Declassified: 9/11 Commission Interviews with Bush and Cheney
The declassification and release today (November 9, 2022) of the interview with President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney conducted by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the 9/11 Commission) follows recommendations long advocated by the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB). The release of the transcript addresses one of the Boards mandates, to release records and materials of extraordinary public interest.
The declassified transcript of the interview is now available at: https://www.archives.gov/files/declassification/iscap/pdf/2012-163-doc-1-release-material.pdf.
“The release of this historical record regarding then President Bush and Vice President Cheney’s actions in the period leading up to and immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attack is an important step towards additional public transparency. The Board thanks all members of the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP), who diligently participated in the declassification review and made it possible for this important historical record to be released to the public. We hope that in the coming months additional records regarding the 9/11 terrorist attacks will be declassified, consistent with President Biden’s September 2021 order. The resource intensive process required to release this record highlights the need to reform and streamline the entire declassification process,” said Chair Ezra Cohen.
As noted and linked from the PIDB blog post, interviews with Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Condolezza Rice, Sandy Berger, Richard Clarke and Michael Scheuer are on the ‘fast track’ for declassification review, as well as a summary of all the PDB’s George W. Bush received prior to the 9/11 attacks:
https://www.archives.gov/files/pidb/recommendations/pidb-potus-letter-9-11-recommendations-final-1.pdf
U.S. Government Quietly Declassifies Post-9/11 Interview with Bush and Cheney: In a newly declassified interview conducted in 2004, Bush shows not a glimmer of awareness of the destruction and carnage he had unleashed on the world. By Jeremy Scahill
https://theintercept.com/2022/11/10/september-11-bush-cheney-interview/
Thanks to Jon Gold for recalling that 9/11 Commission Executive Director Philip Zelikow was interviewed as part of the 9/11 Commission’s work, just for his role on the transition team. This MFR has now been submitted for MDR.
Also see this Jon Gold video made from George W. Bush giving public remarks after the 9/11 Commission interview, and the reactions from C-Span viewers: https://youtu.be/fAOuMK46ZlE
Link to PDF copy of Sep 9, 2022 ISCAP letter informing me of the likely Nov 9 release of the MFR: 2012–163-larson-nara-cla-decision-personal-info-redacted
