Bush hedges on turning over 'sensitive' data to 9/11 panel

[nowareman]

I am sure there are documents which are too sensitive to be shared with congress but as Tom Kean said in his statement just yesterday the 9/11 commission isn't congress. They should have unrestricted access to all the documents they need to get to the bottom of the failure of our nation's intelligence and leadership regarding September the 11th 2001. The Bush admistration has a different view. I'm sure the families of the thousands who died that day disagree with the Bush administration on this one and they are the force that will force all the facts into the light for all of our sakes. After promising full cooperation with the commission the Bush White House as well as the FCC and other federal agencies have tried to stall supplying the commission the material they requested some say, including Tom Kean, the administration is playing a game intent on running out the clock on the commission. There is bi-partisan opposition to the tactics being used against the commission as reported widely in the media over the past few days. I think all the evidence needs to be released to the commission in order for them to complete their work and for the White House to keep their word.

Bush hedges on turning over 'sensitive' data to 9/11 panel

 

[CADsortaGUY]

other thread here

CkG

 

[SuperTool]

I guess privacy of presidential daily briefings is more important than the truth of why 3000 Americans died.

 

[DealMonkey]

From today's press conference:

QUESTION: Mr. President, thank you.

As you know, the chairman of the commission investigating the September 11th attacks wants documents from the White House and said this week that he might have to use subpoena power. You have said there's some national security concerns about turning over some of those documents to people outside of the executive branch.

Will you turn them over or can you at least outline for the American people what you think is a reasonable compromise so that the commission learns what it needs to know and you protect national security if you think it's that important?

BUSH: It is important for me to protect national security. You're talking about the presidential daily brief.

It's important for the writers of the presidential daily brief to feel comfortable that the documents will never be politicized and/or unnecessarily exposed for public purview.

And so, therefore, kind of, the first statements out of this administration were very protective of the presidential prerogatives of the past and to protect the right for other presidents -- future presidents to have a good presidential daily brief.

Now having said that, I am -- we want to work with Chairman Kean and Vice Chairman Hamilton, and I believe we can reach a proper accord to protect the integrity of the daily brief process and at the same time allow them a chance to take a look and see what was in the certain daily briefs that they would like to see.

It's interesting that Bush assumes that the 9/11 commission would either politicize or publicly expose the daily briefs. I would think the commission could internally examine these documents without doing either.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: DealMonkey
From today's press conference:

QUESTION: Mr. President, thank you.

As you know, the chairman of the commission investigating the September 11th attacks wants documents from the White House and said this week that he might have to use subpoena power. You have said there's some national security concerns about turning over some of those documents to people outside of the executive branch.

Will you turn them over or can you at least outline for the American people what you think is a reasonable compromise so that the commission learns what it needs to know and you protect national security if you think it's that important?

BUSH: It is important for me to protect national security. You're talking about the presidential daily brief.

It's important for the writers of the presidential daily brief to feel comfortable that the documents will never be politicized and/or unnecessarily exposed for public purview.

And so, therefore, kind of, the first statements out of this administration were very protective of the presidential prerogatives of the past and to protect the right for other presidents -- future presidents to have a good presidential daily brief.

Now having said that, I am -- we want to work with Chairman Kean and Vice Chairman Hamilton, and I believe we can reach a proper accord to protect the integrity of the daily brief process and at the same time allow them a chance to take a look and see what was in the certain daily briefs that they would like to see.

It's interesting that Bush assumes that the 9/11 commission would either politicize or publicly expose the daily briefs. I would think the commission could internally examine these documents without doing either.

No - he's saying that if panels like this are allowed access it could mean further "briefings" could become accessible and politicized - not just this one. The briefers aren't politicos - they give concise data reports to keep him on abreast of the issues. If these daily reports can be seized then they can become political tools - something that they shouldn't be - now or in the future. It looks like he is willing to allow them to look at some of the data in question - but for these reports to become available for political review shouldn't be allowed. This isn't some memo or something - it is a security briefing- Highly classified.

Seems as though this is just another conspiracy accusation by the left.

CkG

other thread here

 

[DealMonkey]

It's not like the daily briefings would be immediately published in every newspaper or something. They would be internally reviewed by the 9/11 commission: A bi-partisan commission given the green light to investigate by everyone involved, including the White House. The documents wouldn't even be seen by Congress. Moreover, those on the commission have security clearance to view classified documents.

To claim this is a "leftist conspiracy" is just assinine. If the administration doesn't turn over requested documents, I don't blame the commission for using their supeona powers. They and by extension, the American public, deserve nothing less than full cooperation.

 

[nowareman]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: DealMonkey
From today's press conference:

QUESTION: Mr. President, thank you.

As you know, the chairman of the commission investigating the September 11th attacks wants documents from the White House and said this week that he might have to use subpoena power. You have said there's some national security concerns about turning over some of those documents to people outside of the executive branch.

Will you turn them over or can you at least outline for the American people what you think is a reasonable compromise so that the commission learns what it needs to know and you protect national security if you think it's that important?

BUSH: It is important for me to protect national security. You're talking about the presidential daily brief.

It's important for the writers of the presidential daily brief to feel comfortable that the documents will never be politicized and/or unnecessarily exposed for public purview.

And so, therefore, kind of, the first statements out of this administration were very protective of the presidential prerogatives of the past and to protect the right for other presidents -- future presidents to have a good presidential daily brief.

Now having said that, I am -- we want to work with Chairman Kean and Vice Chairman Hamilton, and I believe we can reach a proper accord to protect the integrity of the daily brief process and at the same time allow them a chance to take a look and see what was in the certain daily briefs that they would like to see.

It's interesting that Bush assumes that the 9/11 commission would either politicize or publicly expose the daily briefs. I would think the commission could internally examine these documents without doing either.

No - he's saying that if panels like this are allowed access it could mean further "briefings" could become accessible and politicized - not just this one. The briefers aren't politicos - they give concise data reports to keep him on abreast of the issues. If these daily reports can be seized then they can become political tools - something that they shouldn't be - now or in the future. It looks like he is willing to allow them to look at some of the data in question - but for these reports to become available for political review shouldn't be allowed. This isn't some memo or something - it is a security briefing- Highly classified.

Seems as though this is just another conspiracy accusation by the left.

CkG

other thread here

I'm sorry but this has nothing to do with left and right. The Bush people opposed the creation of the 9/11 commission for nearly 2 years. That's politicizing it. They were finally embarassed into agreeing to creating the commission by a group of wives whose husbands died in the WTC on 9/11. They promised full cooperation with the commission but have done all they can to stall the commission and try to run out the 1 year clock. That's politicizing it. Tom Kean is one of the most respected Republicans in America and a friend of George Bush. His reputation is beyond reproach. The commission should be given all the information it requests to get to the bottom of what happened on September the 11th for the good of the nation and without anyone calling it a conspiracy. That is an insult to the people who died and to their families who want nothing more than to find out why they lost their loved ones and try to keep a terrible tragedy like 9/11 from happening again.