A disgusting vat of filth that no self-respecting intelligent person would wade into.

[Not Bob]

Originally posted by Spanky
And what were the qualifications of these board members? Specifically, where did the expertise on Middle Eastern and Military matters derive from?

Well, the commission itself included two former secretaries of state on the commission, the former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committe, a former secretary of defense, a former CIA director, and some generally bright people like Alan Simpson and Vernon Jordan. As for the staff, here's a link (note all the retired military in the military working group):

http://www.usip.org/isg/working_groups.html