"The importance of this report is to implement the changes that need to be made, not to provide a haunting memory of what happened," said Deena Burnett, mother of three and wife of Tom Burnett, who died trying to wrest control of the plane from hijackers. Indeed, this woman is correct.
The report gives a complete history of the actions that led to the terrorist attack. The question is: Can Americans, especially those charged with the safety of their fellow countrymen, learn from this history the lessons necessary to protect the United States and its citizens from future attacks?
Judging by Sen. Joseph Biden's remarks Friday on NBC's Today show, it will take a strong reaction from Americans to force senators and representatives to stop their partisan bickering and force change. Biden, D-Del., said he and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., had made speeches and called for action on the terrorist threat before 9/11, but few people would listen. Few have been stirred to action since.
Indeed, the report supports much of his claim. While the report casts no blame on specific individuals, it spread the blame across the presidential administrations of former President Bill Clinton and sitting President George W. Bush. The report also stopped short of saying that the hijackings could have been prevented. While the report didn't fix blame, others are sure that it will come. "The American people will quickly fix political responsibility for failure, and that responsibility may last for generations," said Republican James Thompson, former governor of Illinois.
A call to action has been sounded, but according to McClatchy newspaper reports, the call may not be heeded. "President Bush, once opposed to creating the independent 9/11 commission, warmly greeted the report at the White House. And two prominent senators, Republican John McCain and Democrat Joe Lieberman, vowed to enact the commission's recommendations, calling for special consideration by Congress yet this year. But with the national political conventions looming and Election Day to follow, most were guessing that nothing substantial would happen until next year at the earliest."
A central proposal of the report, creation of an overarching intelligence czar, hasn't been received warmly by the White House. Turf battles are likely to erupt. But the Congress and the White House must develop a unity of purpose to ensure that the words of the 9/11 commission chairman, former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean, a Republican, don't come true: "Every expert with whom we spoke told us an attack of even greater magnitude is now possible and even probable."
A former Clinton White House staffer, who now serves as a foreign policy adviser to Sen. John Kerry, believes that the commission's proposals for reforming the intelligence agencies stands a good chance of being applied but others are doubtful.
It is not enough to discuss the actions that already have been taken, including creation of the Homeland Security Department and implementation of the Patriot Act, other actions must be taken.
News reports indicated that the 600-page report is rich in detail of relation between Iran and Iraq and the failures of government agencies, including the Congress. The report shows governmentwide "failures of imagination, policy, capabilities and management," while criticizing performance of intelligence, law enforcement and military branches. The hope is that the report will enrich debate and move elected officials to action soon -- and without partisan bickering.
Clearly, those in Washington must adapt to the situation and move away from some of the Cold War-mentality as was discussed in the report, according to Kean. Everyone from President Bush down acknowledges that we could be attacked again -- and it could be worse.
While the report spreads the blame across two presidential administrations, all Americans can share in the blame when we don't speak up and demand that our congressional delegations take action.