US lacked info to prevent Sept 11, says Bush

The federal panel reviewing the attacks plans to meet soon with Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in a joint private session to determine whether anything could have been done to stop the attacks.

A date for the meeting has been set but neither the commission nor the White House has disclosed it. Bush said he looks forward to "sharing information with them."

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"Let me just be very clear about this," he said. "Had we had the information that was necessary to stop an attack, I'd have stopped the attack. ... If we'd have known that the enemy was going to fly airplanes into our buildings, we would have done everything in our power to stop it."

After the attacks, "this country immediately went on war footing and we went to war against al-Qaeda. And we're going to keep after them until they are brought to justice and America is secure," Bush told reporters while on a trip to North Carolina.

Bush also said National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice "knows exactly what took place and will lay out the facts" when she testifies Thursday before the 10-member bipartisan panel. "I'm looking forward to people hearing her," he said.

Rice's testimony was assured only after Bush changed course last week under pressure and decided to allow her to appear publicly and under oath. She met privately with the commission in February.

The Bush administration had been uneasy that allowing a top aide to testify could set a precedent of summoning top aides before a congressional panel to provide sworn testimony. Such a move would inhibit the willingness of aides to provide the president with candid advice.

Commission spokesman Al Felzenberg said Monday the decision to let Rice testify might have been influenced by a 1945 photo the panel sent to the White House showing a top presidential aide appearing before a congressional panel to discuss policy advice.