Washington, D.C.
President Bush dropped his opposition to an independent investigation of last year’s terrorist attacks to avoid a showdown with a formidable foe—angry relatives of 9/11 victims, Newsweek reported this week. Bush had argued that probing government failures would divert resources from the war on terrorism. But recent revelations of unheeded intelligence warnings brought renewed demands for a full accounting. In secret White House meetings, family members demanded a thorough investigation, and they threatened to publicly embarrass the administration if it refused. “There was a freight train coming down the tracks,” a White House official said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Time-honored political tactic: Throw your wife under the bus'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
Best non-alcoholic spirits for summer cocktailsThe Week Recommends As hard liquor takes a backseat for many, the ingredients for the perfect mocktail are dryly delicious
-
Will Biden's tariffs hinder China's EV dominance?Today's Big Question Climate change goals and American jobs in tension
