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Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission
In the words of the commission’s co-chairmen, this is the compelling inside story of how the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States—more commonly known as the 9/11 Commission—managed to succeed against all odds in producing a report that made clear what went wrong and why.
The mandate of the 9/11 Commission was daunting and all-encompassing. In its investigation of the events leading up to and including September 11, 2001, the commission had to examine U.S. diplomacy, military policy, intelligence agencies, law enforcement, border and aviation security, and congressional oversight, as well as the immediate response to the terrorist attacks, while also investigating the lethal enemy al Qaeda.
The creation of the 9/11 Commission was blocked for months by the Bush administration, and after its inception in December 2002 the commission spent months mired in a series of controversies—the resignation of its first chairman, Henry Kissinger, and vice-chairman, George Mitchell; an inadequate budget; an extraordinarily polarized atmosphere leading up to the 2004 presidential election; the conflicting demands of various interest groups; the distrust of the victims’ families; difficulties in obtaining access to highly classified documents and to al Qaeda detainees; and a media eager to record stumbles and gaffes. The obstacles were great, and the expectations for a blue-ribbon panel are never high—yet somehow the 9/11 Commission overcame everything that might have thwarted it and succeeded beyond anyone’s greatest expectation, holding a series of hearings that riveted the nation, producing a unanimous and widely heralded report that became a national best seller, and issuing recommendations that led to the most significant reform of America’s national security agencies in decades.
The 9/11 Commission report slaked the national thirst for accountability. Here for the first time is the story of how the commission came together to produce its landmark document.
The mandate of the 9/11 Commission was daunting and all-encompassing. In its investigation of the events leading up to and including September 11, 2001, the commission had to examine U.S. diplomacy, military policy, intelligence agencies, law enforcement, border and aviation security, and congressional oversight, as well as the immediate response to the terrorist attacks, while also investigating the lethal enemy al Qaeda.
The creation of the 9/11 Commission was blocked for months by the Bush administration, and after its inception in December 2002 the commission spent months mired in a series of controversies—the resignation of its first chairman, Henry Kissinger, and vice-chairman, George Mitchell; an inadequate budget; an extraordinarily polarized atmosphere leading up to the 2004 presidential election; the conflicting demands of various interest groups; the distrust of the victims’ families; difficulties in obtaining access to highly classified documents and to al Qaeda detainees; and a media eager to record stumbles and gaffes. The obstacles were great, and the expectations for a blue-ribbon panel are never high—yet somehow the 9/11 Commission overcame everything that might have thwarted it and succeeded beyond anyone’s greatest expectation, holding a series of hearings that riveted the nation, producing a unanimous and widely heralded report that became a national best seller, and issuing recommendations that led to the most significant reform of America’s national security agencies in decades.
The 9/11 Commission report slaked the national thirst for accountability. Here for the first time is the story of how the commission came together to produce its landmark document.
373 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 21, 2024
THE STORY OF THE 9/11 COMMISSION (FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE)
The "National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States" consisted of five Democrats and five Republicans, and lasted from November 2002 until its final report was issued in August 2004 (shortly before the 2004 election). Arguably having been "set up to fail," the Republicans had wanted it to last for only one year (Pg. 20), and initially allocated only a paltry $3 million for it. The Bush administration strongly resisted having National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice testify under oath in public, although she ultimately did (Pg. 110).
Among other things, the Report revealed how the inability of the FBI and CIA to share information hampered intelligence-gathering; how two of the hijackers known to the CIA had lived openly under their own names for several months; how an FBI memo warned that the matter of Arab men receiving flight school training needed to be looked into; and how Zacarias Moussaoui had been arrested in Minnesota just weeks before 9/11, and "described as a terrorist suspect with an interest in flight training." (Pg. 16)
It also pointed out the "massive intelligence failure" in assessing Iraq's prewar weapons of mass destruction, as "American forces occupying Iraq found none of the predicted stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons." (Pg. 129) It strongly criticizes the FAA passenger screening, as not only "permeable," but "aimed at keeping bombs out of baggage, not at keeping planes from being turned into guided missiles." (Pg. 138) National terrorism coordinator Richard Clarke (whose book Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror came out during the hearings) argued in his testimony that "President Bush and his top advisers had not taken terrorism seriously before 9/11." (Pg. 154)
The Commission was dismissive of "conspiracy theories" (Pg. 252-255), concluding that after their actions (such as clearing up "inconsistencies in the FAA and NORAD accounts of 9/11"), "Those who chose to continue believing conspiracy theories now had to rely solely on imagination, their theories having been disproved by facts." (Pg. 268) [Which 9/11 "Truthers" dispute; see David Ray Griffin's The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions And Distortions, for example.]
The report itself is available ('The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States'). Another useful book is 'The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation.'
The "National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States" consisted of five Democrats and five Republicans, and lasted from November 2002 until its final report was issued in August 2004 (shortly before the 2004 election). Arguably having been "set up to fail," the Republicans had wanted it to last for only one year (Pg. 20), and initially allocated only a paltry $3 million for it. The Bush administration strongly resisted having National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice testify under oath in public, although she ultimately did (Pg. 110).
Among other things, the Report revealed how the inability of the FBI and CIA to share information hampered intelligence-gathering; how two of the hijackers known to the CIA had lived openly under their own names for several months; how an FBI memo warned that the matter of Arab men receiving flight school training needed to be looked into; and how Zacarias Moussaoui had been arrested in Minnesota just weeks before 9/11, and "described as a terrorist suspect with an interest in flight training." (Pg. 16)
It also pointed out the "massive intelligence failure" in assessing Iraq's prewar weapons of mass destruction, as "American forces occupying Iraq found none of the predicted stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons." (Pg. 129) It strongly criticizes the FAA passenger screening, as not only "permeable," but "aimed at keeping bombs out of baggage, not at keeping planes from being turned into guided missiles." (Pg. 138) National terrorism coordinator Richard Clarke (whose book Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror came out during the hearings) argued in his testimony that "President Bush and his top advisers had not taken terrorism seriously before 9/11." (Pg. 154)
The Commission was dismissive of "conspiracy theories" (Pg. 252-255), concluding that after their actions (such as clearing up "inconsistencies in the FAA and NORAD accounts of 9/11"), "Those who chose to continue believing conspiracy theories now had to rely solely on imagination, their theories having been disproved by facts." (Pg. 268) [Which 9/11 "Truthers" dispute; see David Ray Griffin's The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions And Distortions, for example.]
The report itself is available ('The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States'). Another useful book is 'The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation.'
June 19, 2018
While I wouldn't have chosen this book, it was recommended at my library, and I ended up enjoying it. it's more a discussion of the history around the commission: how it came to be, how it worked, etc, than a recounting of the commission's findings.
Written by the two chairmen of the commission, the book reveals a lot of the background behind things that were done or not done, and why.
Written by the two chairmen of the commission, the book reveals a lot of the background behind things that were done or not done, and why.
October 30, 2022
To quote myself, from the Rocky Mountain News book department over 15 years ago, this book "Unveils the Herculean efforts to delve into the massive strata of the Federal apparatus...a fascinating read." It reveals one of the foreign plots against the US (past tense, hopefully.)
June 9, 2024
Very interesting behind the scenes look at the 9/11 Commission, and brought back a lot of the emotion around the attack.
January 20, 2026
The only candidate of presidential was only Mohammed. There is no God, but Allah SWT. Peace be upon him. Ahlussunnah wal jama'ah.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2010
The USAF originally gave an incorrect timeline of events to the commission, but when the commission gave it its own timeline, the USAF agreed with it; the commission did not pursue the question, where the original wrong timeline came from. Do these idiots realize that when they do the CYA routine, they pour water on the mills of conspiracy theorists?
March 7, 2007
This was really interesting, but a little slow (yuk yuk).
September 4, 2007
A fascinating look inside the work of the 9/11 commission.
August 26, 2008
interesting read - revealing as to many of the myths throuwn around out there
October 11, 2008
973.931 K How the commission was created, how the information was found to come up with the conclusions it reached written by the two heads of the commission. Thoughtful and interesting
October 13, 2011
Kean & Hamilton take you behind the scenes of the 9/11 Commission. They don't dish the dirt, & bureaucratic minutia is heavy, but it is an interesting account.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews