wfn.org | Bush names Drew University president to lead 9-11 panel

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Dec. 18, 2002 News media contact: Linda Green7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn. 
   10-21-71BP{583}

NOTE: A head-and-shoulders photograph of Thomas Kean is available with this
story.

By United Methodist News Service

President George Bush has tapped the president of United Methodist-related
Drew University to lead an independent commission probing the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks.

Thomas H. Kean, 67, was named to replace former Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger, who resigned Dec. 13. Kean will remain president of the Madison,
N.J., university while serving as chairman of the National Commission on
Terrorist Attacks. He said he will devote as much time as necessary to the
investigation of the attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

"Tom Kean is a leader respected for integrity, fairness and good judgment,"
President Bush said. "I am confident he will work to make the commission's
investigation thorough. It is important that we uncover every detail and
learn every lesson of Sept. 11."

The new chairman's career in public service has included two terms as
governor of New Jersey. He became president of Drew in 1990.

"Gov. Kean served on the advisory board to the President's Initiative on Race
from 1997 to 1998," Bush said. "He served as vice chairman of the U.S.
delegation to the 4th U.N. World Conference on Women in 1995, and led the
U.S. delegation to the World Conference on Education for All Thailand in
1990."

During a Dec. 16 press conference in Drew's Simon Forum Athletic Center, Kean
remembered that after the attacks, he had a lot of questions and wanted to
understand what had happened to the country. Some of his questions have been
answered and some still remain, he said.

"I never had any idea that I would be standing here at this point as an
appointee of the president of the United States to help determine both what
happened and how it happened and ways that we can, to the best of our
ability, make sure that nothing like this ever, ever happens again."

Calling his appointment to lead the Sept. 11 commission an honor, Kean
thanked Bush for "having the confidence in me to do this job." He said he
looks forward to being in touch with leaders of Congress.

"My hope is that we can move forward, bipartisan and in a clear way, to find
out the facts and make recommendations to the American people," he said.

Congress has given the commission 18 months to complete the investigation.

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United Methodist News Service
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