Toward New Criminal Investigations into the Events of September 11 THE NEWS ROOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/11 Families and
Survivors Group File
New York, NY (October 28, 2004) - Today a group of 9/11 victim family representatives, survivors and first responders files an updated 35-page Complaint and Petition with New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. Chief Investigator William Casey accepted the original Complaint/Petition from the Complainants on October 28th. In a call for truth and accountability, the Complaint demands that the AG open a criminal inquiry and/or grand jury investigation into the many still unsolved crimes of September 11, 2001 over which his office has jurisdiction. Co-complainant Bob McIlvaine, who lost his son in the attacks, said this is now absolutely necessary so that "justice is finally done." The group which operates under a "Justice for 9/11" banner is posting the Complaint online at www.Justicefor911.org where those who wish to express their support can sign an electronic petition. "In essence the Complaint calls for criminal and civil probes into previously suppressed or ignored areas of inquiry identified by victim family members and others who have formally posed many questions to Congress, the 9/11 Commission, the FBI and other government agencies. Most of these questions have still not been addressed, let alone answered. There's been zero accountability and full story behind 9/11 has yet to be told," said Kyle F. Hence, spokesperson for the Steering Committee which will be announcing a Press Conference and further steps later next week. The lead complainants who are seeking a meeting with lawyers at the AG's office currently include Bob McIlvaine, who lost his son Robert in the World Trade Center collapse; Patricia Perry, who lost her son John, a New York City Police officer; Donna Marsh O'Connor who lost her daughter Vanessa Langer; William Rodriguez, a WTC maintenance worker and rescue effort hero; Jenna Orkin, Chairwoman of the World Trade Center Environmental Organization; Dr. Faiz Khan, Ground Zero triage physician; and EMT first responder, Megan Bartlett, founder of Ground Zero for Peace (who was recently hospitalized with malignant reactions to toxic WTC dust). The resubmission of the Complaint follows a number of significant recent developments including statements by WTC rescue workers that 3 "black box" flight recorders were found at Ground Zero (in direct contradiction to the 9/11Commission Report); the November 16th firing of whistleblower Kevin Ryan* from Underwriters Laboratories for publicly challenging the preliminary conclusions of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigation of the World Trade Center collapses; and this week's family member protests of NIST's decision to hold most of its November 22nd Gaithersberg, Maryland hearings in secrecy. The Complaint and its detailed evidentiary appendices are based upon years of independent research and investigation. Its legal form was triggered by three recent events: 1) the failure of the Kean Commission Report to provide a credible explanation of the 9/11 tragedies, to hold anyone accountable, or answer most of the questions posed by the 9/11 Family Steering Committee; 2) the August 30th Zogby 9/11 poll which showed that nearly half of NYC citizens believe government officials were "consciously" complicit in the attacks, and that two-thirds want a new investigation; and 3) the testimony and evidence put forth at the September 9, 2004 9/11 Citizens' Commission hearings in Manhattan, organized by the watchdog and activist groups 9/11 CitizensWatch and 911truth.org. The Complaint is also bolstered by the October 26th "9/11 Truth Statement" released by 911truth.org which calls for new and deeper investigations and was signed by over 100 American opinion leaders including former presidential candidates Nader, Badnarik and Cobb, scholars & celebrities, a former ambassador to Iraq and Deputy Director of the US Counterterrorism Task Force, as well as 50 supportive 9/11 families. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10/28/04
NY Attorney General's Office Accepts
Contact:
On behalf of New York State Attorney General
Eliot Spitzer, Chief Investigator William Casey today accepted a
Complaint and Petition from a group of New York City citizens including
9/11 family members, survivors and a Ground Zero triage physician. The
Complaint demands that the AG open a criminal inquiry and/or grand jury
investigation into the many still unsolved crimes of September 11, 2001
over which he has jurisdiction.
The group cited The Terror Timeline by Paul Thompson, The New Pearl Harbor by David Ray Griffin, The War on Freedom by Nafeez Ahmed, and Crossing the Rubicon by Michael C. Ruppert as key resources that would be useful in any Grand Jury probe convened by the Attorney General.
Attorney Carolyn Betts (photo right), legal consultant for the Complaint, noted this was the first Citizens' Complaint filed with a State's Attorney General that would become what she called a "living document" -- in other words, an evolving compilation of argument and evidence posted on the Internet in full public view. Organizers also noted that Americans could view the
Complaint and
Petition at JusticeFor911.org and those who wish to support it can sign a petition on the
site.The group vowed to press their case regardless of upcoming election results, insisting that the search for 9/11 truth, justice and accountability is hardly a partisan concern, as witnessed by the Tuesday release of the 9/11 Truth Statement. The 9/11 Truth Statement also demands deeper new investigations and is signed by 100 prominent Americans spanning every faith and party, including former Republican officials, military officers, and three presidential candidates. The Justice for 9/11 Steering Committee includes representatives from 9/11 CitizensWatch, 911Truth.org and the World Trade Center Environmental Organization and was organized this month in New York City. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10/26/04 Sept. 11 Families, New
Yorkers To Petition
The Complaint asks the Attorney General to exercise his powers to establish accountability for crimes under New York State law and recover damages incurred by state and local governments from corporations and individuals whose conduct furthered the criminal conspiracy. The Complainants, including victim family members Bill Dolye and Bob McIlvaine both of whom lost their sons, maintain that few if any of these charges or their bodies of supporting evidence were adequately explored or even addressed by the 2002 Joint Intelligence Inquiry or the 9/11 Commission which released its final report last July. "For many New Yorkers, AG Spitzer is the last hope for establishing the truth about what happened on 9/11 and enforcing the law." noted spokesperson David Kubiak. "Because administration officials have sought to federalize all 9/11 inquiries and classify evidence under the "state secrets" doctrine to preempt local probes and obstruct the Kean Commission, three years after the tragedy there is still has been no comprehensive, credible independent investigation completed. As the elected official ultimately responsible for public safety and criminal law enforcement in New York, the Attorney General clearly has jurisdiction here if he chooses to assert it. Given the scale of 9/11 carnage and the subsequent illnesses and incalculable damages suffered by New York and evidence of cover-up, his constituents are now telling him that he must. Fifteen New York legislators have even stepped up to endorse this demand so we're at a very remarkable choice point in 9/11 history." Although the Complaint and its detailed appendices are based upon years of investigative journalism and independent research, their crystallization into legal form was triggered by three recent events: 1) the failure of the Kean Commission Report to provide a credible explanation of the 9/11 tragedies, to hold anyone accountable, or answer most of the questions posed by the 9/11 Family Steering Committee *; 2) the August 31st Zogby 9/11 poll** which showed that nearly half of NYC citizens believe government officials were "consciously" complicit in the attacks, and that two-thirds want a new investigation; and 3) the testimony and evidence put forth at the September 9, 2004 9/11 Citizens' Commission hearings in Manhattan, organized by the watchdog and activist groups 9/11 CitizensWatch and 911truth.org. The Complaint is also foreshadowed in today's release of the "9/11 Statement," a call for trenchant new investigations signed by over 100 American opinion leaders including presidential candidates Nader, Badnarik and Cobb as well as 50 supportive 9/11 families. Copies of the "9/11 Statement" and the Complaint will be available one half hour prior to the 2:00 PM Thursday press conference at the northwest corner of Cedar and Nassau Streets (NE corner of Equitable Building). The 9/11 Statement will be posted at http://www.911truth.org from 2:00 PM today. The Spitzer Complaint will be posted at www.justicefor911.org following the Thursday press conference. Further details to follow. Contacts: David Kubiak, 911truth.org Kyle F. Hence, 9/11 CitizensWatch * http://www.911independentcommission.org/questions.html ** http://www.zogby.com/search/ReadNews.dbm?ID=855 Ø
Copyright (c) 2004 The "Justice for 9/11" Steering
Committee. |
