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CNN Live Sunday

Should Congress Hold Hearings on 9-11?

Aired May 19, 2002 - 18:01   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.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with a closer look at the intelligence reports that were delivered to the president before 9/11. Many more details on information given to the White House and some want an independent panel to lead an investigation. CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us with more from the White House -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jonathan, deep differences of opinion exist on how to best get at just what happened and why more action wasn't taken on those warnings prior to 9/11 about the possibility of al Qaeda terrorist attacks, al Qaeda operatives targeting U.S. aircraft.

Now those warnings were passed on to the president in early August and there are some lawmakers on Capitol Hill, many of them Democrats, who believe that the only way to get at the truth in a non- political manner is to take the process off of Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: I feel very strongly that we need an independent non-political, non-congressional, non- partisan commission to go back and ask all the questions that the American people are asking now. Why didn't this information that we're reading about and hearing about now get to someone who might have taken action to prevent September 11th?

Since September 11th, the administration has opposed attempts for an independent investigation of how September 11th could have happened. I think that's a mistake. I hope they'll reconsider it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: The Bush administration says that it fears that intelligence sources and methods that could help stop future terrorist attacks could be compromised if a public inquiry is held, and it wants congressional intelligence committees to proceed with their ongoing investigations. There was an angry denial of charges that the president neglected to act on any terrorism warnings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't have any problem with a legitimate debate over the performance of our intelligence agencies, et cetera. I've got a real problem with the suggestion that somehow my president had information and failed to act upon it to prevent the attack of September 11th. That strikes me, as long as I've been in this town and as many years as I've been involved at the national level in politics, that strikes me as beyond the pail. That is an allegation that is without merit and falls into the category of outrageous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now the vice president says that at this debate it does goes on that he believes that more al Qaeda terrorism threats are imminent, saying that it's not a question of if but when and that all Americans need to be vigilant -- Jonathan.

KARL: All right, Kathleen Koch at the White House, thank you very much.

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