Mitchell Quits Kissinger's 9/11 Inquiry

The former US senator George Mitchell resigned yesterday from a commission set up to investigate the September 11 terrorist attacks, just weeks after the controversial appointment of the former secretary of state Henry Kissinger as chairman.

Mr Mitchell, who played a key role in the Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland, cited a reluctance to quit his law firm as the reason for stepping down. The former senate majority leader, who was to be vice-chairman of the commission, claimed he had not realised it was a full-time job.

But there was speculation that the Democrat was uncomfortable working alongside Mr Kissinger, 79, who has been brought back in from the political cold to run the investigation. Several recent books and a documentary have questioned his honesty and integrity, and his appointment to chair the commission by President Bush was greeted with astonishment among many commentators.

Christopher Hitchens' book, The Trial of Henry Kissinger, accuses him of war crimes for his activities in Vietnam, Cambodia and Chile, while Daniel Ellsberg's new book, Secrets, is severely critical of his behaviour in the Vietnam war era.

The commission will look into intelligence failures and whether the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington could have been avoided. It has 18 months to report.

Mr Mitchell will be replaced by Lee Hamilton, an Indiana Democrat, on the bipartisan committee.