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9/11 Guantanamo Defendants Denied Access to the Internet

CitizenSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:00:40 -0700

Five defendants, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed professed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, are being denied Internet access as they prepare for their death penalty trial. The men are being held at the Guantanamo Bay Naval base for the 9/11 attacks on the United States and are facing charges from conspiracy to terrorism. The no-net ruling was handed down by a US military judge siding with prosecutors who argued at a pretrial hearing last month that providing these “high value” defendants access to extra-prison communications would pose a security risk.

Among the other items refused to the inmates by their captors were printers and the ability to speak with their families by telephone. They were, however, given laptops installed with a legal dictionary, the US Constitution and the Geneva Conventions. Three of the five awaiting trail are representing themselves although the Pentagon is providing standby counsel should they wish assistance.

Is the ruling fair? Can they fairly and adequately prepare without Internet access — or is even considering giving it to them, ridiculous?

Source

NYC Trade Center Dig Exposes Ice Age Landscape

CitizenSugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:25:01 -0700

NYC Trade Center Dig Exposes Ice Age Landscape Crews excavating the World Trade Center site this Summer for the foundations of a new skyscraper have uncovered features carved into the bedrock by glaciers about 20,000 years ago, including a 40-foot-deep pothole. Exposing the solid rock beneath at the ground zero site in lower Manhattan is critical for supporting what will be Tower 4 of the new World Trade Center, being built by Silverstein Properties. The reminders of the power of glaciers won't be around for long. The pothole and other features are being covered, filled in or blasted away.

McCain and Obama Commemorate 9/11 Anniversary

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:07:02 -0700

McCain and Obama Commemorate 9/11 Anniversary Recalling the nation's unity in a time of peril seven years ago, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama placed their partisan contest on hold Thursday and spoke as one in honoring of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Obama and McCain were making ground zero in New York their common ground, joining in homage to the dead from the fallen Twin Towers and the hijacked planes flown into them.

Front Page: Pentagon Dedicates Memorial, Bush Allows Pakistan Raids, Thailand Renominates PM

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 06:51:15 -0700

Pentagon Dedicates Memorial:
The two-acre memorial to American Airlines Flight 77 will be dedicated today by President Bush at the Pentagon. The memorial's 184 steel and granite benches are engraved with each victim's name and oriented along the plane's flight path the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Unlike the rest of the Pentagon, the memorial will be open to the public all day, every day, starting at 7 p.m. tonight.

Bush Allows Pakistan Raids:
President Bush approved orders in July to allow American Special Operations forces to carry out ground assaults into Pakistan without approval by the Pakistani government. Officials say they will notify Pakistan when they carry out missions, but that they will not ask for permission.

Thailand Renominates PM:
Two days after being forced to resign due to constitutional misdeeds, Thailand's prime minister has been renominated by his party. The party claims there is nothing in the constitution to stop them from doing so, but the opposition and the thousands of protesters who called for the prime minister's resignation will likely disagree. After a two-hour meeting, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said, "I am accepting the nomination in order to protect democracy in the country."

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Seven Years Later: The World Remembers September 11, 2001

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:50:22 -0700

Just last week, construction workers erected the first steel column on the site where the north tower once stood. Building a museum and memorial on the former World Trade Center site, and despite setbacks, it's set to be completed on the tenth anniversary, in 2011.

The beams of the memorial will carry the signatures of tens of thousands of people. A project taking the beams to 25 states culminates in New York, with signings being held today and tomorrow, and a collection of notes of hope to be preserved in the new museum.

Michael Bloomberg spoke to the delays in an op-ed in yesterday's Wall Street Journal saying:

We will now push the Port Authority to make two concrete commitments. Most important, the memorial must be completed by the 10th anniversary. No more excuses, no more delays. New York Gov. David Paterson and I are in complete agreement on this subject, and it's time for the PA to formally commit to the same goal. . . realizing our vision, without further delay, of Lower Manhattan as a global financial center, a dynamic family neighborhood, and a peaceful and inspiring place of reflection and remembrance.

How will you mark the day of quiet reflection?

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McCain, Obama plan joint stop at Ground Zero

CitizenSugar — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:50:13 -0700

McCain, Obama plan joint stop at Ground Zero Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama said Saturday they will put aside partisan politics for a joint appearance at Ground Zero to mark the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The nominees said they will appear together at the World Trade Center site on Thursday "to honor the memory of each and every American who died" in the 2001 attacks. The campaigns already had agreed to suspend television advertising critical of each other on Sept. 11. The McCain campaign has said it will air no ads that day.

World Trade Center Steel Cross Placed Near PA 9/11 Site

CitizenSugar — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:45:30 -0700

World Trade Center Steel Cross Placed Near PA 9/11 Site Steel from the World Trade Center has been transformed into a cross and placed near where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11, 2001, in Pennsylvania. The 14-foot-high, 3,000-pound monument traveled from New York to the Shanksville fire station Saturday as part of a 300-mile motorcycle escort from New York. The cross will be dedicated at a ceremony Sunday.

Was 9/11 a Government Conspiracy?

CitizenSugar — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:00:13 -0700

The seventh anniversary of of September 11 is approaching and it seems like it's impossible to remember a time before. This horrific tragedy has entered the global lexicon of experience and colored everything since in a way few events in history have. Almost every person has a story of their own from that day, and a personal way of dealing with it since — some stay away from the movies and documentaries as if the facts are still too fresh; others obsessively pore over every true tale and listen to the 911 calls from that morning, hoping to that bitter medicine will hold answers. Still others out there think very differently about that morning — those who believe the events were perpetrated by the government. From thinking that the collapse of the buildings was actually caused by controlled demolition explosions, to wondering whether there was actually a commercial plane at the Pentagon crash site, theories abound. This passionate collection of conspiracy claims and arguments against them recently posted on YesButNoButYes, got me thinking about the different camps. New York Magazine a couple of years ago broke down the various schools of thought on the level of conspiracy people believe there to have been. The piece is called "The Ground Zero Grassy Knoll" and they list almost all of the theories ever floated including the "HOP" level: LIHOP (Let it Happen on Purpose) to MIHOP (Made it Happen on Purpose.) It's a comprehensive read and exposes the complexity of people's thoughts about 9/11. While it's possible we may never know a story that will satisfy everyone, what do you think? Source

Was 9/11 a Government Conspiracy?

No. Conspiracy theories disrespect the memory of those taken and our intelligence.

Yes. Given the evidence, we need more investigation; there are too many questions left.

Maybe. The aftermath of 9/11 in terms of civil liberties and the war, does make it odd.

It couldn't be more complicated. I'll tell you how I think in the comments.

Life After 9/11: One Young Arab Gets Thrown in US Jail

LibertySugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:00:18 -0700

A recent piece in the New York Magazine chronicles the nightmarish journey of a young Arab immigrant. After September 11, Rasha found herself in jail with her family. Rasha's story sheds light on a darker side of national security.

At five-years-old Rasha moved with her family from Syria to the United States on a tourist visa. When she was in the sixth grade, after years of trying to get permanent residency, and failing, Rasha and her family moved back to Syria. Eventually she would get her Brooklyn life back, after her family was finally granted their green-cards. But the joy didn't last forever.

In February 2002, fifteen US officers awoke Rasha and her family in the middle of the night — Rasha's family was being investigated for terrorist connections. Once in a holding cell, officials questioned each family member in a separate room. To find out what happened next,

Verdict Issued in Trial of Osama bin Laden's Driver

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:40:57 -0700

The military jury's verdict in the Guantanamo Bay trial of Osama bin Laden's driver is in: he has been found not guilty in the more serious count of conspiracy to aid terror, and guilty of material support of terrorism. The sentencing phase of the trial begins this afternoon. The prosecution's case did not prove that he intended to do harm, but that he aided the al Qaeda network in accomplishing acts that caused harm. This was the first war crimes trial since WWII.

Front Page: Anthrax Scientist Commits Suicide, Dorm Collapse Kills 16, US Unemployment 4-Year High, Darfur Peace Mission

CitizenSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:56:30 -0700

Anthrax Scientist Suicide:
A top US biodefense researcher, who was of high interest to the FBI in connection with the spate of anthrax mailings following 9/11, has committed suicide. The Justice Department was seriously considering charges against the 62-year-old. The lab where he worked for 18 years was at the center of the FBI investigation into the anthrax attacks that killed five people.

Dorm Collapse Kills 16:
A three-story girls' dorm at a school in Turkey collapsed after a large gas canister exploded, killing at least 16 and injuring dozens. Most of the girls, aged 8 to 16 were asleep at the time. They were at the school to attend Koran classes during Summer vacation.

US Unemployment Four-Year High:
The US unemployment rate hit 5.7 percent in July, its highest level in more than four years. The economy lost 51,000 non-farm jobs, the seventh straight month of losses. Areas showing job growth: government, hospitality, education, and health services.
Darfur Peace Mission:
The UN Security Council renewed the mandate for peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region for another year. The decision came two hours before the mandate was set to expire, complicated by the ICC's move to indict Sudan's president for genocide. The United States abstained from voting over language added to the resolution would send the wrong signal to the Sudanese president. The Darfur conflict has left 300,000 dead.

Source

Study Finds Long-Term 9-11 Stress in Lower Manhattan

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:00:35 -0700

Coming up on the seventh anniversary of September 11, the New York City health department wanted to know how those affected are coping today. They released findings from the first study to assess 9-11's long-term effect on mental health today.

The results illuminate the day's lingering impact and the staggering difference between those living near the World Trade Center compared with the rest of Manhattan.

One in eight Lower Manhattan residents reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — 12.6 percent — three to four years after the attacks. Considering within six months only 1 percent of Manhattan as a whole reported PTSD symptoms, this is a significant finding. To see what else they found,

What Happened Inside the Pentagon After Being Struck on 9/11

CitizenSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:55:26 -0700

What Happened Inside the Pentagon After Being Struck on 9/11 When word had first started to circulate about a plane hitting the World Trade Center in New York, Joint Staff officers at the Pentagon grew anxious. When a second plane struck, there was no doubt about it — a terrorist attack was underway. Then came something even more unthinkable: a huge explosion on the western side of the Pentagon, followed by a massive inferno. The nation's military headquarters was under attack, too.

Front Page: Hillary To Drop Out, 9/11 Tribunal, Abbas to Meet With Hamas

CitizenSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:00:36 -0700

Hillary To Drop Out: Hillary Clinton will endorse Barack Obama on Saturday, ending her 17-month campaign for the White House, according to aides. Her decision was influenced by Democrats' urges to leave the race and allow the party to come together around Obama. She is going to express support for Obama and party unity at an event in Washington, June 7. One adviser hinted that Clinton would concede defeat, congratulate Obama, and proclaim him the party’s nominee— looking forward to do what was needed to assure his victory in November. Obama told reporters of his plans for Clinton, “we’re going to have a conversation in the coming weeks.”

9/11 Tribunal: Five top alleged al Qaeda prisoners, including September 11 mastermind suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, began appearances before a military commission this morning after extended time in CIA prisons and battles over the court itself. All the defendants were just arraigned before a military court at Guantanamo — all five are accused roles in the 9/11 attacks, responsible for the death of nearly 3,000 people. They all face potential death sentences if convicted. Mohammed has been forthright with his involvement — in a written statement read at a March 2007 hearing, at which he was present, he said he was responsible for the attacks "from A to Z."
Abbas to Meet With Hamas: Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president called late yesterday for a resumption of dialogue with the Islamic militant group Hamas. In a short address, Abbas, expressed the plan as part of his desire to restore national unity. Hamas took control of Gaza in June 2007. The move could halt peace talks with Israel, who only met with Abbas after he broke away from Hamas. Israel has refused to have direct contact with the group, considering it a terrorist organization, and has threatened to cut off talks with Mr. Abbas if he rejoins forces with Hamas.

Does the 9/11 Flight 93 Memorial Contain Islamic Symbols?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:15:36 -0700

United Airlines Flight 93, the flight that crashed into the field in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, is set to get a memorial dedicated on the tenth anniversary of the tragedy. The design of that memorial is sparking big controversy. It was conceived by a Los Angeles-based architect, and mirrors the topography of the bowl-shaped land, highlighting a circular pathway ringed by trees, all pointed toward the "sacred ground" of the crash site near the bottom of the circle.Some are violently opposed to the memorial design saying that it includes a thinly-veiled Islamic tribute to the hijackers complete with "Islamic-like crescents built into the plan, glass blocks honoring the terrorists, a wind-chime tower that seems to be an Islamic minaret, and site points to the Islamic holy city of Mecca."One critic says, "there's Islamic symbolism in the design. The current design should be completely scrapped." Yet another says, "please don't sanction the placement of a fully functional Islamic mosque as the head stone on their graves."One woman who lost her husband during the crash as passengers struggled with Islamic terrorists for control of the plane, believed to be headed to a target in Washington said, "I don't even think about it. The land speaks for itself; it's in the shape of an embrace," not an Islamic crescent.Petitions with 5,300 signatures opposing the design were presented to the Flight 93 boards during its quarterly meeting. Is it possible the memorial contains secret symbolism?Source

Does the 9/11 Flight 93 Memorial Contain Islamic Symbols?

It's possible to find symbolism anywhere if you try. The families' opinion is what matters.

The whole community was affected. All should get a say — and they may have a point.

No one liked the Vietnam Memorial either. There are always detractors, I'm sure it's fine.

Did you see it? It looks completely like the Islamic crescent. They might be right!

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

The US to Televise Hearings to 9-11 Families. Thoughts?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:45:17 -0700

The US military has decided to televise the Guantanamo trial of accused September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and five other suspects so relatives of those killed in the attacks can watch the proceedings. The chief prosecutor said, "we're going to broadcast in real time to several locations that will be available just to victim families." The defendants are charged with murder and conspiracy, and prosecutors have asked that they be executed if convicted of plotting to crash hijacked planes into New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001. The six will be the first Guantanamo prisoners charged with direct involvement in the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.Some of the families are grateful for the information. One man whose father and stepmother died on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania, called the prosecutors "true patriots," and is glad for "the ability to see justice being fulfilled in one of the most significant attacks on America's heartland."But detractors say showing the trials is a violation of the Geneva Conventions. A lawyer for the defense says, "I can just imagine American soldiers and sailors and airmen being subjected to similar show trials worldwide."Though I'm not the almost lawyer around here, does choosing to show the trials to the families somehow imply guilt before the proceedings? Is this something you feel like you could watch if you were one of the family members? Will it make Americans more vulnerable or is it justice of information? Where do you stand on the decision? Is it as complex as it seems?Source

The US to Televise Hearings to 9-11 Families. Thoughts?

The families should absolutely be able to watch to see justice served.

I think they should have the choice to watch, though I certainly couldn't do it.

Showing the trials to a select audience is totally preassigning blame. We shouldn't do it.

I'm surprised we're concerned about the Geneva Conventions all of a sudden.

Other. Oh, boy. I've got a lot to say in the comments.

Headline: US to Seek Death Penalty in 9-11 Case

CitizenSugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:25:14 -0800

US military prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for six Guantanamo detainees held for their roles in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The six who face this sentence include Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the former al-Qaeda operations chief who has called himself the mastermind of the attacks, and the so-called “20th hijacker,” the man who was denied entry to the US the month before the attack.

Though no one was officially allowed to comment on the case, an anonymous Defense Department official said, “if any case warrants it, it would be for individuals who were parties to a crime of that scale.” However, even if the military court rules for the death penalty on the capital charges, an execution could take months or even years to conclude, as a death sentence would also have to be scrutinized by civilian appeals courts.

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