US weighs 9/11 panel recommendations

Congress rushed to respond to the panel's findings, announcing rare August recess hearings, while Sept. 11 commission Chairman Thomas Kean warned that security experts expect another al-Qaeda attack on US soil and that "time is not on our side."

Kean said on Friday security experts believe militants will try to use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons, and added that if Congress and the president delayed making changes they would be held responsible by the American people.

Political analysts said Bush needed to embrace some recommendations within a week to 10 days or risk leaving himself open to criticism by Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry that he is not doing enough to prevent another attack.

"If he wants to nullify it as an issue, he should embrace the findings," said Stephen Wayne, professor of government at Georgetown University.

The commission's report, issued on Thursday, found "deep institutional failings" and missed opportunities to thwart the 2001 attacks that killed almost 3,000 people, and recommended sweeping changes to US intelligence operations.

In his weekly radio address, Bush acknowledged the country still faced grave threats, although he had already taken many steps to make the country safer, such as the creation of the Homeland Security department.