9/11 Inquiry Alleges Witness Intimidation

[DUreader]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/september11/story/0,11209,994933,00.html




A US panel investigating the September 11
terrorist attacks yesterday accused the Pentagon
and the justice department of obstructing the
inquiry and said witnesses were being intimidated.

The federal commission of inquiry was appointed
eight months ago by the White House, which was
under intense congressional pressure to look into
allegations that the CIA, the FBI and the Pentagon
could have done more to prevent the 2001
al-Qaida attacks.

Among a string of apparent intelligence failures,
the commission will be asking why the FBI failed to
heed warnings from some of its agents that
al-Qaida could be planning to hit targets with
hijacked airliners.

The investigation has been hampered by the
withdrawal of its original chairman, Henry
Kissinger, on grounds of conflict of interest, and
funding difficulties. The bipartisan panel now says
its work has been blocked by the bureaucracy.

[enough]

1. "Cover-up"

end of article:

But Steven Push, whose wife died on September 11 and who represents victims' families, said: "I believe that there is stonewalling going on here."

He added: "It's beginning to look like some type of a cover-up."

[MostlyBlackCat2]

2. this deserves a kick!

:kick:

this is important. of course cnn and faux won't cover it.

[underpants]

3. NPR-W&Co. wanted "minders" present when fed. employee were questioned

Sound familiar?

[underpants]

4. Add they still wanted them present in the future

:thumbsdown:

[TolstoyAndy]

5. Hypocrites

The Monkey Posse made such a stink when Iraqi scientists had to have a government babysitter present for interviews with weapons inspectors.

Oh, wait, I'm not supposed to remember that. A trip to Room 101 will have me re-set as a functioning member of society.

[underpants]

6. They need to Ctrl+Alt+Del your a**

Funny...................... well not really

Welcome to DU :hi:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

10. the hypocrisy is ....

well, I can think of no word for it, it is so stunning. Great point TolstoyAndy.

[prolesunited]

7. Three guesses

as to what other government uses "minders."

Iraqi regime uses every means to control the press and silence dissenting voices." It is, in fact, spelled out in Iraqi law that journalists in Iraq must not make "any declaration or suggestion that might benefit an enemy at the expense of the country." Boy that almost sounds like Ari.

Another tool is the ministry's provision of "minders," state-sanctioned individuals who shadow a visiting journalist's every move and arrange interviews on the journalist's behalf. Anthony Cordesman, an expert on national security issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and an analyst for ABC News, has reported that the Ministry of Information "maintains a long list of seemingly private Iraqis who are fluent in foreign languages." Those Iraqis are allowed to give "private" interviews, Cordesman says, and though they may appear to be somewhat critical of the regime, they've been handpicked to serve as mouthpieces for state propaganda.

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/iraq/press.html

[Dhalgren]

8. But what is the conceptual justification for "minders"?

The commission is a government appointed panel, therfore it is functioning as a surrogate of the American public. These federal employees who are to be questioned work for the Commission's bosses - us! So where is it stated that the executive branch can make any demands as to the elocution of witnesses before the people?

[underpants]

9. This is not your father's Executive branch

Add in the fact that "governemtn employee" has been made into a dirty word ranking slightly higher than "liberal" or "welfare mother".

No where does it say that they can do this, but that was OLD America.

[MostlyBlackCat2]

11. isn't it considered witness tampering?

and isn't that illegal?