WASHINGTON, March 25: The White House counter-terrorism adviser at the time of the Sept 11, 2001, attacks made a public apology on Wednesday to the relatives of the some 3,000 victims saying that the US government had failed them.

Richard Clarke, who quit last year and is now in the firing line of President George Bush's administration over accusations against the White House, sought the forgiveness of relatives while giving testimony to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, which is conducting an inquiry into the attacks.

He said public meetings of the federal commission were "finally a forum where I can apologize to the loved ones of the victims of 9/11. "To them who are here in the room to those who are watching on television. Your government failed you. Those entrusted with protecting you failed you. And I failed you.

"We tried hard, but that doesn't matter because we failed. And for that failure, I would ask, once and for all, the facts are out, for your understanding and for your forgiveness."

In his book, "Against All Enemies", which was published on Monday, Mr Clarke accuses the Bush administration of ignoring the what he called mounting threat from Al Qaeda in the months before Sept 11.

Mr Clarke also accused President Bush of undermining the "war on terrorism" by invading Iraq. In his stunning testimony, Clarke said Iraq was "the reason I am strident in criticism of the president of the United States". -AFP