Editorial: Getting in the way of Sept. 11 probe

Thursday, July 10, 2003 | 8:34 a.m.

The White House initially resisted the creation of an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But last year President Bush was faced with a Congress that insisted there be a probe of any intelligence failures that could have allowed the terrorist attacks that killed more than 3,000 people.

Ultimately Bush agreed to a bipartisan inquiry -- with strings attached. The commission would have to issue its findings in 18 months, instead of 24 months as sought by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. (The administration said a report released just prior to Election Day 2004 could turn it into a partisan issue.) And the White House, citing national security concerns, said federal agencies would have to screen sensitive documents before the commission could see them.

It is now clear that these conditions are hampering the commission's work. Commissioners are concerned that the tight deadline could imperil a full investigation, which also has been hurt by some federal agencies -- particularly the Defense Department -- that are stalling the attempts of commissioners to look at classified information. The president has claimed that he wants a thorough review, but the unwillingness of some agencies is the mark of an administration that is worried about embarrassing revelations.

It's difficult to overstate just how dramatic an impact the events of Sept. 11 have had on our nation. The public expects a thorough review to see just what went wrong and how we can prevent such a catastrophic attack again. The president should order all federal agencies to stop any stalling and cooperate completely with the commission.