Bill Clinton: “I salute the 9/11 Commission for an extraordinary job well done and an act of real patriotism. The men and one woman who…”

“I salute the 9/11 Commission for an extraordinary job well done and an act of real patriotism. The men and one woman who served on this Commission were asked to do a very difficult task, to try to separate themselves from their prior associations. These are all political people. Not everyone ran for political office, but the distinguished chair and vice chair certainly did and other members as well. These are all people who understand our political process and who with great distinction have served their party as well as our country, but they put that to one side when it came to working together. This 9/11 Commission report is a great testimony to their willingness to search hard for the truth, to get at the facts, to then explain, in understandable language, whatever they could discover about the events leading up to 9/11. This report not only is educational and informative, but it is an urgent call to action. There are recommendations that ask the branches of our Government, the executive and legislative, as well as the American public, to understand we are up against a determined and committed adversary. Therefore, we have to think differently. We have to organize differently. We cannot act as though business as usual is sufficient. The recommendations from this Commission will ask this body to reorganize itself, to have a different approach to the oversight of intelligence. I hope we will respond to that request and recommendation.”