9/11 panel considered criminal probe of Pentagon's apparent lies

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2006

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The 10-member commission that investigated the US response to the September 11 attacks reportedly considered seeking a criminal probe of the Pentagon, believing it had deliberately misled the panel and the public.

The Washington Post said that the panel found discrepancies between statements officials of the North American Aerospace Command (NORAD) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) made about their response to the hijackings and audiotapes and e-mails later made available.

The panel, in a secret meeting at the close of its investigation in 2004, decided there was probable cause to believe the officials had broken the law by making false statements in the hope of hiding their bungled response, sources knowledgeable of the debate told...