[fintstone]

Originally posted by SoCal911SC
Fint - Based on your post ("I watched most of the hearings" and "little evidence of any significant investigation in that respect" and, most importantly, your belief that the book establishes a connection between Saddam and 9/11) I take it you haven't actually read the book.

Conflicts of interest, etc. - that's why there were 5 dems and 5 repubs on the commission. They all signed off on it. When you read the book, you'll see the second sentence is "Ten Commissioners - 5 Repubs and 5 Dems chosen by elected leaders from our nation's capital at a time of great partisan division - have come together to present this report without dissent."

So, if any of the Dems had conflicts that affected the objective reporting of the Commission, and the Repubs let them get away with it, shame on the Repubs. And vice-versa.

I have not read the entire book...and do not possess a copy now to refer to. My recollection is that it spent a great deal of time on minutia while failing to look at obvious issues. I was not surprised considering how the televised hearings went. Clearly it was a group of fiercely partisan democrats and a several senile, silly, old moderate republicans.

Obviously the point of the commission was to find fault internal to the US...not elsewhere. Someone to scapegoat. Since it was billed as a group that would show Bush was "asleep at the wheel," the republicans were stuck appointing moderates that were not particularly supportive of the administration (had to make sure it could not be called a presidential cover-up)...the democrats appointed the most radical, trial lawyer types they could find...several of which were implicated themselves.

Intertesting that lawyers and politicians were selected...but no one with much law enforcement, intelligence experience, or investigative background.

The purposes of the Commission are to--
(1) examine and report upon the facts and causes relating to
the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, occurring at the
World Trade Center in New York, New York, in Somerset County,
Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon in Virginia;
(2) ascertain, evaluate, and report on the evidence
developed by all relevant governmental agencies regarding the
facts and circumstances surrounding the attacks;
(3) build upon the investigations of other entities, and
avoid unnecessary duplication, by reviewing the findings,
conclusions, and recommendations of--
(A) the Joint Inquiry of the Select Committee on
Intelligence of the Senate and the Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence of the House of
Representatives regarding the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001, (hereinafter in this title referred
to as the ``Joint Inquiry''); and
(B) other executive branch, congressional, or
independent commission investigations into the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001, other terrorist attacks,
and terrorism generally;
(4) make a full and complete accounting of the circumstances
surrounding the attacks, and the extent of the United States'
preparedness for, and immediate response to, the attacks; and
(5) investigate and report to the President and Congress on
its findings, conclusions, and recommendations for corrective
measures that can be taken to prevent acts of terrorism.

SEC. 603. <> COMPOSITION OF COMMISSION.

(a) Members.--The Commission shall be composed of 10 members, of
whom--
(1) 1 member shall be appointed by the President, who shall
serve as chairman of the Commission;
(2) 1 member shall be appointed by the leader of the Senate
(majority or minority leader, as the case may be) of the
Democratic Party, in consultation with the leader of the House
of Representatives (majority or minority leader, as the

[[Page 116 STAT. 2409]]

case may be) of the Democratic Party, who shall serve as vice
chairman of the Commission;
(3) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of the
Senate leadership of the Democratic Party;
(4) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of the
leadership of the House of Representatives of the Republican
Party;
(5) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of the
Senate leadership of the Republican Party; and
(6) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of the
leadership of the House of Representatives of the Democratic
Party.

(b) Qualifications; Initial Meeting.--
(1) Political party affiliation.--Not more than 5 members of
the Commission shall be from the same political party.
(2) Nongovernmental appointees.--An individual appointed to
the Commission may not be an officer or employee of the Federal
Government or any State or local government.
(3) Other qualifications.--It is the sense of Congress that
individuals appointed to the Commission should be prominent
United States citizens, with national recognition and
significant depth of experience in such professions as
governmental service, law enforcement, the armed services, law,
public administration, intelligence gathering, commerce
(including aviation matters), and foreign affairs.
(4) Deadline for appointment.--All members of the Commission
shall be appointed on or before December 15, 2002.
(5) Initial meeting.--The Commission shall meet and begin
the operations of the Commission as soon as practicable.

(c) Quorum; Vacancies.--After its initial meeting, the Commission
shall meet upon the call of the chairman or a majority of its members.
Six members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum. Any vacancy in
the Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the
same manner in which the original appointment was made.

SEC. 604. <> FUNCTIONS OF COMMISSION.

(a) In General.--The functions of the Commission are to--
(1) conduct an investigation that--
(A) investigates relevant facts and circumstances
relating to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,
including any relevant legislation, Executive order,
regulation, plan, policy, practice, or procedure; and
(B) may include relevant facts and circumstances
relating to--
(i) intelligence agencies;
(ii) law enforcement agencies;
(iii) diplomacy;
(iv) immigration, nonimmigrant visas, and
border control;
(v) the flow of assets to terrorist
organizations;
(vi) commercial aviation;
(vii) the role of congressional oversight and
resource allocation; and
(viii) other areas of the public and private
sectors determined relevant by the Commission for
its inquiry;

[[Page 116 STAT. 2410]]

(2) identify, review, and evaluate the lessons learned from
the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, regarding the
structure, coordination, management policies, and procedures of
the Federal Government, and, if appropriate, State and local
governments and nongovernmental entities, relative to detecting,
preventing, and responding to such terrorist attacks; and
(3) submit to the President and Congress such reports as are
required by this title containing such findings, conclusions,
and recommendations as the Commission shall determine, including
proposing organization, coordination, planning, management
arrangements, procedures, rules, and regulations.