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Panel says R\A played down 9-11 risk BY HOPE YEN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON - Months before the Sept. 11 attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration played down the possibility of suicide hi jackings, saying the greater threat was from explosives smuggled aboard planes, according to a fed eral panel investigating the at tacks. The preliminary report re leased Tuesday by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks I Upon the United States said that in a presentation to airline and airport officials in early 2001, the FAA discounted the threat of a sui cide hijacking because there was “no indication that any group is currently thinking in that direc tion.” In July 2001, the FAA issued a warning to air carriers but did not mention suicide hijackings. Instead, it focused on the possibil ity that some terrorist groups might conceal explosive devices inside luggage. Bush administration officials have maintained that before the attacks there was no indication terrorists were considering sui cide hijackings. The report said the FAA’s Office of Civil Aviation Security officially considered the possibility of suicide hijackings as early as March 1998. The report acknowledged there was no specific intelligence indi cating suicide hijackings would occur but said the FAA still had a responsibility to protect the flying public against such a threat. The 10-member, bipartisan commission was established by Congress to study the nation’s pre paredness before Sept. 11 and its response to the attacks, and to make recommendations for guard ing against similar disasters. On Monday, the first day of a two-day public hearing, the com mission said U.S. authorities missed some obvious signs that might have prevented some of the Sept. 11 hijackers from entering the country. Government officials have said the 19 hijackers entered the country legally, but the panel said its investigation found at least two and as many as eight had fraudulent visas. The com mission also found examples in which U.S. officials had contact with the hijackers but failed to adequately investigate suspi cious behavior. The panel also found that at least six of the hijackers violated immigration laws by overstaying their visas or failing to attend the English language school for which their visas were issued. The commission said part of the problem was a lack of coordina tion among immigration officials and a focus on keeping out illegal immigrants rather than keeping out potential terrorists. The commission said it can’t * finish its final report by the May 27 deadline imposed by Congress and asked for an extension of at two months. The Bush adminis tration and Republican congres sional leaders have said they op pose such a move. Commissioners decided they needed more time because the group had been bogged down by disputes with the administration and New York City authorities over access to documents and witnesses, according to a person familiar with the commission who spoke on condition of anonymity. WWW.dailygameC0Ck.com Now updated five days a week J */*-v7777i^vi i y / / jl» 0^9 j •/*iff Ik / f / f^W 1 VnirKTYYi ^ 1V/1 TVi YfiBlr » CASH FOR YOUR NOTES Visit LeConte 117 for more info. or call 777-6142 Office of Student Disability Services A University Sponsored Service class section aime 346 1 aime E264 300 anth 303 1 arte 101 2 arts 107 2 biol 652 1 biol 755 1 chem102 5 chem 112 4 clis 220 • 1 clis 529 2 csce 145 3 csce 520 2 csce E101 802 csce E102 851 danc 101 3 econ 224 15 econ 329 1 edec610 1 educ 300 2 educ 400 3 educ 402 2 elct 102 1 engl 102 81 engl 102 5 engl 102 62 engl 102 70 engl 282 6 engl 283 11 engl 285 20 engl 360 1 engl 405 1 engl 411 1 engl 463 2 engl Z102 801 engl Z282 801 envr 200 1 film 240 1 geog 103 4 geog 202 1 geol 508 1 hist 106 1 hist 111 13 hist 405 1 hist E109 300 hist E111 801 hist E447 300 hpeb 235 2 hrtm 110 1 hrtm 340 1 hrtm 557 1 jour 326 2 jour 326L 2 jour 465 3 mart 201 1 mart 321 2 math 242 3 math E122 300 mgmt 479 2 mgmt E250 301 mgsc 291 2 mktg 291 7 .nurs 212 1 nurs 326 3 phil 102 5 phil 110 9 phil 110 13 phys E202 300 poli 201 4 poli 303 1 psyc 460 1 retl 262 4 retl 351 1 retl 485 1 socy 540 1 socy E101 801 sowk 302 1 sowk 303 1 sowk 718 9 sowk 718 7 sowk 725 9 sowk 735 3 sowk 748 2 sowk 791 2 sowk J716 620 span 110 4 span 211 1 spch 140 29 spch E140 301 stat 110 8 stat 110 4 stat E201 300 thea 581 1 wost Z305 851