911 Families, Investigators Demand Truth About Air Security

For Immediate Release

Contacts: John Judge (202) 583-5347

Kyle Hence (401) 935-7715

5-22-3



WASHINGTON, DC -- The 9/11 CitizensWatch, an advocacy group for family members of victims of the attack as well as independent researchers and investigators nationwide, is calling on the White House and 9/11 National Commission holding open hearings today and Friday to conduct a full investigation into the air safety and air defense failures of 9/11.

 

Senator Robert Graham (D-FL), head of the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation into the incident is calling the Bush administration's refusal to release the report of the Congressional joint inquiry to the Commission a "cover-up". Former Congressman Tim Roemer (D-IN) has protested the reluctance of the Justice Department and Bush administration to release transcripts of Congressional testimony from closed hearings, some of which Roemer attended.

 

"Without full cooperation from all branches of government and disclosure of records at all levels, the Commission cannot possibly conduct a thorough investigation of the events of 9/11 or recommend future actions and policies," said Kyle Hence, co-founder of 9/11 Citizen,s Watch. "This Commission must be as transparent, public and accountable as possible to insure public confidence in their findings and recommendations," he said.

 

A 9/11 family member, Mindy Kleinberg of September 11 Advocates, noted in her testimony to the Commission in March that following the FAA,s realization that a hijacking was taking place on Flight 11 "according to NORAD's official timeline, NORAD was not contacted until 20 minutes later at 8:40 a.m.Tragically the fighter jets were not deployed until 8:52 a.m. -- a full 32 minutes after the loss of contact with Flight 11. Why was there a delay in the FAA notifying NORAD? Why was there a delay in NORAD scrambling fighter jets? How is this possible when [North East Air Defense System] was fully staffed with planes at the ready and monitoring our Northeast airspace?"

 

"Serious questions remain regarding the breakdown of air safety and defense procedures on September 11, 2001, and the witnesses empanelled by the Commission for the current hearings cannot address them fully," noted 9/11 CitizensWatch co-founder John Judge. "A thorough investigation requires public testimony from pilots, ground crews, airport security personnel, Air Force and Air National Guard base officers, air controllers, FAA officers, and release of records, testimony and recordings of communications that day between agencies, from planes to ground, and from cell phone conversations," he noted. "These issues extend beyond FAA and NORAD to those guarding the specially protected airspace around Washington, DC (Triad and area P-56), and to security at the Pentagon itself. We call on the Commission to hold future public hearings to take extended testimony on this critical question," Judge said.

 

9/11 CitizensWatch was founded to serve as a watchdog group that will monitor the work of the independent National Commission on Terrorist Acts Upon the United States. A citizen-led effort that unites families of the victims of 9/11 with investigators and researchers who have raised the unanswered questions about the events of that day and the forces behind these attacks, as well as about the government responses to them at home and abroad. 9/11 CitizensWatch also serves as a liaison between these interested parties and the Commission staff.

 

9/11 CitizensWatch

P.O. Box 772, Washington, DC 20044

202 583-5347

www.911citizenswatch.org