[PEN-L:33119] Kissinger Quits as Chairman of 9/11 Panel (fwd)

[Paul Zarembka <zarembka@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kissinger Quits as Chairman of 9/11 Panel

December 13, 2002
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger stepped down Friday as chairman of a panel
investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, citing controversy over
potential conflicts of interest with his business clients.

``It is clear that, although specific potential conflicts
can be resolved in this manner, the controversy would
quickly move to the consulting firm I have built and own,''
Kissinger wrote in a letter to President Bush, who
appointed him. ``I have, therefore, concluded that I cannot
accept the responsibility you proposed.''

The decision was another blow for the fledging panel. Its
original vice chairman, former Sen. George Mitchell,
D-Maine, resigned from the commission Wednesday, partly
because of pressures to quit his law firm.

No replacement for Kissinger was announced, but Bush was
expected to fill the position soon.

Kissinger's resignation came one day after he tried to
assure victims' relatives that his business interests would
not conflict with his duties as chairman.

A leader of a relatives' group, Kristen Breitweiser of
September 11th Advocates, said the Kissinger and Mitchell
resignations ``reaffirms my belief that the commission
needs to be pure, transparent and purely independent.''

Stephen Push of Families of Sept. 11, said Kissinger's
resignation gives Bush ``a second chance to appoint someone
who will be a thorough and competent investigator.''

Kissinger said he had told White House lawyers he was
willing to remove the appearance of conflict of interests
by submitting ``all relevant financial information'' to the
White House and to an independent review.

Kissinger called White House chief of staff Andrew Card and
told him he was willing to disclose his client list, but
feared that would not be enough, and that critics would
demand that he liquidate his firm, a senior White House
official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Kissinger said he could not liquidate Kissinger Associates,
his international consulting firm, without delaying the
commission's work.

A spokeswoman for Kissinger said he had no comment beyond
his letter to Bush. White House aides said the resignation
was Kissinger's idea.

Bush issued a written statement saying he accepted
Kissinger's resignation with regret and that ``his
chairmanship would have provided the insights and analysis
the government needs to understand the methods of our
enemies and the nature of the threats we face.''

The commission will investigate events surrounding the
attacks, examining issues including aviation security,
immigration and U.S. diplomacy. It will build on a
congressional inquiry, completed this week, into
intelligence failures.

Senators said all commission members must submit financial
disclosures that would reveal potential conflicts. That
view was supported by reports issued by Congress' research
arm, the Congressional Research Service.

But the White House contended Kissinger, as Bush's sole
appointee, should not have had to submit a report because
the law does not require presidential appointees to submit
disclosures if they are not drawing salaries.

There have been other disputes surrounding the commission
which begins its work early next month.

Negotiations creating the commission were bogged down by
disputes over its makeup and rules, with lawmakers and the
White House accusing each other of trying to manipulate it
for political purposes.

Some family members of victims and a number of
congressional Democrats have questioned whether the
administration wants an honest evaluation of the attacks,
with its report due to come out less than six months before
the 2004 presidential election.

Victims' relatives have criticized the appointment of
former Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., who they say is too
close to the airline industry. They are pushing for the
appointment of independent-minded former Sen. Warren
Rudman, R-N.H., for one of the five Republican slots. Five
Democrats have already been appointed, including former
Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., who will be the panel's vice
chairman.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Kissinger-Commission.html?ex=1040839751&ei=1&en=9c94431ad7007b51



HOW TO ADVERTISE
---------------------------------
For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters
or other creative advertising opportunities with The
New York Times on the Web, please contact
onlinesales@xxxxxxxxxxx or visit our online media
kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo

For general information about NYTimes.com, write to
help@xxxxxxxxxxxx

Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company


*************************************************************************
Paul Zarembka, editor, RESEARCH IN POLITICAL ECONOMY at
********************** http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/PZarembka