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Frequently Asked Questions About the 9-11 Commission
What is the Commission's mandate?
When was the Commission created, and when is it supposed to report?
How is the Commission staff organized?
How many people serve on the Commission staff?
What is the Commission's budget?
How many people have you interviewed?
Will President Bush and President Clinton meet with the Commission?
Are you satisfied with the current level of cooperation you have been receiving?
Was the Commission able to review the Presidential Daily Briefs (PDBs)?
Has the Commission used its power of subpoena?
What is the Commission’s view of the Report of the Joint Inquiry?
What is the Commission's mandate?
* The Commission's mandate is to provide a “full and complete accounting” of the attacks of September 11, 2001 and recommendations as to how to prevent such attacks in the future.
Specifically, Section 604 of Public Law 107-306 requires the Commission to investigate "facts and circumstances relating to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001," including those relating to intelligence agencies; law enforcement agencies; diplomacy; immigration, nonimmigrant visas, and border control; the flow of assets to terrorist organizations; commercial aviation; the role of congressional oversight and resource allocation; and other areas determined relevant by the Commission for its inquiry.
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When was the Commission created, and when is it supposed to report?
* The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (known as the 9-11 Commission) was created by Public Law 107-306, signed by the President on November 27, 2002. P.L. 107-306 originally required the Commission to report to the President and Congress 18 months after enactment, or no later than May 27, 2004. Recently Congress passed and the President signed legislation which extends the reporting deadline by two months, to July 26, and the termination date by 30 days, to August 26. This additional time will allow the Commission to fulfill its mandate.
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How is the Commission staff organized?
* In response to the requirements under law, the Commission has organized work teams to address each of the following eight topics:
o Al Qaeda and the Organization of the 9-11 Attack;
o Intelligence Collection, Analysis, and Management (including oversight and resource allocation);
o International Counterterrorism Policy, including states that harbor or harbored terrorists, or offer or offered terrorists safe havens;
o Terrorist Financing;
o Border Security and Foreign Visitors;
o Law Enforcement and Intelligence Collection inside the United States;
o Commercial Aviation and Transportation Security, including an Investigation into the Circumstances of the Four Hijackings;
o The Immediate Response to the Attacks at the National, State, and Local levels, including issues of Continuity of Government.
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How many people serve on the Commission staff?
* The Commission has nearly 80 full-time employees, contractors, and detailees on staff. All the Commissioners and staff have received the security clearances they need to carry on the investigation.
The Commission has been highly successful in attracting the talents of an experienced, outstanding group of professionals, including a former Deputy Director of Intelligence, a former State Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, a professor of international history and foreign intelligence from Harvard, experts on cross-border money transfers, several former federal prosecutors, and several staff from the Congressional Joint Inquiry.
What is the Commission's budget?
* Public Law 107-306 provided for the reprogramming of $3 million for the Commission. Congress subsequently appropriated, and the President signed into law, an additional $11 million appropriation for the Commission. Recent legislation authorized an additional $1 million, bringing the Commission’s total budget to $15 million.
The Commission is confident that it can fulfill its mandate with this amount. We appreciate very much the support of Congress and the President for this level of funding.
How many people have you interviewed?
* As of March 15, 2004, we have interviewed more than 1000 individuals in ten countries. The Commission has also held ten days of public hearings to date, during which it received testimony from 110 federal, state, and local officials, and experts from the private sector.
