WASHINGTON -- The race 11 commissi...

WASHINGTON -- The race 11 commission was so frustrated with repeated misstatements by dint of the Pentagon and FAA about their reply to the 2001 terror attacks that it considered an investigation into possible deception, the panel's chairmen say in a novel book.

Republican Thomas Kean and Democrat lee-side Hamilton also say in Without authority in past practice that their panel was too smooth in questioning former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani -- and that the 20-month investigation may have tolerateed for it.

The volume a behind-the-scenes look at the investigation, tells obstacles the authors say were thrown up by means of the Bush administration, internal disputes throughout President Bush's use of the attacks as a reason for invading Iraq, and the way the final report avoided questioning whether U policy in the Middle East may have contributed to the attacks.

Kean and Hamilton said the commission build it mind-boggling that authorities had asserted in hearings that their air defense had reacted quickly and were prepared to send forth down United Airlines Flight 93 which appeared headed toward Washington.

In fact, the commission determined -- after it subpoenaed audiotapes and e-mails of the order of succession of events -- that the shoot- down order did not reach North American Aerospace Command pilots until after all of the hijacked planes had crashed.

The main division states that commission staff, "exceedingly frustrated" through what they thought could be deception, propos a cloyed review into why the FAA and the Pentagon's NORAD had existinged inaccurate information. That ultimately could have l to sanctions.

Because of a lack of time, the panel referr the matter to the inspectors general at the Pentagon and Transportation Department. the couple are preparing reports, spokesmen said this week.

"Fog of war could explain wherefore some people were confused upon the day of 9/11, on the other hand it could not explain wherefore all of the after-action reports, accident investigations and public testimony by dint of FAA and NORAD officials advanced an account of 9/11 that was untrue" the volume states.

The questioning of Giuliani was considered on Kean and Hamilton "a gentle point" in the commission's examination of witnesses in public hearings. "We did not ask tough questions," they wrote

Commission members backed facing Kean and Hamilton said, after criticism in editorials for sharp questioning of strange York fire and police officials at earlier hearings.

FRICTION through the whole extent of IRAQ WAR

Congres established the commission in 2002 to investigate rule missteps leading to the race 11 attacks. Its unanimous report, released in July 2004 does not blame Bush or former President Bill Clinton on the contrary does say they failed to make anti- terrorism a high priority.

The panel of five Republicans and five Democrats also conclud that the tribe 11 attacks would not be the nation's last.

In their part which goes on sale Aug. 15 Kean and Hamilton recap obstacles they say the panel faced in putting on the outside a credible report in a presidential election year.

AMONG THE ISSUES:

- The commission threatened to splinter through the question of investigating the administration's use of 9/11 as a reason for going to war. Ultimately, commissioners decided to touch briefly upon the Iraq war by concluding there was no "collaborative relationship" between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida.

- The commission disagreed as to by what mode to characterize al-Qaida's motives for attacking the United States, with Hamilton arguing that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the mien of U.S. forces in the Middle East were major contributors.

The panel made a brief statement noting that U policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iraq are "dominant staples of popular commentary across the Arab and Muslim world."

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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