IN THE NEWS - 9/11 Commission Report

IN THE NEWS - 9/11 Commission Report
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Saturday, July 24, 2004

 

 
Graphic¹ Image
This is Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, better known as the 9-11 Commission, gave its final report Thursday. The document is almost six hundred pages. It follows twenty months of investigation² into what went wrong on September eleventh, two-thousand-one, and how to prevent future attacks.

The five Republicans and five Democrats³ on the commission said they came together to present the report "without dissent⁴." By agreement, copies are being sold through bookstores. The report can be read free of charge on the Internet.

Commission Chairman Thomas Kean and Vice⁵ Chairman Lee Hamilton presented the report to President Bush. Mister Bush said he looked forward to studying what he called "some very constructive⁶ recommendations" by the commission.

The attacks killed three-thousand people. Al-Qaida hijackers flew planes into the World Trade Center in New York and the military headquarters at the Pentagon. A fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after a rebellion by passengers.

Chairman Kean, in public comments, said the United States government was not active enough in dealing⁷ with the terrorist threat. He said the commission cannot say whether any measures would have prevented the attacks. But Mister Kean said the Clinton and Bush administrations must share blame for not recognizing the threat.

The commission found what it called a "failure of imagination." It says agencies failed to share information and made mistakes. It says they missed ten chances to discover the plot. It also criticized Congress for poor supervision⁸ of intelligence gathering⁹.

The report calls for the appointment of a national intelligence director and the creation of a new national anti-terrorism center. It calls for changes in immigration policies in an effort to keep terrorists out of the country. And it says the United States needs to do more through its foreign policy to reach out to moderate Muslims around the world.

The commission said it found no proof that Iraq cooperated with al-Qaida in any attacks against the United States. Fifteen of the nineteen hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. But the commission said it found no evidence of Saudi government involvement. Still, it said the United States must face problems with Saudi Arabia and, in its words, "build a relationship beyond oil."

The commission said the United States continues to face one of the greatest security threats in its history. It called for urgent action on its proposals. In Congress, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said he would ask for hearings over the next several months to consider possible legislation.

In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Steve Ember.

1 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

7 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

8 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

9 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。