Debra Burlingame, the sister of pilot Charles “Chic” Burlingame III whose plane was hijacked and flown into the Pentagon on 9/11, discussed with Neil Cavuto today President Barack Obama’s decision to not release Osama bin Laden’s death photos and to give him a respectful sea burial.
Before watching the video, consider this: America is allegedly at war against al Qaeda and its violent affiliates; Obama (and Bush before him) is not at war alone against this enemy. Killing bin Laden was a major tactical victory and we, America, needed to use it to demoralize the enemy towards total victory. And we needed to exploit whatever intelligence that was gathered during the operation. So, what did this adminstration do? They bragged about the kinds of intelligence gathered at the scene for the sole purpose of domestic political popularity and undermined the intelligence value of what was gathered. Obama and his administration deserve condemnation for putting their political aspirations ahead of the interests of protecting the American people and defeating the enemy...
GO - read the rest of this one, watch the MUST SEE video here.
As their site says: "We Remember." And yes, we WILL remember how BHO has behaved, is behaving, come election time. No more needs to be said from me.
Two years ago this month, President Obama met with the families of Sept. 11 victims and other victims of terrorism at a special meeting in Washington, D.C., and promised “swift and certain justice” for the perpetrators. But the high expectations of that meeting have given way to frustration for many who met with Obama. “One of the first things he told us was that we were the conscience of the country and he wanted to give us swift and certain justice,” Debra Burlingame, whose brother, Charles, was the pilot on Flight 77 on 9/11, told Fox News. She was one of about 30 people at the meeting.
That same phrase “swift and certain justice” was used by the White House in its own press release after the meeting. But with no timetable for a trial for those charged with being behind the attacks, Hamilton Peterson, who lost his father and stepmother on 9/11, says the families feel betrayed.
Watch the video, read the written report, and see more below....
GO here, watch the video, and read the comment attached to this article, too.
NationNewsAgency—May 12, 2010 — A proposal to build a mosque steps from Ground Zero received the support of a downtown committee despite some loved ones of 9/11 victims finding it offensive.
The 13-story mosque and Islamic cultural center was unanimously endorsed by the 12-member Community Board 1′s financial district committee.
The $100 million project, called the Cordoba House, is proposed for the old Burlington Coat Factory building at Park Place and Broadway, just two blocks from the World Trade Center site.
I think it will be a wonderful asset to the community, said committee Chairman Ro Sheffe.
Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf, who helped found the Cordoba Initiative following the 9/11 attacks, said the project is intended to foster better relations between the West and Muslims.
He said the glass-and-steel building would include a 500-seat performing arts venue, a swimming pool and a basketball court. Theres nothing like it, said Rauf, adding that facilities will be open to all New Yorkers.
Daisy Khan, executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement and a member of the Cordoba Initiatives board, said donations are being sought to pay for the construction.
Khan said the project has received little opposition.
Whatever concerns anybody has, we have to make sure to educate them that we are an asset to the community, Khan said.
Khan said her group hopes construction on the project will begin by the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks...[...]
To read that attached news story, you may think a mosque at ground Zero is a done deal. No, it is NOT!
Many are speaking out against the very idea of a centre that promotes Islam in the neighbourhood that saw Islamic terrorists murder almost 3,000 American and international citizens.
Dear 9/11 Family Members, 9/11 Survivors, First Responders and Friends:
As you may have heard, plans have been announced to build a mega-mosque and cultural center at 45 Park Place, just 600 feet from the footprint of the north tower at the World Trade Center site. The building housed the Burlington Coat Factory, which was reportedly damaged in the attacks and which has stood vacant all these years. It's owners sold the building to Soho Properties for $4.85 million dollars in cash. Yes, CASH.
Soho properties CEO Sharif Al-Gamal has not identified the company's other investors, but we know that one of them is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder of the Cordoba Initiative www.cordobainitiative.org. Rauf has ties to Gulf money and has received funding from the Malaysian government, the location of the largest Muslim population in the world.
Malaysia embraces shariah law and has separate shariah courts. In January, three Christian churches were fire-bombed after a Catholic newspaper referred to the Christian God as "Allah." Rauf wrote that while this might have been legal, it was "socially inappropriate" because it upset the Muslim community (60% of the population). (here)
You HAVE signed the petition, haven't you?
Take a look at this:
You think that he sounds reasonable? Just trying to promote peace and harmony among religions, built on respect? Not so fast. From Atlas Shrugs:
Friday, May 07, 2010
911 Mosque Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf Blames Christians: "The US and the West must acknowledge the harm they have done to Muslims before terrorism can end"
The imam behind the 911 talks one way to the infidels and kuffars on the television and quite another when he is not building shrines to 911. Check out what Robert wrote about him in 2004.
Feisal Abdul Rauf, a New York imam, expects us to believe that jihad warfare was started by the West and can only be ended by the West. He is therefore either concealing or ignorant of the fact that violent jihad is a developed tradition within Islam and found in core Islamic texts (including but not limited to the Qur'an, as well as Hadith and books of Islamic jurisprudence). In those it has nothing to do with the behavior of infidels. It only has to do with the fact that they are infidels. Take, for example, this quotation from the Muslim prophet Muhammad:
When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. . . . If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah's help and fight them. (Sahih Muslim, book 019, Number 4294)
That is offensive jihad. It is buttressed by numerous other sayings of the Prophet, by the Qur'an, and by Islamic legal scholars. But Feisal Abdul Rauf puts it all on the West, and gets invited to Australia by Premier Bob Carr.
The US and the West must acknowledge the harm they have done to Muslims before terrorism can end, says an Islamic cleric invited to Sydney by Premier Bob Carr.
New York-based Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who impressed Mr Carr at an international conference last year, arrives in Sydney today for two weeks of meetings and public talks.
Speaking from his New York mosque, Imam Feisal said the West had to understand the terrorists' point of view.
In a move likely to cause controversy with church leaders, Imam Feisal said it was Christians who started mass attacks on civilians.
"The Islamic method of waging war is not to kill innocent civilians. But it was Christians in World War II who bombed civilians in Dresden and Hiroshima, neither of which were military targets."
This is outrageously specious, but it depends on the ignorance of the listeners. The bombings of Dresden and Hiroshima were not justified by the bombers on the basis of Christian theology. The bombings by terrorists -- 9/11, 3/11, etc. -- are justified on the basis of Islamic theology. By claiming that they are equivalent, Abdul Rauf obscures the Islamic roots of modern-day terrorism, thus hindering the prospects for the reform within Islam that is so desperately needed if jihad terrorism is ever going to cease.
Imam Feisal said the bombing in Madrid had made his message more urgent. He said there was an endless supply of angry young Muslim rebels prepared to die for their cause and there was no sign of the attacks ending unless there was a fundamental change in the world.
Does that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Confident that having that mosque no more than 600 feet from Ground Zero will promote 'understanding' between the islamic terrorists and the rest of New York? I didn't think so. Go here to read more, and for more on the imam behind the mosque, go to Family Security Mattershere.
I am not buying ANY of their insulting 'reasons' - actually NON reasons why this mosque should be anywhere near Ground Zero. As Diane Fairben said to me earlier: "That would be like building a Japanese cultural centre at the entrance to Pearl Harbour." Diane and Ken Fairben, lest any of you forget, are the parents of Keith, who gave his life on 9/11 saving others. In a nutshell, Diane says what every logical, thinking American (and the rest of us) know to be the truth of this proposed travesty of a monument to Islam.
I have heard it said somewhere that this centre (with a swimming pool etc, ) is needed as a healing centre because muslims also died that day. Again, I call bs. Not one of the souls lost on 9/11 had their religions listed anywhere that I have found. Unless you know any of the 9/11 families, you could have NO idea what religion they are. Anyway, as we all know, that day was not about religion, unless you count the 'Religion of Peace' as a religion, which I do not. That day was about a sick ideology, an indoctrination that seeks to overcome all other ways of life, and rule supreme. Don't believe me?
Try this on:
Yes, very peaceful, as noted (with a little research, as prescribed):
"Fight against such as those to whom the Scriptures were given [Jews and Christians]...until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued." (Surah 9:27-)
"Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Deal firmly with them." (Surah 9:121-)
"Muhammad is God's apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another." (Surah 48:29)
"Fighting is obligatory for you, much as you dislike it." (Surah 2:216)
and this:
"I will instil terror Into the hearts of the Unbelievers: Smite ye above their necks And smite all their Finger-tips off them." Surah 8:12.
I would support recently announced plans to build an Islamic mosque and cultural center two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center attacks on one very specific condition -- that Bible-believing evangelicals be permitted to build their own center in the heart of Tehran.
Manhattan gets the Qur’an. Iran gets the Bible. As they say, fair is fair.
And because an Islamic center in the heart of Manhattan is sure to become a focal point of Islamic proselytizing, the quid pro quo would include permission that those biblical believers staffing the evangelical information center in Tehran enjoy similar freedoms.
Specifically, evangelicals in the Tehran center must be permitted to distribute literature, speak freely with passers-by and invite any and all to attend Bible studies – all without interference from the authorities.
I make this fair-minded suggestion after hearing the news of preliminary plans to build a 13-story mosque and cultural center at the site of the former Burlington Coat factory building not far from Ground Zero....(here at NewJersey.com)
I suppose anybody who opposes this atrocity near Ground Zero (where they have resumed searching for remains of the lost of 9/11 by the way,) will be labelled an Islamophobe. I am quite fine with that. The msm has been 'reporting' that the opposition this obscenity is only coming from the 'families of the 9/11 victims', or that it is only New Yorkers who were directly affected by that terrible day, who are opposed. Not from where I sit. It is no secret I am not a New Yorker, nor did I lose a family member on that day, but I know obscene when I see it. This IS obscene, and according to everything I read, Americans across the land are against allowing the creeping Islamic presence so near to Ground Zero. Doesn't matter how soft spoken (or even yelling on the streets as they do in many parts ) the proponents of this latest insult, Islam is NOT a benign, benevolent 'Religion of Peace.' To think that they can weazle their way onto hallowed ground, and all us infidels will just quietly, as sheep, 'go along to get along,' is to grossly under-estimate the spirit and will of the people - you know, the infidels - from around the world.
Yes, the families of 9/11 feel the obscenity of this proposed mosque more keenly than any, and yes, they ARE speaking out:
Updated May 14, 2010
Plan to Build Mosque Near Ground Zero Riles Families of 9/11 Victims
By Lauren Green
- FOXNews.com
Outraged family members and community groups are accusing a Muslim group of trying to rewrite history with its plans to build a 13-story mosque and cultural center just two blocks from Ground Zero, where Islamic extremists flew two planes into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
[...]
"This is a place which is 600 feet from where almost 3,000 people were torn to pieces by Islamic extremists," said Debra Burlingame, whose brother died in the attack on the Pentagon that day.
"I think that it is incredibly insensitive and audacious really for them to build a mosque, not only on that site, but to do it specifically so that they could be in proximity to where that atrocity happened," said Burlingame, who is co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe and Strong America.
[...]
The New York City Mayor's office says "It's private property, and the area is zoned for uses that include this one."
Pamela Gellar, executive director of Stop Islamization of America, blasted the organization behind the plans, Cordoba Initiative, and its leader, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, saying the project is "an insulting flag of conquest of Islamic supremacism."
"How can you build a shrine to the very ideology that brought down the World Trade Center?" asked Geller, whose group is planning a June 6 rally to protest the project.
"We have to do everything we can to stop this ... a huge Muslim monument, a stone's throw from Ground Zero, with a mosque pointing toward Mecca."
She called it an act of deception that the group has been able to get the green light from the Lower Manhattan Community Board, whose finance committee gave it a thumbs-up last week.
[...]
Rauf insists the effort is meant to help heal the wounds of 9/11, "We've approached the community because we want this to be an example of how we are cooperating with the members of the community, not only to provide services but also to build a new discourse on how Muslims and non-Muslims can cooperate together to push back against the voices of extremism."
But Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, says there are more productive ways to fight Islamic extremism.
"Even when they have the resources, they are using it for a place of worship, a cultural center for organizations," he said. They are not using it for a counterterrorism research center.
"They are not using it to lead the war like Americans need to see us do and they are wasting our resources, not to mention that being close to the hallowed ground that is so sensitive in the souls of the families of 9/11. I think it is extremely poor judgment."
Jasser also has questions about the financing.
According to reports, the building that occupies the site was purchased last year for $4.85 million in cash by Soho Properties, a real estate company run by Muslims. Imam Rauf, who's also the founder of American Society for Muslim Advancement, ASMA, was an investor in that transaction.
The balance of the $100-150 million total cost still needs to be raised, but Rauf says he's confident it will be.
[...]
Madeline Brooks, a member of the New York chapter of Act! for America, a non-profit organization that "is opposed to the authoritarian values of Islam fascism," believes the Cordoba Initiative's agenda is to co-opt the 9/11 narrative and transform it into a Muslim conquest.
"Is it a victory for Islam over non-Muslims?" she asks. "Is this a feather in his (Rauf's) cap?"
Brooks says she's received hundreds of angry e-mails from people who say they can't believe the audacity of this project. "Why here?" she asks. "Why are you offending and outraging people... stirring up a huge hornet's nest?"
[...]
"If they wanted peace and harmony," counters Brooks, "do you really think they'll get that?"
Riiiiiiight. There is much more here, and it is a must-read.
The Israel National News is also watching this blatant 'act of deception' (as Geller calls it,) as well they might:
New Yorkers Plan to Fight Mosque Near Ground Zero
by Hana Levi Julian
Ground Zero, the aftermath
Israel news photo: Joel Meyerowitz/ US State Dept
A growing rage is gripping New Yorkers over plans to build a 13-story mosque just two blocks away from the site of the worst terror attack ever perpetrated on U.S. soil.
“What could be more insulting and humiliating than a monster mosque in the shadow of the World Trade Center buildings that were brought down by an Islamic jihad attack?” said Pam Geller, who heads a protest group called Stop the Islamicization of America. “Any decent American, Muslim or otherwise wouldn't dream of such an insult. It's a stab in the eye of America,” she told The Times.
The group is calling for a massive protest on June 6.
If the Germans opened a Bach choral society across from Auschwitz even after all these years, that would be an insensitive setting. I have nothing against Islam. I just think: why there?
The plans by the American Society for Muslim Advancement call for construction of the mosque and community center at the former Burlington Coat factory, badly damaged in the attack by radical Muslim terrorists on September 11, 2001. The building has stood empty since “9/11” – but the group now wants to rebuild it as a major Islamic center instead.
Daisy Khan, director of the Society, explained that the group wants to “create a platform by which the voices of the mainstream and silent majority of Muslims will be amplified. A center of this scale and magnitude will do that.” (there is more here)
On that pretext of needing a space near Ground Zero to facilitate and promote harmony among the religions, I have a suggestion that would negate any mosque in that neighbourhood. My suggestion would also save the imams gazillion dollars. IF their goal really is to promote understanding, I suggest they return to St Paul's Chapel. For those of you who don't know, St Paul's is the sanctuary that many people went to on 9/11 and in the days following.
St Paul's
Photographs by James Wheeldon, and (inset) Leo Sorel
After the towers fell, a tiny 18th-century Episcopal church became a relief center. Clergy counseled, cooks dished out meals, and medical workers treated stiff muscles and burned feet.
An associate for ministry at Saint Paul’s shares his thoughts on 9/11.
On September 12, after having escaped the maelstrom of 9/11, I returned to Lower Manhattan to survey the damage to St. Paul’s Chapel—just yards away from where building 5 of the World Trade Center stood—and to find ways to be helpful in the rescue effort. At that point we assumed there would be many survivors. As I walked down Broadway from my apartment in Greenwich Village, my heart was pounding, not knowing what I might find. I assumed the chapel had been demolished. When I saw the spire still standing, I was overwhelmed. It took my breath away. Opening the door to enter St. Paul’s was an extraordinary experience; except for a layer of ash and soot, the building survived unscathed. Many proclaimed that “St. Paul’s had been spared.” It seemed clear to me that if this was true, it was not because we were holier than anyone who died across the street; it was because we now had a big job to do.
Taking this challenge to heart, we set up a cold drink concession and hot food service four days later for the rescue workers, and men from our shelter, and many others, proudly flipped burgers at what came to be called the “Barbecue on Broadway.” The relief ministry at St. Paul’s was supported by the labor of three local institutions—the Seamen’s Church Institute, the General Theological Seminary, and St. Paul’s, in the parish of Trinity Church—and volunteers from all over the country. More than 5,000 people used their special gifts to transform St. Paul’s into a place of rest and refuge. Musicians, clergy, podiatrists, lawyers, soccer moms, and folks of every imaginable type poured coffee, swept floors, took out the trash, and served more than half a million meals. Emerging at St. Paul’s was a dynamic I think of as a reciprocity of gratitude.a circle of thanksgiving—in which volunteers and rescue and recovery workers tried to outdo each other with acts of kindness and love, leaving both giver and receiver changed. This circle of gratitude was infectious, and I hope it continues to spread. In fact, I hope it turns into an epidemic.
There are so many stories that illustrate such selfless giving. One of the earliest, which continues to inspire me, is the story of the elderly African-American woman, probably in her 80s, who heard that a man working at ground zero had hurt his leg. So she got on the subway in the South Bronx and came all the way down to Lower Manhattan. She talked her way through the police lines, which at that time was no small feat, and came to St. Paul’s. Once inside she presented us with her own cane and then hobbled off. In that moment the universe became a little more generous.
A poet once said “midwinter spring is its own season.” The period from the terrorists attacks to the end of the recovery efforts at ground zero was its own season, lasting 260 days. ...[...]
— The Reverend Lyndon Harris
There are many references to be found on the internet about the wonderful work that St. Paul's did to shine the light of their mission during those dark days of 9/11. The history of this sanctuary dating back over 200 years is a joy to read. THIS column that I found on National Geographic is a wonderful place to start, and you can find the rest of it here.
The history of this church, both pre-, during and post-9/11 is a tangible testament to what is a genuine religion of peace. Seems to me, if these mosque proponents really believed in the same, they would find a way to work with churches such as St. Paul's, instead of demanding they be allowed to further lengthen the shadows of that terrible day, where the ugliness of Islam was on display for the whole world to witness.
Fact is, this is not a done deal, no matter how the muslims behind it have managed to hoodwink the first committee they met with. That meeting was only the first step in the approval process. I have frequently shared the site for the petition, but more needs to be done, so that your employees (the politicians) remember who it is they work for: New Yorkers, Americans, and not foreign money backing an ideology whose only mandate is to impose their hatred on us all.
Telephone calls need to be made, and emails sent. You could find all that on the internet, but I'll share them here, to make it easy for you. An email forwarded to me from Debra Burlingame - via a friend - has this:
Rauf is the imam of the Masjid Al-Farah mosque, a storefront mosque in Tribeca. He and his wife, Daisy Khan, (executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement--founded by Rauf) have told the media that the mosque is needed in this location to meet the needs of the Muslim population there. They hope to "grow the Muslim community" in lower Manhattan. They specifically chose this site because of its proximity to ground zero. They want to change the narrative about 9/11. They contend that the 19 hijackers "were not Muslims." They believe building a mosque there would amount to "something positive" coming out of 9/11.
Rauf has stated that the U.S. was complicit in the attacks because of its foreign policy which victimized Muslims. He maintains that terrorism will not end until the U.S. brokers a peace agreement between the Palestinians and Israel and the U.S. stops humiliating Muslims.
Rauf and Khan are saying that:
--the National September 11 Memorial and Museum Foundation has endorsed the plan. ABSOLUTELY FALSE
--Daisy Khan is an "advisor" to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum Foundation. FALSE. There is no formal relationship.
--300 Muslims were killed on 9/11. FALSE; around 20 have been identified. The victims were never identified anywhere by religion unless families did so. There is no evidence that 300 victims were Muslims.
--they are not building a mosque, just a prayer space and a cultural center. FALSE (see the description of Cordoba House here www.cordobainitiative.org; "...the mosque...")
The media incorrectly reported that Community Board 1 "approved" the plan at a meeting on May 5th. In fact, the finance committee, composed of 12 people, voted unanimously in support after Rauf and Khan made a presentation. The matter will now go to the full committee (more than 40 people). The full committee will be meeting on May 25. WE NEED YOU ALL TO ATTEND TO VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION. CB1 has no legal authority. Their "approval" or disapproval is in no way binding on the matter, but the media will be there and we need to send a message to Rauf, Khan and Mayor Bloomberg: this is wrong. This will do terrible harm to the 9/11 family community.
[This column is too late for anyone to plan on attending that meeting, but Debra does give contact information, so you can raise your voices:]
Meanwhile, please write to Mayor Bloomberg to voice your objection. I would remind you that he is Chairman of the National September 11 Memorial Foundation and has donated some $15 million of his own money to the project. The Cordoba House will completely under the effort to preserve the history of 9/11 for future generations.
Contact -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, City Hall. Write him every day:
The 12-member Financial District Committee who unanimously approved this abomination: GO HERE, BE POLITE.
And Community Board 1 Members who gave them the authority to do so: GO HERE, BE POLITE.
Email: man01@cb.nyc.gov Telephone:
Fax: (212) 442-5055
Address:
49-51 Chambers Street Room 715
New York, NY 10007-1209
Staff
Noah Pfefferblit, District Manager
Michael Levine, Director of Planning and Land Use
Yume Kitasei, Community Liaison
Lucy Acevedo, Community Coordinator
There will be a rally on June 6 at Ground Zero, specific location to be announced. Please send this info to everyone you know. Updates can be found at www.soia.com
There is also a FaceBook page about this rally:
6/6/10 - PROTEST THE 911 MEGA MOSQUE
Date:
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Time:
12:00pm - 3:00pm
Location:
Ground Zero, NYC - WTC Site Transit: Wall St Station (0.1 mi) Zuccotti Park formerly named, and generally known as Liberty Plaza Park is a 33000 sqft park in Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. It is located between Broadway and Church streets
SIOA Rally Calls for Halt to Plans for Ground Zero Mosque Forbes.com
NEW YORK, May 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The human rights group SIOA is hosting a rally at Ground Zero to protest the construction of a mosque at the site of the Islamic terror attack that brought down the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. SIOA is one of America's foremost organizations defending human rights, religious liberty, and the freedom of speech against Islamic supremacist intimidation and attempts to bring elements of Sharia to the United States.
Victims of 9/11 - those who lost family or friends, or who were injured on that day - are especially invited to attend the rally.
The SIOA No 9/11 Mosque Rally will be at Ground Zero on June 6 at 12 noon. Supporting groups (partial list): ACT for America (ACT Manhattan chapter); Z Street; Freedom Defense Initiative; No Mosque at Ground Zero; Faith Freedom International; Stuart Kaufman; American Bulldogs; VAST; and the Center for Security Policy....
"We chose June 6 as the rally date," Geller explained, "because it's D-Day. In 1944, Americans acted against the evil of Nazism. Now it is time for Americans to stand up against the evil of Islamic jihad terrorism and Islamic supremacism."
Said Geller: "The only Muslim center that should be built in the shadow of the World Trade Center is one that is devoted to expunging the Koran and all Islamic teachings of the violent jihad that they prescribe, as well as all hateful texts and incitement to violence."...
There follows a list of speakers, and lots more information. Go to FaceBook here for that.
We have all seen the march of Islam across Europe, as they seek to eradicate the native cultures and dominate. We have all watched as the pockets of Islam take hold across north America, in their attempt to have all us infidels submit.
Ground Zero is but the latest most blatant symbol of these attempts. It is now time for all of us to stand up and tell them: NO! Not at Ground Zero.
Darryl Worley
I hear people saying we don't need this war
But, I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
Well, after 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And we vowed to get the one’s behind bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for
Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Yeah, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
NEVER FORGET: THIS piece of land IS worth fighting for.
Since Attorney General Holder announced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his terrorist cohorts would be tried in a civilian court in New York - just blocks away from Ground Zero, the site of the worst terrorist attacks on US soil - Americans have raised their voices in protest. The families directly impacted by that act of war have spoken out. I shared an interview with Diane Fairben, mother of Keith, a paramedic who rushed to the scene on that awful day.
In that interview, Diane said, in part:
..this was an act of war. They had an agenda and were military trained...
...it makes me physically ill that they should be near to hallowed ground, which is what that is to us. Bringing them that close to ground zero is like bringing them to the cemetary where Keith is...
Pat Buchanan wrote on this here. He asks the question: "Is America at War?" Dick Cheney also went on the record with his views. Take a look here.Daniel Pearl's parents have protested loudly on the government's intent to try these terrorists in NY:
Friends,
On behalf of the Daniel Pearl Foundation, we wish to join you today in a call to reverse Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to try America’s new-type of enemies in New York Federal court.
We wish to add to your rally the perspective of our own personal tragedy which, in many ways, has come to symbolize the depth of inhumanity that has swept our planet in the 21st century, and the sense of urgency with which this planet is currently watching your rally, in New York City, a rally that may very well hold the key to the future of open society.
We, who witnessed the darkest side of hell, and have since spent every moment of our lives studying the anatomy of terror, we refuse to accept the strategy of normalization that Holder’s decision represents. [emphasis mine]Terror is a crime against society, and should not be tried in the same court as crimes against individuals or against a particular country....[Read the rest of this impassioned plea here]
The New York Times also published an interview with Judea Pearl:
Daniel Pearl's dad is sickened by Obama's 9/11 trial decision
By CARL CAMPANILE
Last Updated: 12:29 PM, November 14, 2009
Posted: 3:15 AM, November 14, 2009
The father of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl slammed the Obama administration's decision to hold a public trial for admitted 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed -- who boasted of killing his son in Pakistan.
Judea Pearl said he was "sick to the stomach" when he heard that the Justice Department decided to prosecute Mohammed in Manhattan federal court.
"I don't want to hear every morning in the papers what KSM did," Pearl told The Post last night. "Danny was killed once. Now he will be killed 10 times a day. Leave him alone." [read the rest of that here]
David Beamer, father of Todd, has also protested long and loud on the spectre of KSM having a pulpit in NY from which to spew his hatred. Watch one of his interviews here.
And the list goes on and on, with many adding their voices in outrage at Holder's decision to give these terrorists - killers who have openly declared war on America - all the rights of American citizens.
One of the most eloquent - and poignant - 9/11 family members to speak out against Holder's ill-considered plans to hold these trials in civilian court is Peter Regan.:
November 25, 2009
These killers don't deserve the rights of Americans
Stop the trial, Mr. President
Excerpts from Peter Regan's remarks yesterday at a press conference on protests against the "9/11 trial" being held in New York.
I AM here today to express my opinion on this administration's recent decision to put terrorists from a foreign land on trial in a civilian court of law of the United States of America.
I am an American. I am a United States Marine, a New York City firefighter and the son of a New York City firefighter killed on 9/11.
As an American, I believe in the Constitution of the United States. I believe that the rights it guarantees are reserved for American citizens -- not handed out freely to people serving a destructive ideology. The rights that Americans have fought to protect for Americans should not be gifted to people who seek the destruction of this nation. [here, courtesy of Family Security Matters.]
On December 5, many groups came together to rally in protest against this disgraceful decision. Families of the 9/11 victims have formed numerous groups under the umbrella title of Keep America Safe.Debra Burlingame is one of the public faces of the 9/11 families:
My brother was Charles (Chic) Burlingame, captain of American Airlines Flight 77, which was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
Now I am one of the organizers of a rally being held at noon this Saturday in Foley Square to stop President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and members of Congress from bringing sworn enemies of the United States into this country – from bringing war criminals captured on the battlefield, lawfully held as war detainees, into civilian court.
It doesn’t have to happen. We who are opposed to the decision must make ourselves perfectly clear to the powers that be that we will not tolerate this decision.
Two weeks ago, 300 family members of 9/11 victims sent a letter to the President telling him we adamantly oppose this dangerous and unnecessary act. The letter was never acknowledged. Then, one hour after the attorney general made his stunning announcement that unlawful foreign combatants would be tried as civilians, the number of signers to that letter jumped to 45,000. By the end of the day the number was 100,000. Our Internet server couldn’t handle the volume of Americans who had somehow found out about this letter and wished to stand with us.
The attorney general has suggested that those who oppose prosecuting these men here in New York City are afraid – that we somehow don’t have the courage to face Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in court.
How dare this man, who didn’t have the decency to notify victims’ families of his decision to bring these monsters here, imply that we lack courage. Courage is carrying on after watching your loved ones die, in real time, knowing that they burned to death, were crushed to death, or jumped from 100 flights high. Courage is carrying on, even as we waited, in some cases years, for something of our loved ones to bury. More than 1,100 families still wait. [read more here]
That rally was attended by thousands of outraged Americans. On a rainy NY day, many stood to tell Holder that these killers should not be tried in civilian court. One was Charles "Cully" D. Stimson. Uncle Jimbo of BlackFive video-taped his speech to the crowd. You can watch that here.Hannity also hosted a special show last week with the 9/11 families. You can find more of that here.. One particular comment - among the many - on that site:
The idea of putting KSM on trial in a civial court amounts to treason. KSM has said that he wont's to be his own attorney. As such he could be given all information that we have in regards to his trial. A lot of this would be top secret. Both the Attorney General and the President are attorney's Giving him that information would be giving aide and comfort to our enemies. THAT is treason....(here)
Whether or not you agree that what Holder proposes is treason, America needs to keep the pressure on the politicians to reverse this decision which amounts to 'aid and comfort' of America's self-proclaimed enemies. The heat is on, as various politicians start join the many Americans who know that this is wrong.
THIS is where your mission lies. Keep America Safe has issued an "Action Alert: Raise your voice today"... It says, in part:
With this new coalition, we can combine the firepower of all supporting organizations to target this one specific issue for reversal. This effort has been met with overwhelming support. Since its inception, the Coalition has gained the support of the Center for Security Policy, ACT For America and the Uniformed Retired Firefighters Association, among others.
The rally in New York City was a warning shot to the members of Congress. Now the fight needs to move from the streets of New York to the offices of Congress. By a wide margin, recent polls show that Americans do not support this policy. We will target any member of Congress who ignores the will of the people on this issue.
Even if you don't receive a personal response, they are getting your messages. If you don't do anything, you will guarantee they will never hear you. Action is needed on your part -- on our part -- to preserve the chance that our voices will be heard and terrorists captured on the battlefield will be kept out of our civilian courts.
We are not asking you for your money or your vote; we are asking for something far more valuable: your time. This is not an appeal for you to do something for us. This is an appeal asking you to raise your voice.
Besides video reports, we encourage you to join the Coalition's Facebook page and file your report on its wall. You can also post a brief line directed to @Never911Forget on Twitter, telling the world who is with us and who stands against us. We also urge you to report your findings to local and national radio, telling the hosts what your representatives told you. All of these things can make a difference and will keep the pressure on Congress.
Let's find out who the real leaders are in the U.S. Congress and who is willing to fight back.
America, we cannot let this stand. Raise your voices - TODAY - to tell all the politicians they need to be on the record telling Holder that these terrorists - war criminals - must NOT be tried in a New York civilian court room. In the Keep America Safe Action Alert quoted above, there is a link to every politician in the country. Today, contact every single one of them, and make your voices heard.
Do it for Keith, for his family, and all the other American families who lost their precious loved ones on 9/11.
What are you waiting for? Raise your voices, NOW!!!
Remember a few days ago when Judge Col., James Pohl refused to halt the trial of USS Cole suspect Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged mastermind of the 2000 Navy destroyer bombing that killed 17 U.S. sailors in Yemen? It was one of my B*N*S*N pieces last week.
That story is here:
Judge refuses to delay Gitmo detainee's trial
Rejection of Obama request could complicate effort to close prison
updated 3:46 p.m. PT,Thurs., Jan. 29, 2009
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A military judge at Guantanamo on Thursday rejected a White House request to suspend a hearing for a USS Cole bombing suspect, creating an unexpected challenge for the Obama administration as it reviews the U.S. war-crimes trials process.
The judge, Army Col. James Pohl, said his decision was difficult but necessary to protect "the public interest in a speedy trial." The ruling came in the case against Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged mastermind of the 2000 Navy destroyer bombing that killed 17 U.S. sailors in Yemen.
It seemed to take the Pentagon completely by surprise.... [Go read the rest here.]
It seems the President was not happy with the Colonel's decision, and just now comes this story:
President Obama Likely to Order Military Commission Charges Dropped Against Terrorist Suspect Al-Nashiri Friday
February 05, 2009 5:46 PM
ABC News has learned that on Friday, President Obama will likely order the Department of Defense's Military Commission to withdraw charges against terrorist suspect Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. The charges may later be reinstated in a military commission or pursued in a civilian court. Al-Nashiri will remain in custody.
The announcement will not be made until after President Obama meets with the families of victims of terrorist attacks on 9/11 and on the U.S.S. Cole, where he will assure them that this step is not being done to be lenient towards al-Nashiri. The move is being done to stop the continued prosecution of al-Nashiri in a court system that his administration may ultimately find illegitimate, not for any other reason, sources told ABC News.
President Obama has expressed concern about whether the military commissions set up by the Bush administration are the proper way to go forward in pursuing charges against the U.S. detainees, and on January 22 he asked all the judges supervising the trials of detainees for a continuance of 120 days, so a team of administration officials could review the best way forward.
In almost the cases, that continuance request was granted. But last week the judge supervising the al-Nashiri trial -- Army Col. James L. Pohl, the chief judge at the Guantanamo Bay war crimes court -- said he would not heed President Obama's request for a 120-day continuance, or delay, in prosecutions of terrorism suspects. Pohl called the president's request "not reasonable" and not "in the interests of justice."
The arraignment of al-Nashiri is scheduled for Monday, February 9.
Al-Nashiri has been identified as the former Persian Gulf Operations Chief for al Qaeda and the mastermind of the attack on the U.S.S. Cole. In March 2007 he testified in military court that he only confessed to certain crimes because he has been tortured for the previous five years.
Asked for reaction to the news, Commander Kirk Lippold (Ret.), former Commander aboard the U.S.S. Cole when it was bombed on October 12, 2000, told ABC News that "I am concerned about the President considering dropping the charges because it may be indicative that the president does not intend to follow the military commissions process which has undergone extensive legal and legislative review."
"For some reason the administration says what's been expressed through the legislature is not sufficient," Lippold said of the military commissions. "They need to allow the process to go forward."
The 26-year Navy veteran said he found the decision to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay "disappointing," but he seemed willing to hear the president out...[read more on this here]
I have actually been following a story today of the 9/11 families and the USS Cole survivors families expecting to meet the president at the White house today:
OBAMA INVITES 9/11 KIN TO WHITE HOUSE
By CARL CAMPANILE
Last updated: 4:58 pm
February 5, 2009
Posted: 12:52 pm
February 5, 2009
President Obama - under fire for suspending trials of suspected terrorists and phasing out Guantanamo military prison in Cuba - has invited family members of victims killed on 9/11 to the White House for a meeting tomorrow.
The White House sit down is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room.
Attendees told The Post they will urge Obama to swiftly prosecute the terrorists responsible for the evil 9/11 slaughter.
Relatives said they will grill the new president over his controversial plans to close Gitmo and temporarily suspend the trials against Gitmo detainees - including those who bragged of plotting to blow up the World Trade Center.
Retired Deputy Fire Chief Jim Riches - whose firefighter son Jimmy died at Ground Zero - was ticked off when Obama ordered those actions. Riches last month visited Gitmo and attended the trial of Khalid Sheikh Muhammed and other alleged 9/11 plotters, who stood up and admitted their guilt.
"We saw these people face to face. I want to tell the president what happened at Gitmo. That these detainees were laughing about what they did. I wish these trials were on TV. Americans would be outraged."
"I don't want what happened to my son happen to anyone else," Riches said.
Riches said he was pleased that the White House agreed to meet 9/11 families and hopes the president shows up at the meeting. It was unclear if he would personally attend the staff meeting.
Debra Burlingame, whose brother, Charles, was the pilot of hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon, said she was eager to hear from the new commander-in-chief.
"I'm hoping it's a substantative meeting," she said. (here)
I have checked the White House site for mention of this. Apart from the Press Secretary Robert Gibbs repeatedly answering questions with "I don't know", or general bafflegab (you can read today's briefing here if you are having trouble sleeping tonight,) there was no mention of this meeting taking place today.
From all I have read today, the 9/11 families and the USS Cole families are very upset about the plans to stall the military trials, and the closing of GITMO.
One I read:
9/11 Families Urge Obama to Continue Guantanamo Terror Trials
Three families of firefighters killed at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 want "a firm commitment" from Obama to prosecute suspects in the 2001 attacks.
NEW YORK -- Three families of firefighters killed at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 want to meet with President Barack Obama to urge him to reverse his decision to suspend the trial of five detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who admit roles in the terror attacks.
In a meeting with reporters at their attorney's office on Sunday, the families deplored what they called "delays and confusion" in the former Bush administration's effort to prosecute suspects in the 2001 attacks, which killed about 3,000 people, saying they want "a firm commitment" that the same process won't continue under Obama.
"Seven and a half years is a very long time for 3,000 families to wait," said Maureen Santora, whose son was among the 343 firefighters killed when the twin towers collapsed after being struck by two hijacked jetliners. Nearly 2,800 people were killed at the World Trade Center, another 184 when a third hijacked jetliner struck the Pentagon and 40 when a fourth plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pa. The totals don't include the 19 hijackers.
Along with Santora and her husband, Al Santora, a retired deputy fire chief, the delegation included retired deputy chief Jim Riches and his wife, Rita Riches, whose son was killed on Sept. 11, and Sally Regenhard, whose son also perished at the trade center.
The families' position was spelled out in a brief letter mailed Sunday to Obama, requesting a meeting "at your earliest convenience."
There was no immediate comment from the White House on Sunday...(more here at FOX )
Chuck Norris has some opinions on where GITMO should be IF BO insists on closing it:
When I heard about the possibility that the terrorist detention camp at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (Gitmo) will move to Alcatraz Island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, I got excited. Ideas from economic stimuli to renewed patriotism started flooding my mind.
Here are the top 10 reasons I believe Gitmo should be moved to Alcatraz:
10. D-Block. Not the hip-hop group, but the row of solitary confinement cells at Alcatraz. Need I say more? (Of course, "Gitmo and the Golden Gates" might make a hit rap song, too.)
9. It is rumored that "Dirty Harry" (Clint Eastwood's notoriously tough San Francisco cop character) still roams the streets with his .44 Magnum. Would terrorists really try to escape if he were across the bay? Do they feel that lucky? Well, do they?
8. It would give Congress something better on which to spend those hundreds of billions of dollars in bailout money than the absolute waste of more Wall Street bonuses and partisan pork.
7. My buddy the Governator needs a bailout, and the new "Hasta la Vista, Alcatraz" tour could be a gigantic boost for California tourism.
6. It's about time for a sequel to "Escape From Alcatraz," called "Bet Your A-- That You Better Stay on 'The Rock.'"... [go read the rest of this here]
Need I tell you that Nancy Pelosi has something to say about Alcatraz?:
Pelosi Shrugs off Alcatraz as Possible Terror Detention Facility
Republicans opposing an Obama administration order to close Guantanamo Bay prison facility within a year suggest sending terror detainees to House Speaker Pelosi's district.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday shrugged off Republican suggestions that the federal government reopen Alcatraz prison in her San Francisco district to house detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
President Obama this week signed an executive order calling for the closure of the prison at Guantanamo within the year. Republican Rep. Bill Young then suggested to White House counsel Greg Craig that the prisoners who could not be released back to their home countries or sent to a third country be put up in "the Rock," the famous military installation and prison that closed down in 1963 and is now part of the National Park Service.
Asked whether that was a serious proposal, Pelosi said, "It is -- no."
"Perhaps he's not visited Alcatraz," Pelosi said of Young while displaying little sense of humor. "Alcatraz is a tourist attraction. It's a prison that is now sort of like a -- it's a national park."
That explanation didn't stop House Minority Leader John Boehner from repeating the suggestion on Sunday, making that point that closing down Guantanamo by year's end may not be the best plan considering the recidivism rate of terrorist detainees is about 12 percent.
"If liberals believe they ought to go, maybe we ought to open Alcatraz," Boehner, R-Ohio, told NBC "Meet the Press." Being reminded that Alcatraz is a national park, Boehner responded, "It's very secure."...[more here]
Yes, Alcatraz would be very secure, and with Chuck patrolling? Never mind, we'll always have Harry - Reid that is. No such thing as NIMBY for him.
The insanity continues.
MoveAmericaForward has something to say on this via Michelle Malkinhere:
