Kissinger to lead attacks probe

" I think it is abominable that the families of the victims have had to fight this hard to get something that should have been a given on 12 September "
Monica Gabriel
Widow of 11 September victim

The commission was initially opposed by the White House but has been set up following pressure from families of those who lost their lives in the attacks.

The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says the success of the commission is by no means assured and there is intense political debate about what its central purpose is.

Mr Bush is stressing the lessons that might be learned about the future plans of America's enemies.

But some commission members are likely to want to concentrate more on intelligence failings in the US government.

Help understand

Mr Bush signed the bill into law in front of legislators, survivors and members of victims' families.

"This commission will help me and future presidents to understand the methods of America's enemies and the nature of the threat we face," Mr Bush said.

The 10-member commission has been given 18 months to examine issues such as aviation security and border problems, along with intelligence.

It has a broad mandate, building on the limited joint inquiry conducted by the House of Representatives and Senate intelligence committees.

He called on Dr Kissinger as chairman of the commission to "follow all the facts wherever they lead".

Dr Kissinger promised a full investigation. "We are under no restrictions and we would accept no restrictions," he said.

'Tainted'

His appointment has met with a mixed reaction.

Monica Gabriel, whose husband was killed on 11 September, told the BBC's Newshour programme: "[He] was certainly not on the short list we were hoping for. Is there anyone who is not tainted?"

And she criticised the delays in creating the commission. "I think it is abominable that the families of the victims have had to fight this hard to get something that should have been given on 12 September."

But Stephen Push, a spokesman for the victims' families, was more positive.

"We look forward to working with him to make the commission effective in uncovering the problems that led to the 11 September attacks," he said.

Veteran diplomat

The White House initially opposed the commission, arguing that an investigation would be better conducted by Congress in order to preserve national security secrets.

But under pressure from the families of the victims and Congress, Mr Bush backed down.

The Democratic and Republican parties will each nominate five members to the commission.

Dr Kissinger, 79, is one of the best-known and most controversial figures in 20th-century diplomacy.

He was both secretary of state and national security adviser to Republican presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 with North Vietnam's Le Duc Tho for ceasefire negotiations during the Vietnam war.

Dr Kissinger is remembered for his determined efforts for peace in the Middle East, when his numerous trips to the region prompted the creation of the term "shuttle" diplomacy.

But he is also accused of conniving in repression by brutal former regimes allied to the US such as in Pakistan and Indonesia, and of involvement in setting up Operation Condor - a covert plan by several South American countries to assassinate political opponents.