911Victim Advocates Say Year-Old Commission Should Seek Deadline Extension

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Victim Advocates Say Year-Old Commission Should Seek Deadline Extension
By Laurence Arnold
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Victims' relatives who pressed for an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 attacks say the panel risks being undercut by the government's failure to cooperate with it.The Family Steering Committee, a group of victim advocates, marked the one-year anniversary of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States by urging an extension of its May 27 deadline for submitting findings and recommendations.

"Unfortunately, the production of a timely report no longer seems to be possible, in large part because of the delays caused by the (Bush) administration and the agencies that report to it," the group said Wednesday in a statement.

Twelve people who lost spouses, children, siblings and parents in the Sept. 11 attacks formed the steering committee to monitor the work of the federal commission.

The leaders of the 10-member commission, Republican Thomas H. Kean and Democrat Lee Hamilton, said last week that they still intend to complete work by May 27. But they warned that further resistance from government agencies could threaten their ability to meet the deadline. <snip>