Sept. 11 commission presses for deadline extension

The federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks argued Tuesday it needed a two-month deadline extension to fully assess what federal agencies did wrong and how future attacks can be prevented.

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States needs approval from Congress for the extension, setting the stage for a legislative battle. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and the Bush administration oppose granting the commission more time to complete its work.

The commission is charged with issuing a definitive account of government actions leading up to the attacks, along with recommendations on how future attacks can be prevented. A two-month extension means the commission's report would be released on July 27, 2004, which is less than four months before the November 2004 elections.

A spokesman for Hastert said Tuesday he would not budge on his assertion that the commission has had ample time to complete its work and should issue a final report as scheduled on May 27. According to the spokesman, the Bush administration also remains steadfast in opposing an extension.

Bipartisan support for an extension, however, appears to be growing in Congress.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who helped draft legislation creating the commission said Jan. 20that "plenty" of members of Congress support an extension and will fight to force a vote on the issue.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., said Tuesday that he supports an extension "to learn exactly how the 19 terrorist hijackers exploited so many of our system's weaknesses and how so many intelligence and government failures could have occurred at the same time."

According to Lieberman, "We owe it to the public, to the memories of the 3,000 victims of the attacks, and to the victims' families to learn the full story of the terrorist attacks, so that we may do our absolute best to prevent similar attacks in the future."

The commission concluded two days of hearings Tuesday that explored how the hijackers exploited weaknesses in law enforcement, immigration and aviation agencies.

Former Rep. Timothy Roemer, D-Ind, who serves on the commission, said new information is surfacing about federal agencies that requires more time to review.

Several family members of Sept. 11 victims, especially a group of widows, have been vocally lobbying for a deadline extension.

Kristen Breitweiser, whose husband was killed in the World Trade Center attack, applauded the commission's decision to request more time.

"If they need more time, I'm very hopeful that Congress will permit it," she said. "We feel that there is congressional support for it."

Breitweiser said family members want the commission to have more time so it does not have to cancel upcoming meetings with high-level public officials, and so it can issue a comprehensive report. Breitweiser and other Sept. 11 widows want the commission to first issue a classified report and then a declassified report so the public can compare the two to see what information is redacted.

Breitweiser believes that opposition to an extension can be overcome, given that the White House initially opposed creating the Sept. 11 commission, but later gave in to public pressure.

"I'm hopeful that Speaker Hastert and the [Bush administration] will defer to the commission and its expertise on the matter and work to get an extension," Breitweiser said. "More than anything, the families want a complete, final and comprehensive report."