The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9-11 Commission), an independent, bipartisan commission created by congressional legislation and the signature of President George W. Bush in late 2002, is chartered to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks. The Commission is also mandated to provide recommendations designed to guard against future attacks.
The Commission has released its final report, available in PDF format. The report is also available in bookstores nationwide and from the Government Printing Office.
The annual "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report, released April 2003 by the Secretary of State and the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, is submitted in compliance with Title 22 of the United States Code, Section 2656f(a), which requires the Department of State to provide Congress a full and complete annual report on terrorism for those countries and groups meeting the criteria of Section (a)(1) and (2) of the Act.
The global war on terrorism is being fought by many means -- through diplomatic, military, financial, intelligence, investigative, and law enforcement actions -- at home and abroad. The Department of State has the lead role on the diplomatic front abroad to advance the cause of the coalition against terrorism. The Department also works closely with other agencies and organizations to shut down terrorist financial networks, provide humanitarian aid, and to investigate terrorist organizations and activities and bring terrorists to justice, as further explained in the Department publication, United Against Terrorism.
