MARK
Hamilton Replaces Mitchell on Commission Investigating 9/11.
Thu Dec 12 18:13:58 2002
204.189.23.7

Hamilton Replaces Mitchell on Commission Investigating Sept. 11
By Ken Guggenheim Associated Press Writer
Published: Dec 12, 2002

advertisement
WASHINGTON (AP) - Just two weeks after he was appointed, former Sen. George Mitchell has resigned from a commission that will investigate the Sept. 11 attacks.

Former Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., will replace Mitchell as vice chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, headed by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

The commission will follow up the work of the congressional inquiry that issued its final report Wednesday on intelligence failures leading up the terrorist attacks. The commission will conduct a broader investigation, looking at issues beyond intelligence, including aviation security and immigration.

In a letter to congressional Democratic leaders Wednesday, Mitchell said he had understood that the commission work would be part time.

"However, as you know, some have urged that I sever all ties to the law firm with which I am associated," he wrote. "Since I must work to support my family, I cannot comply."

He said concerns were raised about potential conflicts of interests and whether he would devote the time necessary to the commission. Some politicians and commentators have raised similar questions about Kissinger, who leads a major consulting firm.

Mitchell said his legal work would not have posed a conflict, but he was concerned about how much time the commission would have demanded.

His replacement, Hamilton, served more than 30 years in the House and is a former chairman of the International Relations and Intelligence committees.

The commission will be made up of five Democrats and five Republicans, including Kissinger, who was appointed by President Bush.

Democratic leaders on Wednesday appointed four other members to the panel: outgoing Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga., outgoing Rep. Timothy Roemer, D-Ind., attorney Richard Ben-Veniste, and Jamie Gorelick, a deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration.

On Tuesday, Senate Republican leader Trent Lott appointed former Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash. Republican congressional leaders will name three more members.

Gorton's appointment has disappointed some relatives of the Sept. 11 victims. Gorton, a former chairman of a Senate aviation subcommittee, had close ties with Boeing Co., the largest private employer in Washington state. Boeing made all four planes used in the attacks.

Gorton's law firm, Seattle-based Preston Gates Ellis, also represents several major airlines.

"I think Gorton is a terrible appointment," said Stephen Push, whose wife, Lisa Raines, died in the attack on the Pentagon.

Kristen Breitweiser, whose husband Ronald was killed in the World Trade Center, said Gorton's appointment follows a troubling pattern set by the selection of Kissinger. Family members have criticized Kissinger's appointment because of potential conflicts.

"We want this commission to be independent - to fix problems that became apparent Sept. 11," said Breitweiser, of Middletown, N.J.

Gorton did not return messages left at his offices in Seattle and Washington.

Bush initially opposed the independent commission, but eventually agreed to back it as support grew in Congress. The panel's makeup and rules were the result of long negotiations between lawmakers and the White House, each accusing the other side of trying to manipulate the panel for partisan reasons. The final report will be due less than six months before the 2004 presidential elections.

---

EDITOR'S NOTE: Associated Press Writer Matthew Daly contributed to this story.

AP-ES-12-12-02 0356EST
=====================================
More:
Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind

• Lee Hamiton: Chaired House October Surprise Taskforce — APFN, Thu Dec 12 18:28