Former CIA honcho calls the 9-11 Commission "disastrous"

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, April 21, 2008--The 9-11 Commission completed its report in 2004, but not everybody was on board with the results. Not least among its critics is Michael Scheuer, former head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's bin Laden unit, who is now a news commentator and author.

"Of course, the 9-11 Commission was a disastrous thing for America," Scheuer said in a recent televised appearance. Scheuer was interviewing another author, Steve Coll, whose book, The Bin Ladens, on the wealthy Saudi family, was released April 1.

The interview, part of a series of programs called After Words and televised on the cable news network C-SPAN, dredged through both men's experience in dealing with and covering the bin Laden family. Scheuer headed up the CIA's bin Laden unit from 1996 to 1999.

During an exchange of views, Scheuer remarked that he was astounded by how much access the family had to the White House over the years. "I think it's a very interesting comment on the power of money," Scheuer said. "For Americans, it's got to be a very disturbing story."