9/11 Families Call Obama Consultation a "Farce"
On June 16th and June 17th, family members who lost loved ones to terrorist acts were invited by the Obama administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) to voice their concerns and opinions about justice for the victims. Unfortunately, the family members left the meetings feeling frustrated and helpless. FrumForum.com interviewed some of the families who stated that, although the DOJ meant well, their motives and methods were insensitive.
President Obama has spoken in the past about accountability and transparency; yet, those attending were not granted simple requests such as having the meeting recorded, receiving a list of those present, and being able to pass out a military commissions comparison chart. Bob Hemenway, who lost a son at the Pentagon, summarized the feelings of all interviewed by stating the meeting was “a set-up. It was a political ploy. We were pawns. What a waste. We were a show case. It was a farce.” The former Commander of the USS Cole, Kirk Lippold, pointed out that he requested a list of those who attended the two June meetings but has so far been refused.
The Attorney General, Eric Holder, attended only the June 16th meeting and stayed for only one out of four hours. Debra Burlingame, the sister of the pilot of American 77 that crashed into the Pentagon, explained that the families asked substantial questions which were either not answered or hardly answered. She stated that “Holder was sorry he walked into that room. For one hour they did not accept his platitudes. The questioning was aggressive, hard, and pointed. They got the message that these people were not going to be satisfied with the celebrity appearance and vague remarks. “
Family members were angered at being blind-sided, such as finding out after the fact that Jennifer Daskal was present at both meetings. Ms. Daskal is now a member of the DOJ detainee review task force. Previously she was the senior counter terrorism counsel at Human Rights Watch, where she wrote that the military commissions were “illegitimate, dysfunctional, and a kangaroo court.” Alice Hoagland, whose son Mark Bingham died on Flight 93, remarked that she was appalled and that “Mr. Holder has a pre-disposition to listen and be swayed by the political opinions of these human rights groups. I felt violated and betrayed.” Debra Burlingame went further when she stated that “I would never have talked about the last moments of my brother’s life with a woman sitting there who has championed the rights of the people who killed him.”
Furthermore, all of those interviewed felt that it was offensive for Obama to choose Ms. Daskal as a member of the task force, especially since he did not see the need to have the family members represented. They noted that she has written extensively about the human rights of the terrorists but has never acknowledged the victims and their families. Shirley Hemenway pointed out that not even one family member was chosen to represent the families on any of the task forces. To her this shows that “Obama’s mind is already made up.” Gordon Haberman, whose daughter Andrea died at the World Trade Center, concurs and explained that five months ago, when the task forces were established, President Obama had the opportunity to confer with the family members but chose not to do it and “it is veryd isappointing to me; the lateness of this meeting.”
At the meetings the family members also voiced their outrage at the fact that Obama constantly talks about the human rights of the terrorists. Commander Lippold noted that what these families have gone through as a result of the terrorist’s actions is irrelevant to the Obama administration because “he is more concerned in pursuing his political agenda in the eyes of the world.” Maureen and Al Santora , whose son was a New York firefighter, felt that “our government has forgotten the 3000 families in favor of the foreign governments… the country is in chaos and his first order of business is to close Guantanamo Bay. You got to be kidding me. What is he doing it for, because the image has tainted the U.S? We are bending over backwards for these terrorists to get world support. Give me a break.”
The family members feel the Obama administration is forgetting about their rights and the rights of their lost loved ones. Jacquie Van Laere, who lost a brother at the World Trade Center, stated “we do not want revenge; we just want justice and no one seems to understand the pain we suffer.” At the meetings they voiced their dissatisfaction and commented that the terrorists are not American citizens and should not be granted American rights. Joe Holland, whose son died at the World Trade Center, noted that “the terrorist’s rights are well taken care of and we have no rights and we ARE American citizens.”
They felt that Obama is more concerned with making sure the terrorists have their due process than those 3000 plus people who lost their lives to terrorist attacks. Burlingame pointed out that at her meeting, Holder talked about treating our enemies well and quoted George Washington. Gordon Haberman sadly stated, “When they talk about rights, what about my daughter’s rights? She was stripped of her rights, she was detained, she was tortured, and she was murdered.”
What the family members want the American public to know is that they will not be used by the Obama Administration for public relations purposes. They want Americans to understand that they overwhelmingly support military tribunals and keeping Guantanamo Bay opened. (In the June 17th meeting 40/42 voted in favor of not closing Gitmo). Hoagland wanted the public to know that the conclusion she reached from the meeting is that there will be a “shift from military tribunals to the federal court.”
Maureen Santora felt that “it is time for Americans to understand these (the terrorists) are not poor individuals. They have been elevated to victims…The terrorists are getting the benefit hands down and the victims are getting nothing. We need to make it very clear who is the enemy.” Debra Burlingame summed up the feelings of those interviewed by stating that “the last thing that the Obama administration wants is to consider what the victims want. They are at the bottom of the totem pole when it come to weighing in on policy… We are only another stake holder that can cause problems for them regarding the public relations on what they decide.”