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9/11 panel to get extension

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, FEB. 28. The bipartisan commission looking into the September 11, 2001 terror attacks has now support from Congress for a two-month extension. Originally scheduled to wrap up by May 27, the Commission now has until July 26 to submit its report. The formal approval from Capitol Hill is expected early next week.

The Senate took the lead first in approving the extension on Friday along with giving the Commission an additional $1 million. But it was not before some hardball politics that the Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, a major opponent of the extension, relented.

The White House and Republicans in general were worried that the panel's findings would come to dominate the political campaign and too close to the November 2 elections if any extension is given.

The formal extension may be out of the way but the panel has been having other requests that are still pending. For instance, the Commission wants to hear from the U.S. President, George W. Bush, who apparently has ``agreed'' to meet only its Chairman and the Vice-Chairman and not all the members and that too for a period of one hour.

The Commission also wants to hear from the Vice- President, Dick Cheney, and a public testimony from the President's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice. The Commission met Dr. Rice in private for several hours recently and she has declined to come for a public hearing, citing legal concerns.

At this time, it is said that the full 10-member Commission will be hearing in private from the former President and Vice-President, Bill Clinton and Al Gore, with the testimony expected to last several hours.

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