Kissinger Denies Client Conflicts

WALTER PINCUS / Washington Post 2dec02

Sept. 11 Panel Leaders Promise to Sever Any Problematic Ties

Former secretary of state Henry A. Kissinger and former Senate majority leader George J. Mitchell, who will head the new commission to look into the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said yesterday they would sever relations with any clients that are involved in their investigation.

They also said they would conduct an aggressive, wide-ranging inquiry over the next 18 months. Although saying it was "premature" before the other eight commissioners are named to say whether President Bush, former president Bill Clinton or even foreign leaders or foreign intelligence agencies would be called for questioning, Kissinger did not rule that out.

"We will follow the facts where they lead," Kissinger said on CNN's "Late Edition." "When there is felt to be the need that there's information that only the president might have, that's when that question will arise and that's when we will pursue the facts with the leaders," he said. "If they lead in the direction of the need for looking into the actions of foreign countries or what foreign countries knew, my personal recommendation will be to explore that."

The possibility that conflicts of interest could arise between Kissinger's clients at his New York-based consulting firm and the targets of the investigation was raised yesterday by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.). Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," Kerry said, "I think it is going to be extraordinarily important for Dr. Kissinger to prove to the nation that he comes to this without any linkages that could remain suspect."

Asked on "Fox News Sunday" about Kerry's remark, Kissinger said, "If there are any clients that are involved in the investigations, I will certainly sever my relations with them. But I cannot conceive that there will be any."

On CNN, Kissinger announced that he has no Saudi clients, does not represent any Middle East governments and would not "permit a foreign government to affect my judgment." Mitchell, a lawyer associated with a Washington law firm, said that none of his clients or those of his firm cause a conflict, but that if it turned out they did, he would sever the relationship.

Kissinger said he expects that the commission, as part of its inquiry into al Qaeda's money trail, will look into the question of whether contributions from Princess Haifa al-Faisal, wife of Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, may have benefited two of the hijackers. "This is an issue which we undoubtedly will bring before the commission," Kissinger said, "and I think it's inappropriate to discuss now how we will pursue it."

Kissinger indicated that he expected all the commissioners to be named before the Dec. 15 deadline and that the staff would be divided into different areas with commissioners appointed to handle those areas where they have expertise.

Mitchell said he expected the panel to get full cooperation, adding that the legislation establishing the commission requires all government agencies to cooperate.

Mitchell pointed out that the law requires the panel to begin by reviewing the voluminous record of the House-Senate committee before starting its own independent investigation, but he said it would be up to the full commission to determine where the panel goes after that. He said it would be "premature and unwise" before the others are named "to indicate who we're going to question and when."

Both men said they expected the panel to come up with not just facts about the past but also recommendations for the future. Kissinger added, as he had done last week when named, that after talking privately to the president he was under the "impression" that Bush would implement any recommendations but "of course he has to make his own judgment."

Asked about a sharply critical newspaper editorial by the New York Times that criticized him for not being independent because of current commercial interests and his past use of government power and secrecy, Kissinger responded that the newspaper "will apologize for this editorial when our report is submitted."