9/11 Families - Community News

September 11th Community News

World Trade Center Families for Proper Burial, Inc. v. City of New York

UPON CONSIDERATION WHEREOF, IT  IS HEREBY ORDERED, 
ADJUDGED, AND  DECREED that the judgment of the District Court 
is AFFIRMED.


Plaintiffs-appellants  ("plaintiffs") appeal from a July 7, 2008 order of the 
District Court  dismissing their claims against defendants-appellees 
("defendants" or  "the City"). Plaintiffs are the next of kin of victims of 
the  September 11, 2001 attacks on the World  Trade Center  in New 
York  and a non-profit organization purporting to represent approximately 
1100  families who lost relatives on that day whose remains were never 
recovered.  Their complaint sought declaratory and injunctive relief for 
alleged violations  of their rights to due process of law, denial of their 
rights to free exercise  of their religious beliefs, and violations of New 
York state law. More>


NEW DATE for Court of Appeals’ Oral Arguments for World Trade Center
Families for Proper Burial, Inc.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 10:00am
(The date has been changed from December  18, 2009 to
Wednesday, December 16, 2009)

Please arrive by 9:30am for security  screening

All other information remains the same.

United States District Court 
Southern District of New York 
Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse 
500 Pearl Street 
Ceremonial Court Room, 9th floor
New York, NY 10007-1312

We received the following letter from Families for Proper Burial:

You have not heard from us in a long time. Essentially we have been 
waiting for a scheduled time for oral arguments in our appeal demanding  
the proper burial of all the September 11th dead. Leaving our dead in 
the Fresh Kills garbage dump is an atrocity and a national disgrace. We 
need  as many as possible to be present in court to show that this is 
an issue of  utmost and universal importance.

While we have been waiting for this date, please know that several families 
have been working tirelessly on this issue. We have met with the Port  
Authority, President Obama, Vice President Biden's office, The Department 
of  Defense and offices of several State Senators. We have been directed 
to the Department  of Justice, and are pursuing that meeting as well.

We have the sympathy of all the above, but still face the  obstruction of 
the City of New York.  The City insists that the proper burial of our dead 
is NOT IMPORTANT; they  continue to obscure the facts and dishonor 
the dead.

This date, beginning a weekend and so close to the holidays, will make
your attendance difficult. But, please, we must show the strength of your  
support and the spirit of all the WTC victims massacred on 
September 11, 2001  and dishonored by the City of New York.

Questions? Please write to: WTCFamiliesforProperBurial@comcast.net

STATEMENT TO VICTIMS FROM THE DEFENSE AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS

The 9/11 Attack

The Attorney General has determined, in consultation with the Secretary 
of Defense, that the United States government will pursue a prosecution in 
federal court against five detainees who are currently charged in military 
commissions with conspiring to commit the September 11, 2001 terror 
attacks, which killed nearly   3,000 individuals.  These detainees are Khalid 
Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad   Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, 
Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa   Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi.

The Department of Justice intends to pursue a prosecution against these 
five individuals in the Southern District of New York as soon as possible.  
Prosecution of these detainees will be co-managed by teams from the 
Southern   District of New York and the Eastern District of Virginia, along 
with military commissions prosecutors who are now prosecuting the 
commissions cases.  These detainees will be transferred to the United 
States for trial after all legal requirements, including a 45-day notice and 
report to Congress, are satisfied, and consultations with state and local 
authorities have been completed.  The detainees will be housed in a 
federal detention facility in New York, which   includes maximum security 
units that have securely held terrorism suspects in the past.  When 
federal charges are brought against these detainees, military commission 
charges now pending against them will be withdrawn.

The JusticeDepartment will contact 9/11 victims very soon to provide 
additional information about victims’ rights during the prosecution.

The Attack on the U.S.S. Cole

The  Attorney General has also determined, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Defense, that the prosecution of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, 
who was previously charged with orchestrating the October 2000 attack 
on the USS Cole which killed 17 U.S. sailors and injured more than 37
others, may be pursued in the military   commissions forum, consistent 
with the reforms to the military commission system  recently enacted 
by Congress.

At this time, there has been no final determination on the future 
location of military commission trials.  As with the detainees whose 
cases will be pursued in federal   court, these detainees may only 
be transferred to the United States for trial in   military commissions 
after all legal requirements, including a 45-day notice and report to 
Congress, are satisfied, and consultations with state and local  
authorities have been completed.

Karen   Loftus, Victim Witness Liaison for the Office of Military 
Commissions, will continue to provide victims in the USS Cole 
prosecution with information and assistance concerning future 
developments.

Decisions in Other Cases

In addition, the Attorney General determined, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Defense, that the prosecutions of four other 
detainees previously charged in the   military commissions may be 
pursued in that forum going forward.  Those detainees are:

- Omar Ahmed  Khadr (accused of joining an al-Qaeda cell that 
constructed improvised explosive devices and killing a U.S. Army 
sergeant in a grenade attack in Afghanistan in 2002)


- Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza al-Darbi (accused of 
participating in an al-Qaeda plot to blow up oil tankers in the 
Straits of Hormuz)

- Noor Uthman  Mohammad (accused of serving as a trainer 
and deputy commander at al-Qaeda’s   Khalden training camp 
in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2000)


- Ibrahim   Ahmed Mahmoud al-Qosi (accused of serving as a 
financial manager of al-Qaeda’s   front organizations and a 
personal bodyguard for Usama binLaden) 


       
No decision on detainees suspected in the Bali bombings and the 2003 
Jakarta Marriott bombing will be announced today. The Departments of 
Justice and Defense intend to announce additional decisions on the 
prosecution of other Guantanamo Bay detainees in the near future and 
are committed to moving forward with charges and trials as soon as 
possible.  We will keep victims informed as decisions are made and 
announced.

Federal Courts and Military Commissions

The Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense are confident that 
detainees now held at Guantanamo Bay can be detained securely in U.S. 
detention facilities and that their trials can be conducted effectively and 
safely in the United States, whether in federal court or in a military 
commission.

Federal Courts

Over the past decade, the Department of Justice has successfully 
prosecuted many terrorism defendants in our federal courts. Today, there 
are more than 200 inmates who have a history of or nexus to international   
terrorism, who have been convicted in federal courts, and are now housed 
securely in Bureau of Prisons facilities, including Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman 
and Ramzi Youssef, convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; 
Ahmed Ressam, convicted in the millennium bomb plot; Wadih El Hage, 
convicted in the 1998 East Africa Embassy bombings; and Zacarias 
Moussaoui, convicted as a co-conspiratorin the Sept. 11 attacks.  The 
Department has already transferred one former Guantanamo Bay detainee, 
Ahmed Ghailani, to the Southern District of New York to face trial for his 
alleged role in the 1998 East Africa Embassy bombings.

Military Commissions

With regard to military commissions, the reforms Congress recently 
adopted to the Military Commissions Act will ensure that commission trials 
are fair, effective, and lawful.  Military commissions have been used by 
the United States to try those who have violated the law of war for more 
than two centuries.  Further, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized in 
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld Congress’ power to determine the need for military 
commissionand to provide their jurisdiction and procedures, and this 
Congress has recently reiterated its support for commissions in adopting 
important reforms to the Military Commissions Act.  The Department of 
Defense is committed to ensuring that those defending detainees in military
commissions have all the resources and expertise they need to handle 
these complex cases.

A Final Commitment

Finally, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense 
understand and share the concern of the victims of terrorist 
attacks   about the length of time it has taken to bring the 
perpetrators to justice.    Justice has been delayed far too long.  
Prosecutors in both departments are   committed to moving 
forward with all these cases as quickly as possible and to   
working together to see that justice is served, consistent 
with the rule of law.

For More Information

The Departments of Justice and Defense will will post a copy 
of the press release on this website as soon as possible   
thereafter, and you can read the release on the Justice 
Department website at
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/Month/index.jsp

USS New York: In Tribute

Every six months the Tribute Center features a new exhibit that explores 
how 9/11 has uniquely impacted different  communities, both near and far. 
These stories are told in the authentic voices  of those that experienced 
them.

Steel was fundamental to the growth of lower Manhattan as it grew to be 
the skyscraper, financial  capital of New York.  The unique positioning of 
the steel in the original  World Trade Center  is briefly explored. How steel 
is recycled and “recipe” results are made  tangible with samples and video 
footage.

World Trade Center steel was sent to be recycled. After processing and 
removing impurities 7.5  tons of this historic steel was used to create the 
bow stem of the ship, which parts  the waters, leads the way and must 
be the strongest part of the ship.

“What happened with 9/11  took a lot of hearts, as did what happened 
with me concerning Hurricane  Katrina. We both experienced a very 
tragic incident. We lost everything. We  lived in New Orleans East. We 
came back to nowhere to stay. The company did provide  a place for the 
employees called ‘Camp   Katrina’ and we were able  to work and go on 
with our everyday life… . When we built this particular ship, with steel 
from New York,  it was a historical moment.” – Julius  William, Welder, 
Northrop Grumman  
        
“I love working with sailors… . We have crew members from 34 different 
states. My job is to help everyone remember that it's more than a  ship; 
that it is a symbol, it carries emotional ties to so many people who have  
had their lives changed … people were profoundly affected and in issues 
of  faith I think some found faith and some  lost it….  I hope that the 
ship, as an  icon, is used in ways that promote peace. – 
Laura Bender, Chaplain, USS New York

“The Navy is absolutely steeped in traditions, many of which are very old, 
and were passed  along to the U.S.  by the British Navy.  The Sponsor of a  
ship is always a woman.  She gives her  spirit to the ship and gives it a 
feminine attribute. When I took this job, I  saw my role as not only giving 
the ship my spirit which is optimistic and ‘can-do,’  but also as giving the 
ship the spirit that New Yorkers showed in the 9/11  tragedy – the selfless 
acts of the responders, the outpouring of help, and of  prayers. ” – 
Dorothy England, Ship’s  Sponsor, USS New York

USS New York: In Tribute open until April 12, 2010

The Tribute Center Hosts the USS New York Crew 

On Friday, November 6, 2009, the Tribute  Center hosted the crew of the  
USS NEW YORK and their families visiting New York for the ship’s  
commissioning.  This was a  moving event for all involved, especially our  
docents who were given the chance  to connect with the sailors and  
share their own personal 9/11 stories.  David Barrette, Volunteer Manager  
for the Tribute Center who helped organize the event  remarked, “The  
Tribute Center volunteer docents take pride in educating  visitors about  
September 11th everyday at the WTC site.  Having  the opportunity to  
meet the crew and their families from the USS NEW YORK and  give them  
a tour of the Center was a very special honor for our volunteers.”      

LCPO DeAngelis, who brought his family to tour the Center said,  “What  
you all have done here is incredible.  Every American should come here  
to understand these stories.”

After taking the tour of Tribute, the sailors were treated  to a reception 
at 7 World Trade Center.  Lee Ielpi, President of the September 11th 
Families’  Association, and Chris Ward, Executive Director of the Port 
Authority of New  York and New Jersey, both spoke to the bravery of 
the USS NEW YORK crew and  thanked the families for their dedication 
to our country.  Commander Curt  Jones relayed how proud he was to 
serve with such great men and women.

The Tribute Center was then presented with a plaque made with steel 
from the World Trade Center and wood from a shrimp boat that was 
destroyed during Hurricane Katrina, a  beautiful reminder of the strength 
and unity of New York  and New Orleans.

The Tribute Center thanks the USS NEW YORK Commissioning 
Committee, the Port Authority of NY and NJ, the FDNY  Foundation, the 
NYPD Crime Prevention Section, McGruff the Crime Dog and Hot Dog the
Fire Safety Dog for supporting the reception and welcoming the crew and  
families of the USS NEW YORK.  







Click here to read more articles about the USS New York and its Crew:

The New York Times, "U.S.S. New York Crew Recalls Its Own 9/11 Ties"

Brian Schroeder, Ivy League grad accused of setting fire to a sacred
9/11 chapel, loses job offer
 By Katie Nelson, Daily News 
Originally  Published:Monday, November 2nd 2009, 1:55 PM
Updated: Monday, November 2nd 2009, 2:07 PM

 
 Taggert for News

Brian  Schroeder was arrested for setting fire to a sacred 9/11 chapel on 
E. 30th Street. 


An Ivy League law grad told his mom he must have been out of his mind to 
spark a blazeat a sacred  9/11 chapel - and now he's out of a job, too. 


White-shoe firm Sidley  Austin yanked Brian Schroeder's employment offer 
Monday morning, firm partner  Bill Conlon said.


Schroeder, a Harvard Law School grad, worked in the firm's New York office 
for part of the summer, Conlon confirmed. 


He was supposed to return but lost the opportunity after cops say he set fire 
to a Manhattan chapel containing the remains of  9/11 victims in a drunken 
prank early Friday.


Sidley Austin -- the  nation's seventh largest law firm, according to The 
National Law Journal -- had  five floors and some 600 employees in the north 
tower of the World Trade   Center. One employee,  switchboard operator 
Rosemary Smith, died in the attacks.


Schroeder's mom told the  News on Monday her 26-year-old son doesn't 
remember how or why he committed the  atrocious act.


 "He doesn't really  have any explanation or memory of what took place," Alice 
Schroeder said.  

"Now, he's just trying to minimize the damage to his career and make amends. 
You know, take responsibility and move on."


 The stricken mother said the entire family is shocked.

 "I'm appalled and my  heart goes out to them," she said of the families who had 
built memorials  to loved ones lost in the 9/11 attacks at the E. 30 St. chapel. 
"Because I  know it's basically like a cemetery and a memorial that's so very 
important. I  just cannot imagine, nor can he, why he would have done that."


Wooden benches and mementos  that honored the dead were badly damaged, 
but the remains were not hurt,  authorities said.

Schroeder was released on  bail Sunday night, his mother said. He posted 
$3,000 bail, according to the  city Department of Corrections.

 Harvard law school friends  also defended Schroeder Monday.

 "I know him as  someone who has traveled extensively and taken time to see 
parts of the world  that many of the rest of us ignore," said Patrick Kelly, a 
board member of  HLS Lambda, an LGBT law-student group where Schroeder 
was co-president. 

 "I know him as  someone happy to help out first years or simply give a 
comforting hug in the  library," he said. "I know him as someone who was deeply 
passionate  about creating a welcoming and supportive atmosphere at the law 
school."

Alice Schroeder also  defended her son as an ace student who wants to fight 
for human rights.

He is a native Texan who  had deferred his start date at Sidley Austin for a 
year and was making plans to  do human rights and international law work in 
Switzerland, she said.

 "He was a stupid kid  that messed up," Alice Schroeder said of the younger of 
her two sons.  

"A very bright boy. Valedictorian of his class in high school. He was a  national 
merit scholar."

She said the drunken act  was "totally out of character for him." 

 "We're all  dumbfounded," she said.

Firebug's a Harvard graduate:WTC chapel blaze spurs outrage

By Bill Egbert and Kevin Deutsch, Daily News 
Monday, November 2, 2009


Fevelo for News

Russell Mercer (l.)  clutches a photo of firefighter Scott Kopytko from 
Ladder 15, and Rosemary Cain  (r.), flanking supporter Nancy Nee, holds 
a photo of her son George Cain from  Ladder 7.

He's New York's newest Public Enemy No. 1 - and he has a Harvard law 
degree.

Outraged kin of 9/11 victims were reeling as Ivy Leaguer Brian Schroeder 
spent another night in jail on charges he set fire to a sacred chapel that 
holds the unidentified remains of those killed in  the terror attacks.

 

       Taggart for News
       Brian Schroeder in custody.

Defense lawyer Gary Lesser said Schroeder was boozed up - and believes  
someone may have "put something in his drink." Schroeder also had no idea 
what he was  lighting on fire.

"He voluntarily went to the precinct  the next day after he realized the 
gravity of what had happened," Lesser said.

Relatives of the Sept. 11 victims said they  didn't want to hear any 
excuses from Schroeder, whose friends fell short last  night, coming up 
with only half of the $3,000 bail set by a judge after he was  charged 
with arson and reckless endangerment.

"How was this guy raised?" asked  retired FDNY Deputy Chief Jim Riches,  
whose firefighter son Jimmy died on 9/11.

"I don't know what they teach these  kids at Harvard, but this was a slap 
in the face of every 9/11 family  member."

Schroeder, 26, a native Texan who just took a job at a Manhattan law 
firm, told cops he wasn't thinking - he was just dumb and drunk - when 
he lit the blaze early Friday morning. 

Wooden benches and mementos, honoring the dead - including notes, 
flowers and pictures - were badly damaged; the remains were not hit. 

"When my son was 26, he was coming  home from five years in the 
Marine Corps,"  said Sally Regenhard,  whose son Christian, also a 
firefighter, perished on 9/11. "Why are the  good people gone and the 
losers still with us?"

Schroeder's family and friends were  shocked.

"It's out of character and there's  nothing that would lead me to believe 
it's politically motivated," said  brother Jared Schroeder, 28. "Brian's not 
that kind of guy."

The 9/11 families were also upset at what  they said were security lapses 
at the E. 30th St. chapel overseen by the city medical  examiner's office.

"This was the straw that broke the  camel's back," said Regenhard, who 
protested yesterday with other family  members. "We're taking steps to 
ensure that nothing like this happens again," said Ellen Borakove, 
spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office.

"Mayor [Bloomberg] is disgusted by  this act of sickening vandalism," said 
City Hall spokesman Jason Post.

wegbert@nydailynews.com 
With Kristen V. Brown, Simone Weichselbaum  and Jonathan Lemire

Memorial Park Chapel Break-In Update

Dear Families,

Please note that a suspect was apprehended earlier at the 13th precinct this 
evening and confessed to setting the fire. The chapel itself, upon further 
inspection, did not suffer as much damage as feared and benches, statues 
and some posters remain intact.

We will continue with updates as information becomes apparent.

Sincerely,

Nazli Parvizi and Christy Ferer

FROM THE  MEDICAL EXAMINERS’ OFFICE
31  October 2009

Dear Families,
An unfortunate incident occurred this morning at the Office  of Chief Medical 
Examiner (OCME), details of which we wish to share with you. 


At approximately 8AM this morning, a break-in was discovered  in the memorial 
chapel housed behind OCME.  This chapel served as a quiet  sanctuary where 
families could spend time near the remains of their loved ones  and leave 
notes, photos, mementos, etc. behind.

While the incident is still under investigation and details  are sparse, what we 
do know is after the break-in, mementos were gathered and a  fire was 
started in the chapel.  We are unclear as to whether or not the  mementos 
were stolen or burnt but little remains inside the chapel.  Aside  from smoke 
damage, the chapel itself remains largely intact.

Please rest assured that we are doing our best to understand why this 
senseless crime occurred and who was behind it.  Out of respect  for the 
families however, we want to share what information we do have directly  
before it is reported by the press. Included below is the Mayor’s statement on  
this incident.

Another update will be sent when more details emerge.
Sincerely,

Nazli  Parvizi                                                 Christy  Ferer
Commissioner                                                9/11  Liaison                 
Mayor’s  Community Affairs Unit                       Office  of the Mayor

Family Members and Volunteers to Read Names this Anniversary

Families will once again be allowed into the World Trade  
Center site on the  anniversary, despite the absence of 
the ramp. According to the Mayor and  Governor, families 
will be allowed into a new upper level of the memorial site.

Governor Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg said that the 
theme of this year’s city ceremony would be  public 
service. Family members of victims and volunteers will be 
paired to read the names.

Due to  construction at the site, and similarly to last year, 
the eighth anniversary  ceremony will take place in Zuccotti 
Park, just east of the site of the World Trade Center.

The Tribute in Light will again be seen this anniversary.

Shanksville Post Office to Honor Flight 93

The  U.S. Postal Service is marking the eighth anniversary of Flight 93's 
crash in  southwestern Pennsylvania  with a special pictorial cancellation 
on letters handled at Shanksville Post  Office. The 33 passengers and 
7 crew members aboard courageously fought back  against the terrorists, 
and the plane was brought down in a field in Pennsylvania. The  plane’s 
target is assumed to be the US Capitol.
                                                 
The Shanksville Post Office will offer the cancellation for 30 days starting  
September 11, 2009, the 8th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. 
                                                 
The image on the cancellation will depicting the "Memorial Chapel Station" 
near the crash site.

Share Your Story with the Museum in Arlington, VA

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is pleased to be working with  
Arlington County and our partner StoryCorps, to record oral history interviews  
with victims' family members, first responders, volunteers, survivors, and  
witnesses of the 9/11 attacks. For three days – September 2, 3, and 4 - 
Museum oral historians and StoryCorps staff will conduct oral history 
interviews at the Arlington County Government Center in Arlington, VA.

These stories will play a  vital role in the Museum’s exhibitions and 
programming, enabling authentic accounts of 9/11 and its aftermath.

You are invited to share your story. You may participate in a one-on-one 
interview  facilitated by a member of our staff, or in a recorded session 
together with a group of friends or colleagues.

StoryCorps  is a national oral history initiative that conducts 40-minute 
interviews in a conversational format, typically between two people who 
know one another.  Participants engaging in these remembrance 
interviews can be anyone who would  like to share a 9/11 story. Please 
consider recording your story – not only for  yourself and your family, but 
also for future generations.  Click here to listen to StoryCorps excerpts.

When:  Wednesday, September 2  – Friday, September 4
Where:  Arlington County Government Center 
            (2100 Clarendon Boulevard)

Please feel free to forward this to anyone who may be  interested in sharing 
their story.  Many thanks for helping us preserve  these important memories.

For more information, click here.

To learn more about opportunities to share your story  and to schedule an 
appointment, please contact:Katie  Gora, 9/11 Memorial Museum Program 
Associate at 212-312-8797  or email collections@sept11mm.org;  or 
Jenny Pachucki, 9/11 Memorial Museum Oral Historian at 212-312-8785 or 
email collections@sept11mm.org.

FAQ's Regarding Release of 911 Phone Calls on September 11, 2001.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

911 Families © 2009