I’ve been meaning to write about the 9/11 commission report, and how the Bush administration has been dragging its feat and undermining what should be a thorough investigation of the worst attack on America in our history.
There’s a lot going on with this, more than I could cover in a post (or two). But there’s one interesting angle that’s popped up that I thought I could quickly share.
You might recall before we invaded Iraq, Hussein’s government allowed U.N. inspectors to speak to whomever they pleased — as long as they agreed to have a Hussein representative present during the questioning. The administration argued — and I agreed — that this use of “minders” ruined any chance at gathering reliable information. It’s a Stalin-like tactic, obviously used by a paranoid dictator to intimidate those who may share sensitive information that the government would prefer to keep secret.
Well, guess who’s suddenly discovered their own love for “minders”?
It turns out that the independent 9/11 commission, which has been frustrated by the administration’s stonewalling tactics for months, was able to interview key government officials about what happened on that fateful day. There was, however, a catch. The administration insisted that hand-picked “monitors” by permitted to attend the interviews.
Mark Corallo, a spokesperson for the Justice Department, said the practice of conducting these interviews in the presence of “minders” is for the officials’ protection. The overseers are “present for the benefit of the witnesses and to help facilitate the investigation,” he said.
That’s funny, I think Saddam Hussein said the same thing.