Statement of the Family Steering Committee
for The 9/11 Independent Commission
March 20, 2004
The Family Steering Committee is deeply disturbed to learn about Executive Staff Director Philip Zelikow’s participation in urgent post election briefings, December 2000, and January 2001, with Sandy Berger and Condoleezza Rice. In this particular meeting the Senior Clinton Administration official clearly warned that Al Qaeda posed the worst Security threat facing the nation.
It is apparent that Dr. Zelikow should never have been permitted to be Executive Staff Director of the Commission. As Executive Staff Director his job has been to steer the direction of the Commission’s investigation, an investigation whose mandate includes understanding why the Bush Administrations failed to prioritize the Al Qaeda threat. It is abundantly clear that Dr. Zelikow’s conflicts go beyond just the transition period.
It is extremely distressing to learn this information at this late date. This new information clearly calls into question the integrity of this Commission’s investigation. The Family Steering Committee repeatedly expressed concerns over all members’ conflicts requesting that the commission be forthcoming so as not to taint the validity of the report. The Family Steering Committee did not know about Dr. Zelikow’s participation in this intelligence briefing until today.
As such, the Family Steering Committee is calling for:
1. Dr. Zelikow’s immediate resignation.
2. Dr. Zelikow’s testimony in public and under oath.
3. Subpoena of Dr. Zelikow’s notes from the intelligence briefings he attended with Richard Clarke
4. The Commission to apologize to the 9/11 families and America for this massive appearance of impropriety.