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9.12.03
Politics and Economy:
9/11: For the Record
More on This Story:
Family Steering Committee for the 9/11 Independent Commission

Families of 9/11 victims, some of whom where profiled in an earlier NOW segment "Unanswered Questions," were among those demanding an independent investigation. Their appeal was partially realized in the The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States commonly referred to as the 9/11 Commission.

Some of those profiled on NOW have helped form the independent, nonpartisan group called the Family Steering Committee. Last year the Family Steering Committee issued a list of questions that remain unanswered after the release of the Congressional report on the 9/11 attacks in July of 2003, some of which are listed below

As events unfolded the group now present an updated list of questions raised directly by the public testimony of recent months.

Since the release of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States's final report, the Family Steering Committee has also released a statement evaluating the actions taken by Congress and the White House in response to the report's recommendations. They have begun a lobbying effort to press for further reforms. The group says it is following the Congressional hearings and public appearances by 9/11 Commissioners.

Of course, many think that the 9/11 Commission's report isn't the final word on the events of 9/11. Tell us what you would still like to know about 9/11.


Some Questions from the Family Steering Committee of the 9/11 Commission

  • What connections did our government have with the terrorists prior to 9/11? Specifically: State department negotiations with Taliban re: pipeline through Afghanistan; interaction with the Taliban and/or bin Laden; CIA training and arming of terrorists

  • In what ways might our government's policies toward Saudi Arabia have contributed to September 11th?

  • On September 9th the president had a war plan on his desk to go into Afghanistan. What was the origin of this plan? Why was this plan drawn up even before the September 11th attacks?

  • Why did Donald Rumsfeld, immediately after the September 11th attack, say that Saddam Hussein was involved?

  • Does the FBI have proof that it was in fact Al Qaeda that perpetrated 9/11? Do they know if the names the hijackers used were their real names?

  • Who were the terrorist informants working with the FBI? Specifically: What did the FBI learn from them? What were the 9/11 warnings provided by these informants? What was done with these warnings to protect the American public?

  • How did and do US energy policies play into Islamic terrorism?

  • How do corporate and big business interests play into foreign policy decisions?

  • What role did American think tanks, which make policy recommendations to the administration, play in American foreign policy decisions and the proliferation of Al Qaeda?

  • Did U.S. intelligence agencies share information about Al Qaeda with foreign governments? Did foreign governments share information with our government about Al Qaeda?

  • Regarding the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which is a collaboration between the FBI and NYPD, also at times NYS Police, NY/NJ Port Authority PD and the US Secret Service: Was the JTTF aware of 20 warnings of an impending terrorist which were mentioned in Joint Intelligence Inquiry testimony? What did the JTTF know prior to 9/11 regarding potential terrorist attacks in NYC and specifically, the WTC?

  • What sanctions can the U.S. place on individuals of non-terrorist states who aided and abetted terrorists through funding or other means? If there is no recourse, will the CIA continue to monitor their activities in the future?

  • Will the State Department and other allied countries seek to ban their entry into the U.S. and their nations? How long does an individual remain a terrorist threat according to our policies? Will those individuals be banned from doing business with the U.S.?

  • Since September 11th, has our government developed specific policies regarding individual sponsors of terrorism?

  • Were individuals with ties to terrorists or states which sponsor terrorism involved in shorting airline and other stocks which were impacted by the terrorist attacks on September 11th?

    Additional questions from the Family Steering Committee of the 9/11 Commission


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