9/11 Victims' Families Sue Saudis
— -- 9/11 Victims' Families Sue Saudis
W A S H I N G T O N, Aug. 15 — Some 600 family members of Sept. 11 victimsfiled a trillion-dollar lawsuit Thursday against the Sudanesegovernment and Saudi officials, banks and charities, charging theyfinanced Osama bin Laden's network and the attacks on America.
The 15-count federal lawsuit, modeled after action filed againstLibya in the Pan Am Flight 103 disaster, seeks to cripple banks,charities and some members of the Saudi royal family as a deterrentto terrorist financing schemes.
But the suit also is therapeutic for relatives of the victims,who acknowledge they face long odds of collecting anything.
"It's not the money. We want to do something to get at thesepeople," said Irene Spina, whose daughter, Lisa L. Trerotola, 38,perished in the World Trade Center. "There's nothing else we cando."
"This is the right thing to do," said Matt Sellito, father ofMatthew Carmen Sellito, 23, who also died in the World TradeCenter. "If the odds are stacked against us, we will beat them."
The 258-page complaint, filed electronically Thursday in U.S.District Court in Alexandria, seeks more than $1 trillion andcharges the defendants with racketeering, wrongful death,negligence and conspiracy.
Lead attorney Ron Motley said the money would likely comelargely from assets held by the defendants in the United States. Hesaid the plaintiffs were after more institutions than those whoseassets already have been frozen by the U.S. and other governments.
The complaint also ignores the Bush administration's delicatediplomatic balancing act with Saudi Arabia by bluntly blaming thekingdom's officials and institutions for the attacks.
"That kingdom sponsors terrorism," Motley told reporters at anews conference. "This is an insidious group of people."
The complaint names more than seven dozen defendants, includingthe government of Sudan, seven banks, eight Islamic foundations andthree Saudi princes.
Those listed include Princes Mohammed al-Faisal and formerintelligence chief Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Defense Minister Sultanbin Abdul Aziz al Saud, Khalid bin Salim bin Mahfouz of theNational Commercial Bank, and the Faisal Islamic Bank.
Officials from the Saudi Embassy did not immediately return acall for comment.
President Bush's administration has been careful not to blamethe Saudi government for the attacks in its drive build a coalitionfor its war against terrorism.
Prince Saud said last week that the 70-year-old U.S.-Saudialliance was as solid now as before the Sept. 11 attacks on theUnited States.
He said bin Laden, who was stripped of Saudi citizenship and isaccused of directing the al-Qaida attacks, had intended to drive awedge between the two countries when he chose 15 Saudi citizens tobe among the 19 hijackers.
Several plaintiffs, fighting tears, said they would dedicate therest of their lives to punishing those who financed the attacks.
"We will succeed because we have the facts and the law on ourside," said Thomas E. Burnett Sr., whose son, Thomas E. BurnettJr., led a passenger revolt against the hijackers of UnitedAirlines Flight 93 and died when it plummeted to the ground.
"We have justice and morality on our side," he added.
In May, lawyers announced that a group of Libyans had negotiateda deal that would give $10 million each to the families of thosekilled when Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie,Scotland, in 1988. But Libya insisted the group did not haveauthorization from the government to negotiate.
— The Associated Press
Judge Lets Government Keep 9/11 Detainees Secret
W A S H I N G T O N, Aug. 15 — A federal judge ruled today that the Bushadministration does not have to immediately reveal the names ofthose detained in the investigation of the Sept. 11 terroristattacks. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler issued a stay of her earlierorder to give government lawyers more time to appeal. Kessler said the stay will remain in effect until a federalappeals court has ruled in the matter. That could take months. On Aug. 2, Kessler gave the Justice Department 15 days torelease the names, ruling that federal attorneys had not proven theneed for a blanket policy of secrecy for more than 1,200 peoplepicked up since the attacks. The government informed the court of its intention to appeallast week, arguing in documents that Kessler had missed the pointabout keeping the names secret. Kessler rejected the government's contention that the terroristgroup al Qaeda would be tipped to how much progress investigatorshad made if the detainees' names were released. She said al Qaedaalready would be aware its operatives in the United States weremissing. In granting the stay today, she offered no estimation of thegovernment's chance of success in appealing her ruling. Most of the people swept up by federal, state and localauthorities following the September attacks already have beendeported. Apart from periodic updates on the number still held, theJustice Department has tried to keep information about the arrestsunder wraps. The American Civil Liberties Union, Center for National SecurityStudies and others sued the government seeking that the names bedisclosed. Kessler largely limited her original ruling to the government'sobligations under the federal Freedom of Information Act. In apartial victory for the Justice Department, she rejected the notionthat the civil liberties groups have a constitutional free-speechright to some information about the detainees. Kessler also agreed with the government that it may keep otherdetails secret, ruling there are valid security reasons for notrevealing the dates and location of arrests and detentions. Still, the Justice Department said that if Kessler's initialruling stands, the investigation of the terrorist attacks would beharmed. The ruling "impedes one of the most important federal lawenforcement investigations in history, harms our efforts to bringto justice those responsible for the heinous attacks of Sept. 11,and increases the risk of future terrorist threats to our nation,"Robert McCallum, assistant attorney general for civil rights, saidafter Kessler ordered the release of the names. Kessler's order gave two exceptions for disclosing names: if thedetainee is determined to be a material witness to a terrorinvestigation and if the person being held does not want to beidentified. In law, material witness means a person was close enough to acrime to have information or details that could be used byprosecutors to convict a suspect. The government has said that between Sept. 11 and June 24, 752people were arrested or detained in immigration charges. The otherswere arrested on various other charges. In late June, the Justice Department reported at least 147people still were being held, including 74 on charges involvingimmigration infractions. Prosecutors have not said how many peopleare being held as material witnesses.
— The Associated Press
Firefighters Vote to Boycott Bush Tribute
L A S V E G A S, Aug. 15 —
The International Association of Fire Fighters voted unanimously Wednesday to boycott anational tribute to firefighters who died on Sept. 11, in anangry response to President Bush's rejection of abill that included $340 million to fund fire departments.
Bush is expected to speak at the Oct. 6 ceremony inWashington, where the National Fallen Fire FightersFoundation is hosting its annual tribute to those who died inthe line of duty during the prior year.
The ceremony will honor 343 firefighters who diedresponding to the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington,as well as about 100 others who also died in the year.
The IAFF, the umbrella organization for the nation'sprofessional firefighter unions, is enraged by the president'srejection of a $5.1 billion appropriations bill that included$150 million for equipment and training grants requested bysome of the nation's 18,000 fire departments.
It also included $100 million to improve the communicationssystems for firefighters, police officers and other emergencypersonnel as well as $90 million for long-term healthmonitoring of emergency workers at the Ground Zero site whereNew York's World Trade Center towers once stood.
Firefighters and survivors will be urged to skip the Oct. 6event in protest, said R. Michael Mohler of the VirginiaProfessional Fire Fighters Local 774.
Mohler made the boycott motion before about 2,000 unionleaders convening in Las Vegas for the IAFF's first nationalconference since Sept. 11.
"The president has merely been using firefighters andtheir families for one big photo opportunity," Mohler said. "Wewill work actively to not grant him another photo op with us."
Bush said Tuesday the bill was bloated by lessimportant projects and a White House spokeswoman said Bushremained committed to firefighters and other emergency groups.
"The president is committed to our nation's firstresponders," said White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan, travelingwith Bush in Des Moines, Iowa.
The firefighters' boycott vote followed anti-Bush speeches by Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and IAFF GeneralPresident Harold Schaitberger that accused the president ofneglecting the heroes of Sept. 11.
Schaitberger ridiculed as insincere Bush's videotapedremarks shown Monday at the conference, in which Bush expressedsympathy and admiration for the firefighters who responded tothe Sept. 11 attacks.
"Don't lionize our fallen brothers in one breath, and thenstab us in the back by eliminating funding for our members tofight terrorism and stay safe," Schaitberger said. "PresidentBush, you are either with us or against us. You can't have itboth ways."
Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat, told the firefighters: "Istrongly urge the president to reconsider. If he refuses to doso, however, I am prepared to do everything I can as majorityleader to see that you get the resources you need to do yourjobs safely and effectively."
— Reuters
Homeland Security Department Could Be Years Away
W A S H I N G T O N, Aug. 15 — After the rush in Congress to create aHomeland Security Department, it could be years before the giganticnew Cabinet agency is fully operational.
The General Accounting Office, the investigative arm ofCongress, estimates it could take five to 10 years before the newdepartment can "provide meaningful and sustainable results."
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic whip, said Wednesday thehuge agency is a creature that would have been obsolete in the1950s and it should be whittled down to something more efficient.
"If our goal is to protect the American people as soon aspossible, an unwieldy department of this size and scope is not theway to go," said Pelosi, D-Calif.
Many experts and lawmakers say it's risky to embark on massive,long-term bureaucratic change at such an uncertain time.
"We're going to be spending all of our time thinking aboutreorganization. It's bound to make us less safe," said IvoDaalder, a member of former President Clinton's National SecurityCouncil staff who is now at the Brookings Institution think tank.
The last government consolidation of this magnitude occurred in1947, when President Truman took the first steps toward creatingwhat became the Defense Department. Congress cemented those stepsin 1949, then did some more tinkering in 1953 and 1958. Anotherreorganization occurred in 1986.
Likewise, the Homeland Security bill's probable passage thisfall would mark only the infancy of the new Cabinet agency. Whilethe bill sets an effective date of Jan. 1, 2003, the departmentwould exist mainly on paper at that point.
The legislation will be the first item of business when theSenate returns from recess Sept. 3. It is expected to win approvaldespite opposition from some senior lawmakers, including SenateAppropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.Va. The Senateand House will then have to reach compromise on a final version.
The White House has created a transition office to oversee thechange, headed by Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge. Planning isunder way to get the new department's leaders in place before itcomes into existence and to figure out some temporary spacerequirements.
Ridge is also charged with coordinating the federal government'sefforts to prevent terrorism in the United States. Spokesman GordonJohndroe said the office can handle both tasks without diminishingeither.
The list of challenges is almost endless, ranging from mergingdozens of different technology and communications systems todesigning new uniforms for the thousands of border personnel whowould come under one bureaucratic roof but remain stationed allover the country.
Four agencies Bush wants included — the Customs Service, CoastGuard, Immigration and Naturalization Service and TransportationSecurity Agency — account for 85 percent of the new department'sroughly 170,000 employees. They are located mostly along thecoastlines and the thousands of miles of border with Canada andMexico, and in 429 commercial airports.
Merging these personnel and their disparate missions, Johndroesaid, "is going to be a long-term process because it needs to bedone right. We're not talking decades. But it will take time, acouple of years."
A central task of the new agency is to analyze intelligence andact on it to protect against and prevent terrorist attacks on U.S.soil. If the Senate version of the agency is created, it would setup a powerful new unit that needs a great deal of expertise to poreover huge amounts of data in dozens of languages.
"Getting that up and running is going to take years," Daaldersaid.
Then there's the question of whether — and if so, where — a newdepartment headquarters should be built to house the more than7,000 affected employees now scattered across the Washington area.The House-passed version of the legislation requires constructionof a new headquarters building — another move measured in years,not months — preferably on government-owned land to save money.
Initial transition cost estimates of $3 billion over the nextfive years don't take into account a new headquarters. White Houseofficials say it may not be necessary to locate all the workers ina single place, which would also save some taxpayer dollars.
These decisions bring up a host of other seemingly mundaneissues that could affect the ability of the agency to do its job,such as the stresses involved in forcing workers to changelocations and adapt to new power structures.
— The Associated Press
As 9/11 Approaches, Tourists Shy Away From N.Y.
N E W Y O R K, Aug. 15 —
Florida resident Sylvia Weiffenbachhad no qualms about coming to New York last week for a holidaywith her young daughter.
She felt secure getting on an airplane and comforted by thepolice presence around Manhattan, taking in The Lion King onBroadway as well as making a solemn visit to the site of theSept. 11 attacks, known as "Ground Zero." But come next monthwhen the city marks the painful first anniversary of thehijacked airliner crashes into the World Trade Center, Weiffenbach says she wouldn't dream of making the same trip.
"It's not that I'd be afraid — it's just too emotional,"said the 42-year-old writer who lives in Palmetto, Fla. "Iwant to be in my home dealing with it."
New York's tourism industry, badly hurt after the twintower attacks that killed more than 2,800 people, is bracingfor a slowdown as travelers stay away while the city observesthe Sept. 11 anniversary.
Tourism has picked up since a year ago, but hotels,restaurants and other attractions still are struggling with adecline in international visitors and lower spending overall.
The average hotel room rate in New York City is expected tofall to about $187 in 2002, down about 9 percent from last yearas hotels cut prices to lure visitors, according to forecastsby NYC & Co., the city's official tourism organization.
While an influx of visitors is expected for big events nextmonth such as the United Nations General Assembly, leisuretravelers likely will stay home feeling it's inappropriate tobe enjoying the city at a time when New Yorkers are relivingthe dark day, some tourism pros say. Some visitors also may beworried about an anniversary-related attack.
"My feeling is that people are going to stay away from NewYork until after September 11," said Ron Didner, generalmanager of Cafe des Artistes, a Manhattan restaurant that drawsmany tourists. "I've heard a lot of people are afraid of theanniversary day."
The Waldorf-Astoria hotel in midtown Manhattan has noconferences or other big events booked for Sept. 11, saidShelley Clark, a hotel representative. But it expects to besold out that week because of the opening of the U.N. GeneralAssembly on Sept. 10.
"If it weren't for that, things would be very, very soft,"Clark said.
The effects will be felt beyond New York, as well. Airlineswill offer fewer flights nationwide on Sept. 11 as many peopledon't want to fly that day — even though fares are slashed ortickets even free.
At travel agency Intra World Travels & Tours in Evanston,Ill., few travelers — except those booking long-standingbusiness trips — are making plans to come to New York inmid-September, which is generally a popular time to visit, saidDial Gidwani, the owner.
Not all tourists are afraid of coming, however.
"It will probably be one of the safest places to be on thatday," said 40-year-old Gregory Pappas of Danielson,Conn., who said he would have traveled here next monthbut instead timed his family's visit for August to coincidewith his parents' wedding anniversary.
The Sept. 11 memorial events also are expected to draw"patriot" travelers from around the United States —particularly rescue workers who rushed to help with therecovery in the aftermath of the attacks, said CristyneNicholas, head of NYC & Co.
"We have a strong indication that many of the rescueworkers ... want to come back," she said.
Tourism officials are encouraging businesses to stay openon Sept. 11. Some Broadway shows, however, will remain dark outof respect for the memorial commemorations.
"People have been watching September — we've known thatthis is going to be a very difficult period," Nicholas said."But we also owe it to our city to stay open."
— Reuters