9/11 Citizens Watchdog Group Calls for Hearings Over Investigative Failings
Kennebunkport, Maine--9/11 CitizensWatch, a watchdog group closely monitoring the course of the 9/11 investigation is calling upon Congressional leaders of both parties to hold immediate hearings on Capitol Hill to take testimony from victims family members and other experts regarding the conduct of the official 9/11 Commission and Administration's continuing efforts to obstruct and undermine a complete and transparent investigation of the worst attacks on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor.
CitizensWatch co-founder, Kyle Hence insists that "in the wake of the Commission's request for a deadline extension of at least 60 days, it is incumbent upon Congress to exercise oversight and hold hearings to take witness from 9/11 victim family members and others regarding how we reached this crossroads as Congress moves to approve an extension and additional funding."
In calls today to Congressmen Christopher Shays (R-CT) and Extension Bill sponsor Vito Fossella (R-NY) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) CitizensWatch is maintaining that it is due to an overly deferent approach by an official Commission reluctant to issue subpoenas and caught in endless 'negotiations' with the White House, and a pattern of White House, NORAD and FAA obstruction, that Congress is now faced with the decision of whether or not to approve an extension request that would postpone the Commission's final report to January of 2005. To insure that behavior corrosive to a proper investigation is corrected, immediate hearings should be held and the issues addressed. The stakes couldn't be higher as the nation's national security is the central issue.
"For the Commission to have any credibility going forward, it must answer its critics beginning with the 9/11 Family Steering Committee (www.911independentcommission.org) members," says John Judge, Washington D.C. Director of the citizen-led watchdog group. "The Commission, the White House and footdragging agencies must be brought to account. Holding hearings now is timely and the right thing to do to be sure the investigation moves toward answers and accountability as it works to create its 'definitive account' of 9/11."
Hence added "Fully answering outstanding questions will require the testimony of key public officials in positions of responsibility at the time of the attacks. This must be done in public and under oath. Failing to do so will only raise the level of skepticism surrounding the investigation and doubts about our safety in a 'business as usual' climate denying responsibility."
CitizensWatch is also calling upon its members and supporters to lobby their representatives on Capitol Hill for the extension and oversight hearings in Congressman's Shay's Subcommittee on National Security and Senator Collins' Committee on Government Affairs.
CitizensWatch, with offices in New York City and Washington D.C.,
was established to closely monitor the 9/11 investigation. It is the only citizen's
group whose sole purpose is to act as a watchdog to insure Americans receive
answers to persistent questions about the attacks and that high level officials
are held accountable. CitizenWatch commentary and insight has been featured
in conservative Insight Magazine for it's cover-story, "A Historical Whitewash?,"
and stories in the NJ Star-Ledger, Government Executive and Salon.com and on
National Public Radio, Pacifica Radio (WBAI) and the BBC's World Report. Co-founder
Kyle F. Hence has also been interviewed for the cable news channel, NY ONE
and Free Speech Television's INN Report.
2/16/2004
The Family Steering Committee believes that President Bush should provide sworn public testimony to the full ten-member panel of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States . Collectively, the Commissioners are responsible for fulfilling the Congressional mandate. Therefore, each Commissioner must have full access to the testimony of all individuals and the critical information that will enable informed decisions and recommendations.
Before an audience of the American people, the Commission must ask President Bush in sworn testimony, the following questions:
1. As Commander-in-Chief on the morning of 9/11, why didn’t you return immediately to Washington, D.C. or the National Military Command Center once you became aware that America was under attack? At specifically what time did you become aware that America was under attack? Who informed you of this fact?
2. On the morning of 9/11, who was in charge of our country while you were away from the National Military Command Center? Were you informed or consulted about all decisions made in your absence?
3. What defensive action did you personally order to protect our nation during the crisis on September 11th? What time were these orders given, and to whom? What orders were carried out? What was the result of such orders? Were any such orders not carried out?
4. In your opinion, why was our nation so utterly unprepared for an attack on our own soil?
5. U.S. Navy Captain Deborah Loewer, the Director of the White House Situation Room, informed you of the first airliner hitting Tower One of the World Trade Center before you entered the Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida. Please explain the reason why you decided to continue with the scheduled classroom visit, fifteen minutes after learning the first hijacked airliner had hit the World Trade Center.
6. Is it normal procedure for the Director of the White House Situation Room to travel with you? If so, please cite any prior examples of when this occurred. If not normal procedure, please explain the circumstances that led to the Director of the White House Situation Room being asked to accompany you to Florida during the week of September 11th.
7. What plan of action caused you to remain seated after Andrew Card informed you that a second airliner had hit the second tower of the World Trade Center and America was clearly under attack? Approximately how long did you remain in the classroom after Card’s message?
8. At what time were you made aware that other planes were hijacked in addition to Flight 11 and Flight 175? Who notified you? What was your course of action as Commander-in-Chief of the United States?
9. Beginning with the transition period between the Clinton administration and your own, and ending on 9/11/01, specifically what information (either verbal or written) about terrorists, possible attacks and targets, did you receive from any source?
This would include briefings or communications from
• Out-going Clinton officials
• CIA, FBI, NSA, DoD and other intelligence agencies
• Foreign intelligence, governments, dignitaries or envoys
• National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice
• Richard Clarke, former counterterrorism czar
10. Specifically, what did you learn from the August 6, 2001, PDB about the terrorist threat that was facing our nation? Did you request any follow-up action to take place? Did you request any further report be developed and/or prepared?
11. As Commander-in-Chief, from May 1, 2001 until September 11, 2001, did you receive any information from any intelligence agency official or agent that UBL was planning to attack this nation on its own soil using airplanes as weapons, targeting New York City landmarks during the week of September 11, 2001 or on the actual day of September 11, 2001?
12. What defensive measures did you take in response to pre-9/11 warnings from eleven nations about a terrorist attack, many of which cited an attack in the continental United States? Did you prepare any directives in response to these actions? If so, with what results?
13. As Commander-in-Chief from May 1, 2001 until September 11, 2001, did you or any agent of the United States government carry out any negotiations or talks with UBL, an agent of UBL, or al-Qaeda? During that same period, did you or any agent of the United States government carry out any negotiations or talks with any foreign government, its agents, or officials regarding UBL? If so, what resulted?
14. Your schedule for September 11, 2001 was in the public domain since September 7, 2001. The Emma E. Booker School is only five miles from the Bradenton Airport, so you, and therefore the children in the classroom, might have been a target for the terrorists on 9/11. What was the intention of the Secret Service in allowing you to remain in the Emma E. Booker Elementary School, even though they were aware America was under attack?
15. Please explain why you remained at the Sarasota, Florida, Elementary School for a press conference after you had finished listening to the children read, when as a terrorist target, your presence potentially jeopardized the lives of the children?
16. What was the purpose of the several stops of Air Force One on September 11th? Was Air Force One at any time during the day of September 11th a target of the terrorists? Was Air Force One’s code ever breached on September 11th?
17. Was there a reason for Air Force One lifting off without a military escort, even after ample time had elapsed to allow military jets to arrive?
18. What prompted your refusal to release the information regarding foreign sponsorship of the terrorists, as illustrated in the inaccessible 28 redacted pages in the Joint Intelligence Committee Inquiry Report? What actions have you personally taken since 9/11 to thwart foreign sponsorship of terrorism?
19. Who approved the flight of the bin Laden family out of the United States when all commercial flights were grounded, when there was time for only minimal questioning by the FBI, and especially, when two of those same individuals had links to WAMY, a charity suspected of funding terrorism? Why were bin Laden family members granted that special privilege—a privilege not available to American families whose loved ones were killed on 9/11?
20. Please explain why no one in any level of our government has yet been held accountable for the countless failures leading up to and on 9/11?
21. Please comment on the fact that UBL’s profile on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives poster does not include the 9/11 attacks. To your knowledge, when was the last time any agent of our government had contact with UBL? If prior to 9/11, specifically what was the date of that contact and what was the context of said meeting.
22. Do you continue to maintain that Saddam Hussein was linked to al Qaeda? What proof do you have of any connection between al-Qaeda and the Hussein regime?
23. Which individuals, governments, agencies, institutions, or groups may have benefited from the attacks of 9/11? Please state specifically how you think they have benefited.