NEW details of how passengers desperately fought back against hijackers who took control of their aircraft on September 11, 2001, have emerged from the US congressional commission probe into the attacks.

The United States intelligence community must be radically overhauled in the face of the ongoing terrorist threat, the September 11 Commission said.

US NATIONAL Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is waging a vigorous defence of her actions in every public forum except one: the September 11 Commission where she would be questioned about the government's failure to prevent the terrorist attacks.