St. Martins Press - The 9/11 Report. The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States

What follows is a chronology of major developments in the work of the 9/11 commission as they have been reported in The New York Times since the fall of 2002; the articles have been abridged. They are followed by two complete stories that appeared in the paper on July 22, 2004.

By DAVID FIRESTONE

WASHINGTON, Friday, Nov. 15 [2002]

Yielding to intense pressure from families of Sept. 11 victims, the White House agreed last night to a Congressional compromise that would create an independent commission to investigate the terrorist attacks. The House immediately approved a bill to establish the commission on a 366-to-3 vote before adjourning for the year early this morning. The Senate was expected to pass it later today.

The 10-member commission will be charged with providing the nation the most comprehensive examination of the vulnerabilities that made the attacks possible. It will have up to 18 months to hold hearings and prepare a report on topics that include intelligence agencies, diplomacy and immigration controls, and is intended to be unflinching in assigning blame for specific government failures.

The agreement puts an end to several months of wrangling between Congress and the Bush administration, which had objected to details of the commissions makeup. Senator Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader, said earlier Thursday that the administration was stalling on the plan because it could not control the commissions eventual findings.

But the White House had said for a month that Mr. Bush supported a commission, and after intense pressure from victims families, the administration agreed to a plan tonight that is similar to the one originally proposed by members of Congress and family representatives.

The panel of private citizens will be evenly divided between appointees of Republicans and Democrats. Congressional negotiators conceded two points to the administration, allowing it to choose the chairman and agreeing that any subpoenas would have to be issued by at least six commission members. The White House had feared that the five Democrats on the panel could turn it into a political witchhunt.

The key to the compromise was allowing Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, to appoint one of the Republican slots. Mr. McCain had fought zealously for the commission for months, leveling bitter criticism at the White House as stalling it, and family representatives as well as Democrats said he would appoint someone who would be aggressive in questioning public officials. At the same time, the White House was satisfied that Mr. McCains appointment would not be partisan in nature.

By RICHARD W. STEVENSON

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 [2002]

President Bush today named Henry A. Kissinger, a Republican who has been one of the most respected but polarizing figures in foreign policy and Washington for more than three decades, to lead an independent investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In choosing Mr. Kissinger, 79, the president selected a person whose reputation as a towering intellect in foreign policy is matched by the passions he has aroused among critics of his role in the Vietnam War, relations with the Soviet Union and the exercise of American power in Latin America. Mr. Bush made the appointment as he signed legislation creating the commission, a step he came to support after opposing the bill for much of the year partly on the ground that it could divert attention from the war on terrorism.

Democratic leaders in Congress, who will appoint half of the 10 members of the commission, immediately named George J. Mitchell, the former Senate majority leader and peace envoy to Northern Ireland and the Middle East, as vice chairman.

The commissions mandate is to conduct a wide-ranging inquiry into the causes of the attacks, whether they could have been averted and what changes are needed to prevent a similar occurrence.

The commission is required to complete its work within 18 monthsa timetable that would have it issue its final report in the middle of a presidential election yearthough Mr. Bush said he hoped it would finish sooner. The leaders of the two parties in Congress must appoint the rest of the members by Dec. 15.

The commission will have the power to issue subpoenas by majority vote, and lawmakers have urged that it cast its net widely and interview current and former government officials, including Mr. Bush and his predecessor, Bill Clinton.

By DAVID FIRESTONE

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 [2002]

Henry A. Kissinger abruptly resigned today as chairman of the commission intended to investigate the Sept. 11 attacks, informing President Bush that he decided to step down because resolving potential conflicts of interest would have meant liquidating his consulting firm, Kissinger Associates, a step that he said would have unduly delayed the commissions work.

President Bush, who aides said was surprised by the decision, vowed to find a replacement quickly.

His chairmanship would have provided the insights and analysis the government needs to understand the methods of our enemies and the nature of the threats we face, Mr. Bush said. My administration will work quickly to select a new chairman whose mission will be to uncover every detail and learn every lesson of Sept. 11, even as we act on what we have learned so far to better protect and defend America.

Mr. Kissinger, who was appointed by Mr. Bush, is the second prominent figure on the panel to resign this week over a personal conflict. His decision seemed to underscore how difficult it is proving to fill a commission intended to find out about the governments inability to prevent the attacks. On Wednesday, former Senator George J. Mitchell, who had been selected by Congressional Democrats to be the vice chairman, resigned from the panel, citing time pressures and an unwillingness to sever ties with his law firm.

Congressional Democrats immediately appointed former Representative Lee H. Hamilton as vice chairman. But Republicans have still not announced three of their appointments, two days before a Sunday deadline set in the law that created the 10-member commission. Five members are appointed by Congressional Democrats, four by Congressional Republicans and the chairman is chosen by the president. No confirmation of the appointees is needed.