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CNN Live Sunday
9/11 Commission Threatens To Subpoena White House Documents
Aired October 26, 2003 - 16:12 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.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: The federal commission investigating the September 11 attacks may be ready to play hardball with the White House. It's threatening to issue subpoenas if several classified intelligence documents are not handed over soon. Our Kathleen Koch has details now for us at the White House.
Kathleen, is it fair to presume that because this was a leaked story that this is a last chance that these committees are offering the White House to hand things over?
KATHLEEN KOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Andrea, it very well could be. I must say, that I spoke at length yesterday with the spokesman for the 9/11 commission and two words stood out in that conversation: frustration and impatience. Al Felzenberg told me that this commission, which has been in existence for nearly a year, is still negotiating with the Whiet House to get its hand on vital documents that it needs.
"The New York Times" reports that those documents include intelligence reports that were provided directly to the president in the weeks before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. White House spokesman Jimmy Orr (ph) says the administration believes that it is cooperating with, it is working with the commission and hopes to meet all its demands for documents. Still, one presidential candidate is shocked by the delay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE LIEBERMAN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The fact that the Bush administration is not cooperating with a commission investigating how September 11 happened is outrageous. What are they hiding?
What's on the line here is finding out everything we can about how September 11 happened so we can make sure we do everything to see that it never happens again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: The commission has not yet definitively decided to go forward with a subpoena to force either the White House or other executive agencies to come forward with these documents. But spokesman Felzenberg says, if cooperation doesn't begin, some progress doesn't begin in the next few weeks, it's certainly an option.
Felzenberg, though, admitted that the commission understands that subpoenaing the documents does not mean they will necessarily get them any faster. It was just earlier this month that the commission subpoenaed quite a number of documents on 9/11 from the Federal Aviation Administration. And this focus on getting the documents speedily is because the clock is ticking, the commission has to have its report finished by May 27. And if it doesn't, it would literally take an act of Congress to extend its work. Back to you Andrea.
KOPPEL: OK, so they've got 7 months to go. Kathleen Koch, at the White House, thank you.
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Aired October 26, 2003 - 16:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: The federal commission investigating the September 11 attacks may be ready to play hardball with the White House. It's threatening to issue subpoenas if several classified intelligence documents are not handed over soon. Our Kathleen Koch has details now for us at the White House.
Kathleen, is it fair to presume that because this was a leaked story that this is a last chance that these committees are offering the White House to hand things over?
KATHLEEN KOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Andrea, it very well could be. I must say, that I spoke at length yesterday with the spokesman for the 9/11 commission and two words stood out in that conversation: frustration and impatience. Al Felzenberg told me that this commission, which has been in existence for nearly a year, is still negotiating with the Whiet House to get its hand on vital documents that it needs.
"The New York Times" reports that those documents include intelligence reports that were provided directly to the president in the weeks before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. White House spokesman Jimmy Orr (ph) says the administration believes that it is cooperating with, it is working with the commission and hopes to meet all its demands for documents. Still, one presidential candidate is shocked by the delay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE LIEBERMAN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The fact that the Bush administration is not cooperating with a commission investigating how September 11 happened is outrageous. What are they hiding?
What's on the line here is finding out everything we can about how September 11 happened so we can make sure we do everything to see that it never happens again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: The commission has not yet definitively decided to go forward with a subpoena to force either the White House or other executive agencies to come forward with these documents. But spokesman Felzenberg says, if cooperation doesn't begin, some progress doesn't begin in the next few weeks, it's certainly an option.
Felzenberg, though, admitted that the commission understands that subpoenaing the documents does not mean they will necessarily get them any faster. It was just earlier this month that the commission subpoenaed quite a number of documents on 9/11 from the Federal Aviation Administration. And this focus on getting the documents speedily is because the clock is ticking, the commission has to have its report finished by May 27. And if it doesn't, it would literally take an act of Congress to extend its work. Back to you Andrea.
KOPPEL: OK, so they've got 7 months to go. Kathleen Koch, at the White House, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Documents>
