Bush Asserts He's Helping 9-11 Commission (But won't hand over documents)

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&ncid=716&e=4&u=/ap/20031027/ap_on_go_pr_wh/sept_11_bush

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Monday his staff is cooperating with an independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, but stopped short of saying whether the White House would hand over top-level papers that may be subpoenaed.

"Those are very sensitive documents," Bush said, adding that White House counsel Alberto Gonzales was working with Thomas Kean, chairman of the commission, on this issue.

"The president is correct on both counts," said Al Felzenberg, spokesman for the commission. "They are very sensitive documents. That's why we are having negotiations. These aren't things you just hand out to folks." But he added that Kean "feels we need certain things to do our job."

The 10-member, bipartisan commission has until May 27 to submit a report that also will deal with law enforcement, diplomacy, immigration, commercial aviation and the flow of assets to terror organizations.

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[diplomats]

1. I posted this a bit ago

Here's the thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=598741

[kayell]

2. Since your post is in GD

I believe that this can be posted here in LBN also.

[Whoa_Nelly]

16. This was previously posted in LBN

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=186476

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. What the hell could be in these documents

that could be so 'sensitive'? The attack have already occured. The perpertrators are dead? The enemy has already been identified. The only thing that could still be 'sensitive' at this point would be information that would implicate this misadministration or their friends and their roles in LIHOP/MIHOP.

You would think that if you were really concerned with the security of the American people you would be doing everything in your power to get to the bottom of this and to find out what went wrong in order to prevent such a thing from happening again. So far, all of Bu$h & Co's actions seems to indicate that covering up what really happened is a lot more important than the security of our country.

[truthisfreedom]

4. we can guess... i think there are specific warnings about planes flying

into buildings in his daily briefings, which would specifically make condi look like the f*cking liar that she is, and make bush look essentially complicit.

[saskatoon]

5. I keep going back to the picture of Bush at the school

and not a glimmer of a surprise at the attack.

[Barrett808]

7. They are protecting the August 6th President's Daily Briefing (PDB)

If that escapes, the Bush junta is doomed.

[jamesinca]

10. It may name the names of those associated with the attacks

Not the ones that did the hijaking, but those that contributed technical or financial assistance. It may also blow the cover off of Valerie Plame... wait that was done already, it may blow the cover off of some other CIA operative that is quietly doing thier job. It may have some implications like that, but I think most of the information that it could be hiding will be damaging to this administration. It iwll do more harm than good for them.

[gandalf]

11. "National security, my friend. We protect our sources"

The administration could argue that they cannot hand over information which would hint at abilities, methods and sources of intelligence gathering.
And that there have to be information (like that of the Daily Presidential Briefing) from which the people who delivers it must be sure that it will remain secret forever, because otherwise it would be impossible to have an open discussion.
(Naturally this is all bullshit. The task of the 9/11 commission is unprecedented and not ordinary, and the members have security clearances, and they know the techniques of intelligence gathering)

[7th_Sephiroth]

13. its simply this

warnings it was gonna happen, and thier trying to keep the saudi's out of this even though it was mostly saudis who did it and its saudi's that are fighting our troops in iraq.

[Minstrel Boy]

6. He is helping the commission.

It appears his stonewalling may be helping some commissioners draw uncomfortable conclusions about the nature of the attacks, and the nature of his Administration.

[proud patriot]

8. I hope a reporters ask bush for specifics

"How are you helping the 911 commission"

[young_at_heart]

9. It's because he was "out of the loop"

They don't want this to seep into mass consciousness and become an issue....normally a president would be the one making decisions and talking on the phone to many others non-stop in such a siutation. He wouldn't sit idly by and do NOTHING for 1/2 hour!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Of course by "cooperating" he means

blocking, hindering, obfuscating, squelching and generally covering up. Maybe he meant "co-opterating?" :shrug:

[DemonFighterLives]

14. Well PNAC needed another Pearl Harbor

I just fail to see where PNAC is at the top of the chain of command. Oh wait Cheney is president of vice.
Saudi Arabia got their wish too. The US out of their country. Win/win for those organizations.

[kentuck]

15. Tell me why ????

The Commission puts up with this bullshit?? Was the investigation done at the behest and for the eyes of George W Bush only? And no one else has a right to see what is in the report? How can we prevent another 9/11 if we don't have all the information? George W Bush has no right to the documents.