UQ Wire: Capitol Hill Hearing Needed Now on 9/11

Kennebunkport, Maine--9/11 CitizensWatch, a watchdog group closely monitoring the course of the 9/11 investigation is calling upon Congressional leaders of both parties to hold immediate hearings on Capitol Hill to take testimony from victims family members and other experts regarding the conduct of the official 9/11 Commission and Administration's continuing efforts to obstruct and undermine a complete and transparent investigation of the worst attacks on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor.

CitizensWatch co-founder, Kyle Hence insists that "in the wake of the Commission's request for a deadline extension of at least 60 days, it is incumbent upon Congress to exercise oversight and hold hearings to take witness from 9/11 victim family members and others regarding how we reached this crossroads as Congress moves to approve an extension and additional funding."

In calls today to Congressmen Christopher Shays (R-CT) and Extension Bill sponsor Vito Fossella (R-NY) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) CitizensWatch is maintaining that it is due to an overly deferrant approach by an official Commission reluctant to issue subpoenas and caught in endless 'negotiations' with the White House, and a pattern of White House, NORAD and FAA obstruction, that Congress is now faced with the decision of whether or not to approve an extension request that would postpone the Commission's final report to January of 2005. To insure that behavior corrosive to a proper investigation is corrected, immediate hearings should be held and the issues addressed. The stakes couldn't be higher as the nation's national security is the central issue.

"For the Commission to have any credibility going forward, it must answer its critics beginning with the 9/11 Family Steering Committee (www.911independentcommission.org) members," says John Judge, Washington D.C. Director of the citizen-led watchdog group. "The Commission, the White House and footdragging agencies must be brought to account. Holding hearings now is timely and the right thing to do to be sure the investigation moves toward answers and accountability as it works to create its 'definitive account' of 9/11."

Hence added "Fully answering outstanding questions will require the testimony of key public officials in positions of responsibility at the time of the attacks. This must be done in public and under oath. Failing to do so will only raise the level of skepticism surrounding the investigation and doubts about our safety in a 'business as usual' climate denying responsibility."

CitizensWatch is also calling upon its members and supporters to lobby their representatives on Capitol Hill for the extension and oversight hearings in Congressman's Shay's Sub-committee on National Security and Senator Collins' Committee on Governmental Affairs.

CitizensWatch, with offices in New York City and Washington D.C., was established to closely monitor the 9/11 investigation. It is the only citizen's group whose sole purpose is to act as a watchdog to insure Americans recieve answers to persistant questions about the attacks and that high level officials are held accountable. CitizenWatch commentary and insight has been featured in conservative Insight Magazine for it's cover-story, "A Historical Whitewash?," and stories in the NJ Star-Ledger, Government Executive and Salon.com and on National Public Radio, Pacifica Radio (WBAI) and the BBC's World Report. Co-founder Kyle F. Hence has also been interviewed for the cable news channel, NY ONE and Free Speech Television's INN Report.

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