Some 9/11 families angered by no apology from Rice (YAWN!!!!)

Reuters ^ | 4/8/04

[areafiftyone]

WASHINGTON, April 8 (Reuters) - Some relatives of Sept. 11 victims responded in anger on Thursday to what they described as the White House's failure to accept responsibility for the 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Family members were among those in the crowded hearing room to listen to national security adviser Condoleezza Rice tell the 9-11 commission that bureaucratic structure was to blame for the administration's inability to counter the attacks.

"No one wants to take any responsibility. Three thousand people died, and all they want to talk about is structural problems," Bob McIlvaine of Oreland, Pennsylvania, whose son died in New York's World Trade Center.

"They should be ashamed of themselves," he said.

Many 9/11 relatives said the general public should have been warned about the potential for attack during the summer of 2001, when intelligence officials were said to have detected a surge in communications between suspicious operatives.

But during three hours of testimony before the bipartisan commission, Rice denied the Bush administration was negligent, countering testimony of former White House anti-terror czar Richard Clarke. Clarke told the commission on March 24 that the Bush White House ignored the urgent threat from al Qaeda.

"I am angry at the lack of accepting accountability -- that's what the president should have done, accepted responsibility," said Beverly Eckert of Stamford, Connecticut, whose husband Sean died at the World Trade Center.

"Instead, it's been outwardly directed, not just at the terrorists but at previous administrations."

Added New Jersey widow Patty Casazza: "I think it made her look incompetent in her position."

Clarke began his testimony by apologizing to victims and their families for government failings that allowed the attacks to occur.

Carie Lemack, whose mother also died in the attack on New York's World Trade Center towers, told CNN Rice should have admitted errors were made.

"We did not hear that today. I'm hoping we are going to hear that because it is clear that 3,000 people don't just get murdered. There were mistakes made and we need to fix them to make sure Americans are safer."

"... We're glad that she came forward and spoke. We're glad that it was in public, under oath, and we were able to get that information. But there is a lot more truth to be told," she added.

[cubreporter]

Oh indeed.

[veronica]

InstaPundit.com

It turns out, Smash barely scratched the surface. Both the interviewees he checked out, as well as a third interviewee, Mindy Kleinberg, are members of the self-appointed Family Steering Committee for the 9/11 Independent Commission. These people are hardcore conspirazoids; they want to know whether Bush permitted the 9/11 attacks so his cronies could build an oil pipeline in Afghanistan. 9/11 widows in Ted Rall territory - it doesn't get any more ironic than that.--SNIP--

Of the remainder, one is a Family Steering Council member and two were members of September Eleventh Families For Peaceful Tomorrows (more on that later). The other two were touted as firefighters, but they happen to be firefighters' union bosses, and one of them stumped for John Kerry in New Hampshire.--SNIP---

CNN ran roundups of Bush-ads brouhaha at top-center on the main page and the politics page on Wednesday: "When I look at the ads and I see Bush speaking over the pictures of Ground Zero, I know in my heart that President Bush failed the 3,000 Americans that died there on that day," Patty Casazza, whose husband died in the attacks, told CNN---SNIP-- Patty Casazza is a member of, you guessed it, the Family Steering Committee. Next!"

[Ironfocus]

Maybe we can arrange for them to use some of that money to go and see that "crossing over" dude, he may have some messages from the afterlife to give them. I'm sure that, plus an apology will make them feel sooooo much better.

[EDINVA]

guess Ted Olson didn't get the memo or he'd never have let Barbara board that flight and perish at the Pentagon.

Perhaps the nutty thoughts of Ms. Casazza make her pain bearable, but she should share her thoughts with a shrink instead of the public.

[Krodg]

And you'll be voting for????

[afraidfortherepublic]

In a word, YES! They are sponsored by Teresa Heinz Kerry money.

[small voice in the wilderness]

Terror whores. Good description.

The R.I.P Club. Revenge Is Profitable. Their motto: Don't bother me with the truth. Can't you see I'm grieving?

[TN4Liberty]

Did Roosevelt ever take responsibility for Pearl Harbor?

[Spotsy]

guess Ted Olson didn't get the memo or he'd never have let Barbara board that flight and perish at the Pentagon.

Can you believe Willie Brown was warned, but not Ted Olson?

And Bush forgot to tell Laura to stay away from the Capitol that day too.

These people ARE nuts.

[SZonian]

To borrow a quote from Viking2002 who used it against Petah Jennings;

"(He) These few people need(s) to to drink a big glass of Shut The F*** Up. If I'd have wanted a B.S. sandwich, I'd have put (his)their heads between two slices of bread."

The fact that these people have been exposed in the past for their partisan views makes them even less credible. Their vitriolic campaign to lay the blame at President Bush's feet is reprehensible. As so many folks here have said, Al Qaueda is to blame and they accepted it. I would look at the Klintoon administration as well for their lack of a credible response prior to 9/11.

These folks had my sympathy previously, but no longer.

As for the rest of the families and victims of 9/11, they have conducted themselves in a manner that is most appropriate and mature and I commend them for that. They also still have my support and sympathy for their loss/es.


Cheers!

[finnman69]

I'm not sure if they were at the hearings. I don't think so, but they WERE ready to go on Hardball right away.

[finnman69]

great instapundit link

[wayoverontheright]

Some 9/11 families angered by no apology from Rice...

I felt anger at the perpetrators of this mass murder, and it seems to me that the same people who were cautioning us not to display anger now want a display of compassion for the terrorists, which is what an apology would represent.

[Alberta's Child]

George W. Bush.

[marvlus]

The government's responsibility is to protect Americans from harm. The government failed to do this in this instance. Now having said all that, the government did everything it could with what it had to protect us from the 9/11 attack. The government was caught off guard, just like what happened with Pearl Harbor. Now it is up to the government to learn from its mistakes to ensure that this will never happen again.

[Krodg]

Thanks...but I must say I'm shocked!

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

There was no need, Dick Clark already apologized for everyone else.

[HungarianGypsy]

Maybe they should continue waiting for apologies from the people who actually did it. Not likely, but at least that would make more sense.

[Alberta's Child]

Why?

[Dante3]

Rice has no reason to apology. She did not kill the relatives. As for the relatives, they sure have been demanding perks and what a load of money they made from the dead relatives -- many of them rich New Yorkers.

At the same time the families of our military men and women who have been killed while defending us all get very little. What an injustice.