WASHINGTON, 28 November 2002 — Henry Kissinger, the former Secretary of State, was yesterday named by President Bush to head a new independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 attacks, and the failure of US intelligence services to detect the worst terrorist outrage in US history.
Signing legislation at the White House to set up the new body, Bush said the commission would help both himself and future presidents understand the minds and methods of America’s new global enemy. The investigation "should carefully examine all the evidence, and follow all the facts wherever they lead."
The commission, whose membership has not yet been decided, will have a broad mandate, building on work already done by a joint House and Senate committee. It will have 18 months to do its work, though Bush said he would like to have a report earlier. "The sooner we have the commission’s conclusions, the sooner this administration will act on them."
In fact, the president had long resisted a Sept. 11 inquiry along the lines of the 1964 Commission under Chief Justice Earl Warren into the Kennedy assassination, maintaining that its broad subpoena powers could lead to embarrassing leaks and interfere with the ongoing war against terrorism.
But Bush was forced to bow to intense pressure from the families of the victims demanding that the full facts be uncovered, as last summer’s congressional hearings threw increasing light on shortcomings of the FBI, the CIA and the National Security Agency, and the inability of the various intelligence agencies to cooperate.
But he has successfully insisted that the new commission will be bipartisan. Its 10 members, to be appointed by Bush, will be equally split between Republicans and Democrats. At least six members will be required to approve a subpoena, to ensure that witnesses are not called merely to score party political points.
In these circumstances, Kissinger is an obvious choice. Although the manipulative style and ruthless realpolitik he displayed in government service under Presidents Nixon and Ford have made him something of a demon for liberals — especially over policy in Cambodia and Latin America — he remains a hugely respected figure. (The Independent)
