From “From One Commission to Another: Shut Up,” in today’s New York Times:

“In August 1999, we were appointed to the independent National Commission on Terrorism…

“From that moment until the commission released its report in June 2000, we did not speak to the news media. Following a voluntary gag order, we and the eight other commissioners revealed not a single inkling of our assessments… It seemed to us that we were only relevant, and would only be effective, if we spoke in a unified voice once our work was complete…

“The time has come for the 9/11 commission to impose the same voluntary gag order on itself…”

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Bravo! It’s time the 9/11 Commission took this sterling call for discretion to heart! Parading themselves on the airwaves, confusing the issues, opening themselves up to charges of partisanship, and noising their preliminary opinions about… it’s distasteful to say the least. I commend former commissioners Kayyem and Downing for this long overdue and authoritative call for etiquette and restraint.

And the previous Terrorism Commission are in a position to know. Why, their eventual report in June of 2000 was a sobering clarion call that was heard by literally dozens of people and acted upon by nearly a handful.

You can see it there in the report, in black and white, unsullied by political grandstanding or undue media attention! Here are some tidbits from the Commission’s summary itself:

“Today’s terrorists seek to inflict mass casualties, and they are attempting to do so both overseas and on American soil. They are less dependent on state sponsorship and are, instead, forming loose, transnational affiliations based on religious or ideological affinity and a common hatred of the United States… Countering the growing danger of the terrorist threat requires significantly stepping up U.S. efforts. The government must immediately take steps to reinvigorate the collection of intelligence about terrorists’ plans, use of all available legal avenues to disrupt and prosecute terrorist activities and private sources of support, convince other nations to cease all support for terrorists, and ensure that federal, state, and local officials are prepared for attacks that may result in mass casualties.”

“Funding for counterterrorism efforts by the CIA, NSA (National Security Agency), and FBI must be given higher priority to ensure continuation of important operational activity and to close the technology gap that threatens their ability to collect and exploit terrorist communications.”

“The FBI should establish a cadre of reports officers to distill and disseminate terrorism-related information once it is collected.”

“Senior officials of all government agencies involved in responding to a catastrophic terrorism threat or crisis should be required to participate in national exercises every year to test capabilities and coordination.”

“The President and Congress should reform the system for reviewing and funding departmental counterterrorism programs to ensure that the activities and programs of various agencies are part of a comprehensive plan.

“The executive branch official responsible for coordinating counterterrorism efforts across the government should be given a stronger hand in the budget process.”

Now, can you imagine what might have happened if these comprehensive and prophetic findings had been previewed on the news networks, talked about across the country, and became a vital part of the national dialog? For one, there’d have been many charges of partisanship leveled at committee members! There would have been charges of waffling, spit-balling, and third degree hand-tipping. There would have been a serious risk of the commission being seen as somewhat less “credible and dignified” (as the editorial puts it).

And, of course, there’s a chance that the 9/11 Commission would never have had to be convened. Okay, that’s possible. But at what price?

No, decorum, protocol, and dignity are what holds us Americans together, and must never be violated for such earthly concerns as skin, bones, and blood. It’s time for the 9/11 Commission to shut up and stop raising awareness about their work. Follow the lead of the previous Commission, which proved beyond reproach that good work that gets filed away in a White House sub-basement is still good work.