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CNN Live Today
Congressional Investigations on 9/11 Get Underway
Aired June 04, 2002 - 14:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: First up this hour, some blunt talk in a government agency renowned for its secrecy.
President Bush spoke with reporters today during a brief visit to the National Security Agency, and CNN's John King joins us now with that -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Carol, that visit to the once super-secret National Security Agency comes, of course, just as Congress begins closed-door -- initially -- hearings into what the government knew prior to September 11 about the terrorist threat, about whether the FBI, the CIA and other agencies failed to share information.
So Mr. Bush, as he toured the NSA, did speak to reporters. He is back now at the White House now conducting other business. Mr. Bush, we know from our sources here, has voiced concern to top staffers here at the White House about what he believes to be finger-pointing between the CIA and the FBI on the eve of these congressional hearings, the agencies blaming each other for intelligence and communication lapses prior to September 11.
Mr. Bush was asked about that in public today. He downplayed that interagency finger-pointing, but sent a clear message to Congress as that investigation begins.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, U.S. PRESIDENT: In terms of the gossip and the finger pointing, Level 3 staffers trying to protect their hide, I don't think that's of concern. That's just typical Washington, D.C.
But what I am concerned about is tying up valuable assets and time, and possibly jeopardizing sources of intelligence, and that's why it is very important that the Congress to do investigate, but they do so in a way that doesn't jeopardize our intelligence-gathering capacity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: In that same question and answer session, the president said that congressional inquiries should be limited to one investigation. There is a joint House and Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, and that is the one beginning private hearings today.
The FBI director due to go up. The CIA director to be called later (AUDIO GAP) hearing so that Mr. Tenet, Mr. Mueller and others can get about their business, he said, in the war on terrorism.
Other congressional committees say they have legitimate questions, but it is clear this White House trying to apply political pressure to make there be only one investigation and to have most of that investigation conducted behind closed doors.
Mr. Bush says that is critical because he believes intelligence methods and sources need to be protected.
And as the president delivered a pep talk at the NSA today -- that is the eavesdropping agency that supplies spy agencies throughout the government, and law enforcement agencies throughout the government, Mr. Bush said he has confidence even as the investigations go on, that the bottom line will be this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: There's all kinds of speculation. As I said, I see no evidence that would have led to me to believe that we could have prevented the attacks. And, obviously, if we could have, we would have prevented the attacks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Obviously, though, a great deal of sensitivity as those hearings get under way. The administration says it will cooperate. Again, Mr. Bush trying to limit the inquiries to just tone.
And we are told that the president and other top officials here at the White House have sent clear word to FBI and the CIA that they want this finger-pointing, these leaks about who knew what and when, to stop -- Carol.
LIN: John, was the White House any more clear about the role of what the homeland security chief is going to be doing in all of this?
KING: Well, what they say is that there are reforms under way.
The president acknowledging today in the question and answer session that yes, the FBI and the CIA were failing to communicate properly, in his view, prior to September 11.
He says the FBI director, Bob Mueller, is working on reforms. The CIA director, George Tenet, is working on reforms, that they come together to meet with him at the White House every day and share information.
What the White House says is Tom Ridge, the homeland security director, is the middleman, if you will. The CIA and FBI come together, that Tom Ridge is here at the president's right hand to bring the information -- "fusion" is word the White House uses for that information. There are some questions in Congress as well. Many believe Governor Ridge, the homeland security director, does not have enough power. That will be another of the issues addressed as at least this one inquiry presses forward and as some in Congress believe there should be additional inquiries as well.
LIN: All right, there you go. John King, live, at the White House.
Now, in just a few minutes the doors will close on a sound proof room in the U.S. Capitol, and what happens inside may never be known to those of us outside. But, it'll have something to do with the clues that apparently were overlooked or otherwise mishandled prior to September 11.
CNN's Kate Snow joins us now with a preview of that -- Kate.
KATE SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, a little bit of reaction to what you just heard from John King, what the president said earlier today about Congress's role in all of this.
I was just speaking with Senator Richard Shelby. He's the top- most Republican senator on this joint intelligence committee that's going to be meeting just this hour.
Senator Shelby saying to me we owe it to the American people to do a thorough and credible investigation. He said -- he pointed out that there were nine investigations underway during the -- of Pearl Harbor during World War II.
So, he said the thought that you can't run an investigation and call people up here and still have them doing their government jobs, as was suggested by the president -- he said he doesn't buy that.
He said we can run investigations and they continue to fight terrorism.
Now, the hearings start within this hour, up on the fourth floor of the United States Capitol. This is an area that's very secure. We're told that there are actually armed guards posted outside, security guards, so that no one can get in except for authorized personnel.
You have to have a certain level of security clearance to get into this area. It's way up at the top of Capitol, basically in the attic, if you will -- an area that was added on back in 1960. These rooms are completely sound proof so no one eavesdrop on the conversations.
Now, earlier today one member of this intelligence committee, this joint committee that's formed between the House and the Senate, talked about why they need to start out with these hearings being private and then later, perhaps, be able to open them up to the public.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN KYL (R), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: If too much becomes public too soon, then two things happen. Our attention is diverted from the war effort which we're engaged in right now, and we don't want that to happen.
And the second problem is that we begin to compromise our sources and methods of collection of intelligence. The fact that the September 12 memo from -- excuse me, the Phoenix memo was made public has already dried up some sources in connection with that investigation. So we have to be careful about airing all of this in public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: My colleague, Jonathan Karl, just recently talked to the head of the committee, Senator Bob Graham. He's the Democratic chairman on the Senate side. And Senator Graham telling John that basically he looks at this as a three-act play.
What they want to do is, act one: what happened before, on and after 9/11? What can they learn about 9/11 and establish a timeline about exactly what happened.
Act two: what does it all mean? Does it indicate that changes need to be made?
And those changes would be act three: what needs to be change at the agencies that cover intelligence in order to prevent this kind of attack from ever happening again.
Carol, one other interesting note -- Senator Graham talking about the in-fighting, if you will, the finger-pointing between the CIA and the FBI. His comment on that is that it's not constructive for these agencies to be pointing the fingers at each other. He compared it to a children's playground fight.
Carol, back to you.
LIN: That's pretty funny. Thank you very much. Kate Snow, live on Capitol Hill.
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