9/11 Panel Reaches Deal On Access To Papers

[cthrumatrix]

9/11 Panel Reaches Deal On Access To Papers

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 13, 2003; Page A01


The independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks reached an agreement with the White House yesterday to gain restricted access to years of classified presidential briefings, which had been the focus of subpoena threats from the panel's chairman.


The compromise will allow the 10-member commission to create a four-person subcommittee that will have varying degrees of access to the documents known as Presidential Daily Briefs from the Bush and Clinton administrations, according to a commission statement and sources familiar with the agreement.

But the accord also includes restrictions limiting what parts of the briefings can be seen and what parts can later be shared with the rest of the bipartisan panel, and it includes White House review of much of that information, sources familiar with the agreement said. Those with direct access will take notes, and those notes are subject to review by the White House before being shared with others, sources said.

The limitations prompted angry condemnations yesterday from two Democratic commissioners -- former senator Max Cleland (Ga.) and former representative Timothy J. Roemer (Ind.) -- who have argued that the commission should be more aggressive in seeking sensitive materials from the Bush administration.

Cleland called the agreement "unconscionable" and said it "was deliberately compromised by the president of the United States" to limit the commission's work.

more

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33881-2003Nov12.html

[La_Serpiente]

1. Earlier post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=216748

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Did you really think

that Chimpy would let anyone have unlimited access to those memos? He doesn't want it leaked out how sleazy his Administration really is. I remember when all the Nixon stuff came out-and how worse it made the White House look. Chimpy has learned from history, and is stonewalling.

[Soloflecks]

3. And imagine

the chimpie White House looking worse. That's a mind boggling concept, isn't it? If it looks this bad with what we DO know, imagine the shock and awe if we knew everything. :wow: