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Common
Cause has long advocated for open, transparent,
and accountable government. If ever there was
a time for openness and accountability, the investigation
of 9/11 is it - not only for the victim's families
but also for the sake of our nation's future security.
Since
9/11, efforts have been made to investigate the
failures that led to the tragic events that day.
Yet, the Bush Administration has consistently
attempted to interfere with a thorough examination.
Although
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice just
testified before the independent 9/11 Commission,
President Bush had refused for weeks to allow
this testimony, wrongly placing the principle
of executive privilege above the Commission's
and the public's right to know about this singular
historic event.[i] Under intense pressure, the
President finally relented, but only on condition
that neither she nor any White House aide publicly
testify after her testimony.[ii]
This
struggle over Ms. Rice's testimony was just the
latest example of White House stonewalling:
The
Bush Administration at first vehemently opposed
the creation of the 9/11 Commission.[iii]
The
President refused to turn over information from
his Daily Briefing until the Republican Chairman
of the commission, Thomas Kean, threatened a subpoena.
Even then, the full committee was not allowed
to read the original documents or even see the
notes from selected committee members who did.[iv]
The
White House refused to extend the Commission's
deadline by 60 days, to July 27. White House
sources say the administration was concerned about
a potentially critical report being issued closer
to the presidential election.[v] The President
later relented.
President
Bush and Vice President Cheney insisted that they
appear before just two commissioners, for one
hour (in contrast, President Clinton and Vice
President Gore agreed to unlimited meetings before
the entire commission).[vi] President Bush eventually
reversed himself but then added a new demand:
he will appear only with Vice President Cheney
by his side.[vii]
After
administration critic Richard Clarke's first day
of testimony, the White House's top lawyer called
two Republican commissioners who then challenged
Clarke's credibility and integrity during his
testimony the next day. Calling Commission members
just before a witness's testimony is "unusual"
and "improper" because "the conduct of the White
House is one of the key issues being investigated
by the commission."[viii]
The
Bush Administration blocked the Commission's request
to see thousands of pages of material relevant
to its work released by the Clinton Administration.[ix]
One again, after a dispute with the commission,
the administration agreed to release some, but
not all, of the Clinton papers. [ix]
The
public has a right to know what led to 9/11.
The White House has engaged in a pattern of stonewalling
the 9/11 Commission. It is only after pressure
from you -- the public -- that the President relents
and gives the Commission what it needs. The latest
document being withheld by the administration
is the August 6 President's Daily Briefing (PDB)
entitled Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside
the United States. All the Commissioners want
the document declassified -- we agree.
Take
Action. Call on President Bush, Vice President
Cheney and Administration officials to stop the
stonewalling and start cooperating with the 9/11
Commission.
Information
from the National Security Archive: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB116/press.htm
Topplebush.com
Posted: April 21, 2004
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