Reactions to 9/11 report

The key failure was one of imagination, the commission said

US political leaders and relatives of the victims of the 11 September 2001 attacks have been giving their reactions to the final report of the bipartisan Congressional commission set up to investigate the terrorist strikes.

Here are some of their comments.

---

" They've done a really good job of learning about our country and learning about what went wrong prior to 11 September, and making very sound, solid, recommendations about how to move forward. I assured them that where government needs to act, we will.

"There is still a threat. We in the government have an obligation to do everything in our power to safeguard the American people."

US President George W Bush

---

"This report carries a simple message for all of America, about the security of all Americans: We can do better.

"We must do better and there is an urgency about us doing better."

John Kerry, Democratic presidential candidate

---

"If we shared the intelligence between the FBI, the CIA and the FAA [Federal Aviation Authority] it could have been prevented... It is something that should have been taken care of years ago."

Bob Hughes, father of 9/11 victim

---

"It is devastating, totally devastating. There were so many errors and so much lack of communication. I do believe it could have been prevented. It is a horrible thought."

Joy Bennett, British mother of 9/11 victim

---

"The commission decided unanimity was more important than controversy. They did a very workmanlike Washington report."

Richard Clarke, former White House security expert

---

"In this town (Washington) racked by partisanship, to come up with bipartisan recommendations is an amazing accomplishment in itself."

New York Senator Charles Schumer (Democrat)

---

"The most important thing about this report, it doesn't look in the rear-view mirror and point fingers of blame. It gets on beyond that and makes recommendations."

Kansas Senator Pat Roberts (Republican)

---

"The report being released today by this so-called independent commission cannot possibly be deemed definitive or authoritative as an account for the events of 11 September - not by any stretch of the imagination."

Kyle Hence, 9/11 Citizens Watch

---

"The question of whether or not we have a tsar, a director... that coordinates intelligence, I think, is key. One of the major emphases in this commission's report was the fact that our intelligence system is not working".

Lawmaker Sheila Jackson (Democrat)