Book Review

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Twelve Books released The Commission in January, I think. My friend Jess lent it to me and I just finished it. And I'm so glad I did.
Shenon doesn't write like a guy with an agenda, though I'm sure some will choose to believe he has one. His sources go deep and wide, and the story he tells, of the forming of the commission, it's research, it's battles, it's final product, are compelling to the end.

The final report is, of course, the best thing produced by a blue-ribbon commision, maybe, ever. It was written in the hope that people would actually read it, rather than hearing some of the conclusions on the news, with the final document gathering dust, awaiting the eyes of the occaisional historian.

When the report was realeased, it was clear that one had to read the facts as presented and follow them to one's own conclusions as regards fault or accountability. The bi-partisan structure of the committee, as well as it's tug-of-war with officials over access and declassification, meant that fingures could not be expressly pointed.

But the facts are there, and the story of how they were gathered and edited is riveting. And more: Shenon offers a perspective which allows for human frailty, rather than demonization.

An example: Shortly after the release of the Commission's report, it was noted that it seemed VP Cheney had issued a shoot-down order without the president's directive. He's not allowed to do that, the Constitution does not give the VP a role in the military chain of command.

The Veep was not happy with the sequence of events presented in the report, as it is impossible to read without understanding that Cheney made an order that was not his to make. Politically, this could imply that the POTUS wasn't really in control that day, or that the VEEP has actually been puppetmaster since the morning of 9/11/01.

Personally, I had/ have no problem with either of those conclusions. If they don't accurately reflect every minute of that morning, they at least serve as a primer on how I think the WH has functioned over the past 7 years.

I have to say, though, after reading Shenon's account, I have more sympathy with the people who were sitting in the Situation Room that day. I have little but contempt for any of them as people, but picture the table: the VEEP's on the phone, an airplane is maybe heading for the WH or the Capitol dome, everyone with him taking notes as fast as they can to preserve a record of what is happening. And the VEEP says to the phone, "Shoot." And then realizes he'd better call the POTUS and make sure he knows the order's been given.

Somehow he seems a lot less arogant and evil in that moment than maybe he seemed before I read Shenon's book.

Of course, there's plenty of opportunity to renew your disgust over some of the more stupid talking points the right seized on back then. Remember all of the hollering about Jamie Gorelick's 1996 DOJ memo on interagency communication? Gorelick lived through months of death threats, and Ashcroft may well have remained at the AG's desk if the committee hadn't finally had enough of his tactics.

Didn't make sense then, doesn't make sense now, hurts to remember it. First, the rules Gorelick's memo addressed came from the post-watergate '70s reforms, and her memo didn't do anything to change them. More importantly, though: as regards intelligence prior to 9/11/01, the glaring failures weren't between agencies. The FBI wasn't talking to... the FBI. And does anyone believe that memo affected cabinet-level communications? Because Norm Pineta, the Transporation Secretary, had no knowledge of warnings that al Qaeda might be planning to hijack commercial aircraft within the US. Might've helped if he could have told the FAA to watch for that.

Michael Dobbs of WAPO dismissed the book as "revisionist" in his review, but Dobbs missed the point.

The point is this: the commission was made of human beings, trying to decode and record an immense human tragedy. They all had faults and frailties, but they had to work together. They produced a very important and highly respected work.

And that work should be read, must be read with the understanding that you will have to weigh the evidence and draw your own conclusions if you would like to know who should be held accountable.

Of course: we missed the opportunities to hold most of the principles accountable. Bush was reelected, Condi was promoted. Tenet got a medal. Mueller didn't seem to accomplish anything at FBI (do they even have email yet?), and Guliani's lack of preparation in NYC isn't what did in his presidential campaign (if anything, the fact that he's really, really creepy did in his campaign).

But we can learn from our mistakes, no? We can learn the questions to ask, the results to demand, I hope. Because it's not over yet.

Added Bonus Book Recommendation: Twelve will be releasing Jess's first novel in July.


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