9/11 Commissioners Should Keep Quiet for Now, Congressman Says

CNSNEWS.com ^ | 4/07/04 | Susan Jones

[kattracks]

(CNSNews.com) - A Republican congressman says members of the 9/11 commission should not be sharing their opinions with the media until their investigation is finished.

"I have a problem with them prejudging before they get to the end of the investigation," said Rep. Max Collins (R-Ga.) in a CNN interview on Tuesday.

Collins, a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, said he is troubled about recent media interviews given by some 9-11 commission members.

On Sunday, former Sen. Bob Kerrey, one of five Democrats on the 9/11 commission, said the terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks outmaneuvered every government agency.

"Nineteen men with 350,000 dollars defeated every single defensive mechanism we had up on the 11th of September, 2001, and they defeated it utterly," Kerrey said on CBS' "Face the Nation.".

"Our Department of Defense, our FBI, our CIA, our FAA, the INS -- I mean, every three-letter acronym in Washington, D.C., where there's billions of dollars being spent, was defeated on 11 September, and defeated absolutely utterly," Kerrey said on Sunday. "It wasn't even a close call."

Kerrey also said Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had both received warnings about al Qaeda and had a plan to defeat the group: "The problem was, neither President Clinton nor President Bush put that plan into effect," Kerrey said on Sunday.

Lee Hamilton, a Democrat who serves as the 9/11 commission's vice chairman, told NBC's "Meet the Press," "The more I look at it, the more I see kind of system-wide problems, rather than individual responsibility."

A Republican on the commission also spoke on the Sunday talk-show circuit. John Lehman, commenting on intelligence failures, said, "We had a CIA with a total aversion to covert activities, that had no capacity to penetrate al-Qaeda, that was not set up really for transnational enemies."

In his CNN interview, Rep. Collins said the commissioners' TV interviews are unseemly.

"The commission is charged with finding a clear and accurate accounting of what happened on September 11 and to make recommendations to the administration and to the Congress to prevent such a thing from happening again," he said.

"But to prejudge at this time with what they think happened, I just think is plain wrong. Prejudging only clouds the issue and could misrepresent the commission's final findings."

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to testify publicly before the 9/11 commission on Thursday. She's already given hours of private testimony.

Collins expressed the hope that commission members will not press her to release classified information.

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[sauropod]

If this weren't a show trial, we'd have no problem.

I expect nothing good to come out of this effort. 'Pod

[Support Free Republic]

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[sgtbono2002]

The 911 Commission is a waste of money and a joke. A farce.

[Just mythoughts]

"Lee Hamilton, a Democrat who serves as the 9/11 commission's vice chairman, told NBC's "Meet the Press," "The more I look at it, the more I see kind of system-wide problems, rather than individual responsibility.""


Lee Hamilton a Democrat admits the "religion" of the left is a flop. Their "god" the "SYSTEM" failed.

Reason it is so important to blame President Bush, for everything, he stands against their "god" the "SYSTEM"!

[proudmilitarymrs]

The 9/11 Commission is as useless and irrelevant as the U.N. at this point.

[kattracks]

BINGO!

[NCjim]

Prejudging only clouds the issue and could misrepresent the commission's final findings."

Isn't that the Democrats' agenda - to spin the results beforehand?

[kattracks]

Isn't that the Democrats' agenda - to spin the results beforehand?

Exactly! With the media headlining the Dim soundbites.

[The G Man]

I must say ... I agree. I'm uncomfortable when I hear John Lehman (sp?) or whoever on Hannity giving his opinion on the matter. Or Bob Kerrey on with Al Franken.

I equally don't like the often repeated mantra that will have "unanimous findings." What the??? To me that means that we'll get a whitewash. Anything that is potentially newsworthy will have to be swept under the carpet to appease Commissioner XYZ to get the oh so important "unanimous vote."

[OXENinFLA]

TURN ON C-SPAN.

Tim Roemer is on. along w/ alot of tin-foil callers.

[day10]

RE: Lee Hamilton....

I live in Indiana and he regularly writes columns that appear in our local paper. By reading these columns I feel that it was good he retired from government service because I truly believe that he has gone around the bend. It's all "UN is great" stuff that has no basis in reality.

[VRWC_minion]

Nineteen men with 350,000 dollars defeated every single defensive mechanism we had up on the 11th of September, 2001, and they defeated it utterly," Kerrey said on CBS' "Face the Nation.".

One mentally deranged kid with a $100 pistol also defeated every single defense mechanism we had up to protect President Reagan from harm.

[Just mythoughts]

What is the deal with Indiana politicians, Lugar is not much different?

[day10]

Agree - and Lord knows Bayh is a human disaster. I don't get it either.

[Ann Archy]

Bob Kerrey is a WAR CRIMINAL by his OWN accord. STFU War Criminal.

[Ann Archy]

Indiana doesn't even have a law to have RESTROOMS in RESTAURANTS!!! In Metamora, the waitresses go down the street from the cafe!!! Weird place.

[McGruff]

This use to be my tag line.

"If this Sept. 11th commission has so much work to do, why are they on TV every day?"

[Just mythoughts]

"Indiana doesn't even have a law to have RESTROOMS in RESTAURANTS!!! In Metamora, the waitresses go down the street from the cafe!!! Weird place."


LOL, How have they escaped the Federalies, Disability laws require special "restrooms"?

[StriperSniper]

troubled about recent media interviews given by some 9-11 commission members.

'Some', how about 'most'?

Tim Roemer is on. along w/ alot of tin-foil callers.

I woke up to the lady who was laying out some fact filled case to which the next caller said she sounded like she was repeating Rush, so I guess that means it was 98%+ correct. ;-)