Last week, the Bush Administration proved definitively that even the greatest American tragedy in recent memory can be spun and delayed for some political benefit.
After many setbacks, the independent commission set up to investigate the Sept. 11 terror attacks is asking for more time. This is understandable considering the Bush Administration has set up barriers during the entire process.
Initially, the White House opposed the creation of such a task force. It has since delayed or blocked the committee from receiving key information, including interviews with White House officials. Now the committee needs more time, and the Bush administration has opposed any such extension. From the committee's inception, all the White House has done is hinder the progress of finding out what really happened on Sept. 11, and what we might have done to prevent it.
Even the committee's preliminary reports suggest disturbing details. Many of the hijackers were apparently able to sneak weapons onto the flights. More than half were flagged to be checked, but were eventually allowed to board. Hearings before the committee have just made public a telephone call from one of the hijacked planes to the airline, explaining that the plane had been taken over and terrorists had fortified themselves inside the cockpit. This is just a sampling of the many failures that allowed the attacks to take place.
Although these details should be most troubling to President Bush, it would seem that the looming election in just 10 months is of much greater importance. If the report suggested mismanagement by the administration, the Democratic candidate would certainly use that against the president in November.
All politics aside, it is paramount this report be completed coherently and thoroughly. This must be done to assess exactly what went wrong, to give a sense of closure to the victims' families, and most importantly, to learn from Sept. 11 so a similar future tragedy may be averted.
No one is suggesting Bush, his administration or any member of Congress purposefully ignored warning signs that led directly to the terrorist attack. However, what went wrong that day, and in the days and months that preceded it, may give us valuable clues in preventing future tragedies. That possibility is more important than this administration's selfish spin control efforts.
