9/11 Families Are Humiliated Again

This aerial photo shows the New York city block, lower right, where a 13-storey mosque is planned for construction two blocks north of the World Trade Centre site, centre left.

'We Don't Want To Upset 9/11 Families But We Have To Balance Diversity': Mosque Near Ground Zero Gets Go-Ahead -- The Daily Mail

A New York City community board voted yesterday for a plan to build a mosque and cultural centre near Ground Zero.

The vote, 29-1 in favour with 10 abstentions, came after hours of contentious public comment from angered conservative activists and families of the victims of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Last night a top Manhattan politician backed the plans, saying that while the wishes of 9/11 families must be respected, the board must also try to 'balance diversity'.

Read more ....

My Comment: And they want to try the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks .... Khalid Shaikh Mohammed .... in this jurisdiction. All it takes is one juror to stop a conviction .... and I have no difficulty in believing that there are many in New York City who may actually believe that he is innocent .... because they are the same ones who believe that building a mosque over ground zero will balance diversity and foster greater respect and understanding of Islam.

Gitmo Closure Angers Families Of Sept. 11 Victims

In this photo, reviewed by the U.S. military, Brian Long, who's parents died when Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in the Sept. 11, 2001 attack, chokes up during a press conference held by attack victims' family members, at Camp Justice, the site of the U.S. war crimes tribunal compound, at Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba, Thursday, July 16, 2009. Victims' family members observed hearings held Thursday in the case titled U.S. vs Mohammed, which includes five alleged co-conspirators in the 2001 attacks. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, Pool)

From Yahoo News/AP:

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba – Families of people killed in the Sept. 11 terror attack on the U.S. urged President Barack Obama on Thursday to reverse his order to close the Guantanamo Bay prison.

They expressed fear the closure would further delay the long-stalled effort to prosecute the men who have claimed responsibility for the plot.

A contingent of nine relatives of Sept. 11 victims traveled to the U.S. Navy base in Cuba to observe pretrial hearings for several detainees, including five charged in the attack. All said they were impressed with proceedings that seemed fair — perhaps too fair — to the accused.

Read more ....

My Comment: What were the "poster children" for the mass media after 9/11 .... where every complaint, comment, or protest was reported .... they are now ignored.

Obama's Outrageous Oversight -- Editorial

Photograph of President Obama during his first prime time
news conference by Charles Dharapak/AP

From Washington Times:

President Obama clearly didn't do his homework before ordering the suspension of military tribunals to try terrorist suspects. We have learned that even his own legal counsel admitted that Mr. Obama erred in discussing details about terrorism with families of victims last week, and that the administration was ignorant of a key point that terrorists exploit to their advantage. In his rush to fulfill a campaign promise to his more fervid anti-war supporters, the president's legal oversights risk the disclosure of some highly classified information to terrorists.

Read more ....

My Comment: This editorial from the Washington Times summarizes perfectly the quagmire that the White House now finds itself in. There are two tragedies to this situation. The first is that the families cannot have disclosure .... everything will be up in the air for the next year. The second is that the press has been completely AWOL in covering the families who are very vocal in their disgust with what has just transpired.

Plans To Close Gitmo Anger 9/11 Victims' Families

From AP:

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) — Plans to close Guantanamo are not sitting well with the Sept. 11 victims' relatives who sat stunned while two alleged terrorists declared they were proud of their role in the plot.

The U.S. military brought relatives of three Sept. 11 victims to Guantanamo to observe pretrial hearings in the case of five men charged in the plot who could get the death penalty if convicted.

It is a potentially momentous time for the military detention center. President-elect Barack Obama — whose inauguration is Tuesday — has said he will close it, and many observers and some officials here expect him to suspend the war crimes tribunals for accused terrorists and move the trials to the U.S.

The five invited relatives of 9/11 victims oppose such a move.

Read more ....

More News On Guantanamo Prison

9/11 Defendants Give Unapologetic Admissions in Guantanamo War Crimes Trial -- FOX News
Families of 9/11 victims want to keep Guantanamo open -- AFP
Defense: Prosecutors want to pause Gitmo trials -- AP
Guantanamo suspects defiant as uncertainty shrouds hearings -- AFP

My Comment: It is surprising that the families of 9/11 victims have not been forceful in their condemnation of closing Gitmo in the past. It is clear that many 9/11 families feel that Guantanamo provides a proper forum to administer justice to the men who planned and executed 9/11.

The fact that today .... of all days .... we had two Al Qaeda leaders admit their guilt and are proud of what they did on 9/11 adds insult to injury to these families.

I would not be surprised if in the next few weeks 9/11 families start to protest in front of the White House on the closure of Guantanamo. I would also not be surprised to see families of soldiers who have been killed by these men and their actions start to protest also.

But will the main stream media cover these events ..... will President Obama address his concerns to these families .... my gut tells me no.