particularly in light of the secrecy of the White House.

This is not a criminal investigation, so there is only a need to shield parts of the investigation from public scrutiny on the basis on national security. None of the members of the commission have been in the least bit unethical, and they are holding one another to a very high standard of bi-partisanship, considering how divided our houses are here at the moment.

As to your suggestion that Iraq is outwith the remit, you are just wrong about that. There will not be time for the commission to adequately address the war in Iraq as part of the response to 9/11, but it has been sold as part and parcel of the war on terrorism, is the reason why resources have been taken from Afghanistan, which was the immediate response to the attacks. The war on Iraq is the main reason why the US has become more and more isolated from and is getting less and less cooperation from the international community in the war on terrorism.

So, Kerrey's comments are within bounds ethically, and the content of his remarks are viewed here in the US as well within the remit of the commission. I have no interest in debating whether YOU think they are, or should be.