As Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Michael Chertoff briefed the 9/11 Commission on the Department of Justice's investigation into the 9/11 attacks and related national security matters.

rejected his claims of Saddam-al Qaeda link

Condoleezza Rice testified before the 9/11 Commission on April 8, 2004, after initially resisting appearing under oath. Under questioning by commissioner Richard Ben-Veniste, she revealed the title of the August 6, 2001 President's Daily Brief — 'Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US' — producing an audible gasp from the audience, which included dozens of 9/11 family members. Rice had previously dismissed the PDB as focused on overseas threats when its existence was first revealed in May 2002, a characterization contradicted by its actual title and content. The Commission found that the PDB warned of 'patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for a hijacking.' Critically, Rice's close collaborator Philip Zelikow served as Executive Director of the same Commission that investigated her.

Tenet testified before the 9/11 Commission in multiple hearings in 2004. He described the summer of 2001 as when 'the system was blinking red.' Chairman Kean later said Tenet had been 'obviously not forthcoming.' The Commission found CIA failures under Tenet contributed to the intelligence breakdown that permitted the 9/11 attacks.