9/11 Families for a Secure America

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- 911 Families for a Secure America, representing more than 300 families whose relatives were victims of the 911 terrorists attacks, held a press conference today at the Capitol to set the record straight on the 911 bill and what they call "the true obstructionist".

The Families identified Sen. Joe Lieberman as the primary obstacle to passage of the 911 Bill due to his insistence that no immigration safeguards be included in the proposed legislation.

911 Families in conjunction with United to Secure America launched a national ad campaign today praising 911 conferees who have had the courage to stand up to Lieberman. The ad says, "Lieberman opposes fixing drivers license loopholes and inconveniencing illegal aliens, even though it could cost American lives." The spot concludes with Peter Gadiel asking listeners to call 911 conferees and encourage them only to support a bill that includes immigration safeguards, "so more Americans don't end up like my son, Jamie."

The campaign is running in major media markets throughout the country for an undisclosed period and could be augmented with 911 Family appearances in key markets including Connecticut.

Peter Gadiel, president of 911 Families for a Secure America, took Lieberman to task for his obstructionism, "The 19 terrorists used more than 60 driver's licenses to operate within this country, board those planes and eventually kill 3,000 people, including my son. Joe Lieberman doesn't think drivers license reform or any immigration safeguards should be in the 911 bill. He's simply making no sense and is obviously letting special interests do his thinking instead of doing what's right for the American people."

The 911 Families claim that many in the press have been getting the story wrong. Lieberman's insistence that immigration safeguards not be included in the bill has derailed the legislation, not Pentagon intelligence issues. --- EDITOR'S NOTE: Scripts available upon request. Interviews with Mr. Gadiel and other 911 Family members available. Call Brantley Davis at 202-775-8181. http://www.usnewswire.com/ http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/11/1707762.php

Families who lost loved ones on September 11th know that the federal government failed to live up to its most basic obligation to its citizens - to protect them from foreign attack. There were failures in the areas of foreign and domestic intelligence. There was a failure to respond with sufficient force to the string of terrorist acts perpetrated against American citizens throughout the 1990's. And we know our government failed to maintain control of our borders. The failure to keep out unauthorized aliens led directly to the 9/11 attacks and the deaths of our loved ones.

The problem is massive (there are an estimated 10 million illegal aliens in the US) and has grown over a span of 30 years. A succession of Presidents and Congresses have permitted and even encouraged this situation. Congress, eager to evade accountability, has blamed the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). But the policies, regulations, funding and staffing of the INS are subject to the absolute control of the President and the Congress.

Members of both the Democrat and Republican parties who oppose immigration reform have made their own political survival more important than our national security by catering to special interests. But independent polls show that approximately 75% of Americans want drastic immigration reform immediately

We will expose those officials who were responsible for the policies that allowed 9/11 to occur. We will work toward their removal from office and prevent their re-election. We will recommend immigration reform and will assist in election efforts of those public officials who support stringent immigration policies and the strict enforcement of these laws.

ZAHN: The intelligence reform bill is a result of the recommendations of the final report of the 9/11 Commission. But even some family members of 9/11 victims disagree on the proposed reforms... Joan, do you think this bill would make all of us safer?

MOLINARO: Because it's lacking in immigration reform and driver's license reform, which were among the issues that the 9/11 Commission reported that we needed reform in.

The problem isn't intelligence. It was there before 9/11. They knew the possibility of planes being used as missiles, and nothing was done about it. The information was there.

Condoleezza Rice said, "If we had known that they would do this, we could have done something." Well, they did know, but because al Qaeda didn't give them a date and time, I guess the intelligence figured they didn't have enough information.

You need to keep the people out of the country to protect this country because, once they're in here, they're lost. We can't find them. We cannot have another visa express. http://www.911fsa.org/current.html

9/11 Families for a Secure America strongly urges inclusion of all the border security, immigration and secure identification provisions of Title 3 of HR10 in the final 9/11 Commission Recommendations Implementation Act.

We know that the Collins-Lieberman-McCain Senate version is a half measure that does nothing to increase border security. We would rather that NO bill be passed rather than the current, highly defective, version of Collins-Lieberman-McCain. We also oppose attempts to put an early deadline on passage of an Implementation Act, for we hold the view that it is far better to craft a bill that addresses ALL the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, even if that process continues during a lame duck session after the approaching elections

We are aware that other family members, who are supporting the defective Senate bill (and who do not represent all the families) have been warned by Senators, and Representatives such as Mr. Shays and Mrs. Maloney, that inclusion of HR 10 Title 3 will cause the Senate to defeat the entire bill. We reject such attempts at blackmail and stand in support of HR 10.

HR 10 was passed overwhelmingly by a bi-partisan vote in the House of 282 to 134. It deserves the support of all Americans.

9/11 FSA members include relatives of several hundred of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and is non-partisan.

There are two groups of 911 families. The one mentioned here and the one who did everything they could to elect John Kerry and place all blame for 911 on George Bush. The later is the one you usually see on the news and supports the watered down intelligence bill being pushed by our Senate. They and other congressmen have asked the Senate and the administration for commitment to address border security at a later date if this current bill is rushed through, but they have received no such assurance.

I just viewd a press conference by these fine people on Cspan, whick is available at: http://www.cspan.org/VideoArchives.asp?CatCodePairs=,&ArchiveDays=100&Page=5 Speakers Peter Gadiel, Joan Molinaro, Collette Lafuente, and others from 9/11 Families for a Secure America hold a press conference urging the Sentate to address vital border security and law enforcement provisions in the 9/11 Commission legislation. 11/30/2004: WASHINGTON, DC: 1 hr.

Congressional Switchboard: 1-877-762-8762

This group was and is behind President Bush, though they feel let down since he was elected and has pushed for anything Vincente Fox wants.

Families of 9/11 Victims 'United' Behind Bush

By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
October 29, 2003

Hundreds of family members who lost a loved one during the terrorist attacks on America on September 11, 2001 have written an open letter "united" in support of the reelection of President George W. Bush on November 2.

In an appeal to voters who may still be undecided in the race between Bush and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kerry, the family members of 9/11 victims remind Americans of the horror that this country faced not that long ago.

"Three years ago, on the day that began as a beautiful September morning, 19 men and their sponsors carried out a brutal and devastating attack on our country, leaving 3,000 innocent men, women and children dead, including our loved ones," the letter began. "In those first agonizing hours, and for weeks and months afterward as we searched for word of their fate, we were aware that the shock and horror of that day was not ours alone."

Although it was a difficult time in their lives, the families of these victims were grateful for the "strong and steady embrace of our fellow Americans."

Speaking "united on behalf of our country," the victims' families who signed the letter said this is an important time in history and the future choices of our nation's leaders are vital to our very existence as well as for future generations.

"But we face a new challenge, a new kind of war and an enemy who is different from the enemies faced by earlier generations," the letter noted. "This is not an adversary who can be reasoned with or appeased, this is an adversary who has repeatedly demonstrated that its means and ends are one and the same: the wanton slaughter of innocents."

~snip

Looking at the efforts within the borders of the country, the families of the 9/11 victims contend that the Patriot Act has empowered local law enforcement personnel to successfully go after terrorists as they do the most heinous criminals, seeing results in New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois and Florida.

Pointing to the recent 9/11 Commission report, the letter said it is "a solid blueprint for going forward in the war on terror."

"It described the threat that killed our loved ones as a 'gathering storm' which went unrecognized and unchecked for too many years and characterized the inability to predict the attack itself as a 'failure of imagination,'" the letter exclaimed. "Looking forward, the Commission offered this pointed warning, 'Once the danger has fully materialized, evident to all, mobilizing action is easier -- but it then may be too late.'"

The letter signers believe Bush acted correctly to remove Saddam
"[Bush] determined that this repressive regime [in Iraq] was an intolerable danger to our country," the letter said. "Rather than waiting until it was too late to prevent a fully materialized threat, the President acted. We believe history will support the President's decision."

Describing themselves as from "every political stripe" and age, the letter writers say they "speak out from a profound sense of obligation to those we have lost and to the country that we love" when they publicly stand behind Bush and his reelection.

"Guided by core principles, President Bush has steadfastly told us who he is, what he believes and what he will fight for," the letter concluded. "He is a caring and decisive leader who is not afraid to make hard choices to keep this nation safe, by keeping it strong."

The letter continues, "[Bush] has sent a clear message to America's friends and foes that he will not waver in his resolve as the winds of political fortune change. He will not revert to the failed policies of the past which only served to whet the appetite of those who would destroy us. He will stand firm against our adversaries."

Because they have been directly affected by the tragedy of the terrorist attacks, the letter writers say they know firsthand the track that they want to see America headed in.

The letter ends by recalling the words of President Bush just after the terrorist attacks when he said he would "never forget."

As a result, "We stand with him now," the letter concluded.
http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/news2004/1004/102904-families.htm

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