WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Former members of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror investigation committee are questioning why the federal government has not enacted crucial security reforms.
Thomas Kean, the former New Jersey Republican governor who headed the panel, said the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina laid bare how unprepared the nation remains for a catastrophic event of any kind, The Washington Post said.
"This is not a terrorist incident, but it brings into play all of the same issues and shortcomings," Kean said. "Whoever is responsible for acting in these places hasn't acted. Are they going to do it now? What else has to happen for people to act?"
As on Sept. 11, when malfunctioning radios contributed to deaths in the World Trade Center, public safety officials in New Orleans have reported widespread communications problems.
"The fact that Congress has chosen not to do something about this is a national scandal that has cost lives," Kean said.
The Sept. 11 commission is technically disbanded and is operating as the non-profit 9/11 Public Discourse Project.
