The Freedom Tower

Seven years after terrorists crashed passenger jets into the Pentagon, USA Today reports, “the World Trade Center and a grassy field in Pennsylvania, the first major memorial to their nearly 3,000 victims will be dedicated here last week. The 2-acre site will open to the public at 7 that evening. Memorials in New York and a rural township near Shanksville, Pa., won’t be dedicated for at least another three years.

In lower Manhattan, where construction on at least seven major projects is underway at Ground Zero, a lasting tribute to the 2,750 who died there has been hindered by disagreements and competing priorities among government agencies, family groups and Wall Street interests.

In Pennsylvania, the National Park Service is still buying land for a 2,200-acre memorial to the 40 crewmembers and passengers of United Flight 93 who tried to overpower four hijackers before their jet crashed.”

Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama said today they will put aside
partisan politics for a joint appearance Thursday at the World Trade
Center site to mark the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

The campaigns already had agreed to suspend TV advertising critical of
each other on Sept. 11. The McCain campaign has said it will air no ads
that day, Free Press of Detroit reports.

“All of us came together on 9/11 — not as Democrats or Republicans —
but as Americans,” the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees
said in a statement. “We were united as one American family. On
Thursday, we will put aside politics and come together to renew that
unity.”

Nearly seven years after the terrorist attacks that demolished the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, many people exposed to the dust, smoke and chemical fumes released into the environment by the airplane strikes on the twin towers continue to experience illnesses, according to the Environment News Service.
Rescue and recovery workers, residents of Lower Manhattan, and area workers are still suffering physical and mental health problems related to 9/11 exposure, according to the first report of the WTC Medical Working Group, released by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

After reviewing more than 100 scientific articles published since 2001, the group of physicians and researchers found that thousands of people have been treated for physical and mental health problems. But more people still need medical help, so the mayor today launched a citywide publicity campaign to promote awareness of medical and mental health treatment options for those who are still suffering.

“We have answered the call for help from those who have suffered health problems as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We’re helping people heal, both physically and emotionally, and we will continue to reach out to those in need.”

In the aftermath of 9/11, respiratory symptoms were common among people who breathed in the contaminants released by the collapse of the World Trade Center, the WTC Medical Working Group reports.

United Press International reports that steel from the World Trade Center in New York, fashioned into a cross, was escorted across New Jersey Saturday to Shanksville, Pa.
The cross is to be set up at the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department.

One of the four airplanes hijacked by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, crashed in Shanksville after the passengers tried to retake it. The hijackers apparently planned to fly the plane into the U.S. Capitol or the White House.

In New Jersey, hundreds of people waited on highway overpasses on I-78 for the flatbed truck carrying the cross and its escort of motorcyclists and New York Fire Department vehicles, the New Brunswick Home-News-Tribune reported.

At one overpass in western New Jersey, the crowd included firefighters and emergency workers from three nearby towns as well as civilians. Many had U.S. flags.

The cross was scheduled to be dedicated Sunday morning.

The world first became fully aware of Osama bin Laden 10 years ago today, The National Reports. On August 7, 1998 simultaneous car bombs exploded at the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya killing hundreds, a report in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) newspaper says. “Responsibility for the atrocities was claimed by bin Laden and his al Qa’eda organization. The attacks were supposedly a protest against the presence of US troops in Saudi Arabia following the first Gulf War, and Israel’s suppression of Palestinians with American collusion. It was precisely the type of notoriety bin Laden was looking for, having declared war on the US two years prior.
Al Qa’eda had been responsible for several other attacks meant to punish or terrorise the US, including the 1993 lorry bombing of the World Trade Center, and two attacks on American targets in Saudi Arabia in 1995 and 1996. But the death toll and the spectacular nature of the embassy bombings put bin Laden on the front page of every newspaper in the world.

The group’s efforts continued with several more spectacles of carnage. In 2000 the USS Cole, a US destroyer, was targeted off the coast of Yemen. Seventeen soldiers and sailors were killed. And on September 11, 2001 the world was again rocked when three passenger airliners were flown into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing thousands. The next day George Bush appeared before the US Congress and declared war on terror — the war that bin Laden had been looking for.
Much has happened in the first 10 years of this war, so much so that it can be hard now to recall the sense of security that prevailed in the mid-1990s, the Cold War having ended at the beginning of the decade. Real wars have taken place in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Taliban and Saddam Hussein have both been overthrown. Terrorist bombs have killed hundreds in Bali, Madrid and London – and even more in Iraq.”
Read the entire story by going to www.thenational.ae

Kevin M. Delano, a firefighter who worked to find survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, has died of leukemia, according to Zachary Dowdy newsday.com.

The Long Island, New York newspaper says the “former Howard Beach, Queens, resident was 54 and died July 30. As a member of Ladder 142 in Ozone Park, Queens, Delano was one of the first people to arrive at the rubble of Ground Zero after the skyscrapers crumbled.

He worked at the site for more than 40 hours straight. He had hoped to find any survivors, but especially sought his close friend, Ray York, of Howard Beach, who was killed.

Delano was retired from the Fire Department of New York and had served as chief of the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department in Queens. He also had worked as a transit police officer and a member of the Coast Guard.

In 1980, he married Roseann Pannhorst in Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Howard Beach. Four years later, the couple had a son, Kevin. All the while, Delano balanced his duties as a firefighter, husband and father, often referred to by relatives as the rock of the family.

After retiring from the fire department in 2003 because of health conditions, Delano moved to Blakeslee, Pa., in the Poconos, where he played golf regularly, took up fishing and relaxed. He was later diagnosed with leukemia. His cancer was in remission for some time, then the disease reappeared and he received a bone-marrow transplant.

His doctor said he likely got leukemia because of burning benzene at the World Trade Center site, his wife said yesterday.”

A Ground Zero Memorial - but not the planned museum - will be in place by the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks, Port Authority chief Christopher Ward vowed Thursday night.

Quoted in the New York Daily Newsm Ward told a Community Board 1 meeting “What we hoped for, dreamed of, will be completed,” The  meeting was attended by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) and other officials.

Ward’s promise came on the same day relatives of Sept. 11 victims railed at him in a letter over his admission last month that Ground Zero construction is over budget and years behind schedule.

Ward said the letter was “thoughtful” and expressed “the deep emotions of the family members.”

He said he now foresees a memorial that includes “a plaza, trees, and most of the design elements” opening by Sept. 11, 2011.

It would be “a somber place to allow for appropriate marking of the 10th anniversary,” he said, while warning that “accomplishing this will very difficult.”

He explained the “plaza does not stand alone” but is linked to the transit system and other underground facilities. You cannot build a memorial by forgetting its interconnection to the rest of the site.”

New York Gov. David A. Paterson announced plans to submit legislation to cover additional public workers who risked their health and safety in the rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts at the World Trade Center after the attacks of September 11, 2001. According to eMaxhealth.com, the legislation embraces the unanimous recommendations of the bi-partisan September 11th Worker Protection Task Force.

Under the Governor’s legislation, the “presumptive accidental disability retirement benefit” now available to some 9/11 first responders will be extended to additional first responders. A committee of doctors on the Task Force found that additional workers were exposed to the same toxins and psychological trauma as those originally covered.

“In the midst of the devastation of September 11th, men and women in public service risked their lives to aid in the search for survivors and victims,” said Governor Paterson. “As the nation grieved these heroes returned to work day and night, selflessly placing their own health at risk. It is our duty to offer them the protections they deserve in their time of illness.”

Additional first responders covered under this bill include: (i) state and county corrections officers and deputy sheriffs ; (ii) the non-uniformed first responders who were not required to undergo a pre-employment physical examination; (iii) 911 dispatchers; (iv) first responders who worked for any period of time within the first 48 hours after the first plane hit the World Trade Center; (v) emergency vehicle radio repair mechanics; (vi) vested members of a public pension system who terminated their employment prior to filing a claim; and (vii) workers who became disabled more than two years after 9/11 but before an extension was granted in the Workers Compensation Law which would have covered them.

Since many of the non-uniformed NYC and State workers at the site had not been required to undergo a pre-employment physical examination, a prerequisite to receiving benefits under the prior 9/11 legislation, the Governor’s bill extends benefits to those employees if they provide access to medical records and demonstrate the absence of a pre-qualifying condition prior to September 11, 2001. In addition, the geographic boundaries of the 9/11 disability benefits law are being expanded to emergency vehicle garages and emergency call centers, because the Task Force found emergency vehicle radio repair mechanics were exposed to dust and 911 operators experienced psychological trauma that has led to disabilities similar to those suffered by workers at the World Trade Center site.

Finally, current law requires that claimants participated in the WTC rescue, recovery or cleanup operations for a minimum of 40 hours, but scientific evidence gathered by the Task Force has shown there was a “substantial risk” of developing respiratory, gastrointestinal and / or mental health disability for first responders at the site during the first 48 hours after the first aircraft hit the World Trade Center Towers. Therefore, the Governor’s legislation covers any first responder who worked during the first 48 hours after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said: “Governor Paterson is doing the right thing. Every effort to more thoroughly monitor, test and, if necessary, treat the illnesses of the workers at Ground Zero is a welcome step in the right direction.”

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton said: “I am pleased to welcome legislation that expands benefits to the heroes who responded during our hour of need, and are now suffering adverse health effects because of their selflessness. By extending benefits to these individuals who were critical in our response to the September 11th attacks, New York State is demonstrating that it will not forget the sacrifices made by so many. I commend Governor Paterson for these efforts, and look forward to the swift passage of this legislation.”

Congressman Jerrold Nadler said: “I applaud Governor Paterson for introducing this essential legislation.While the fires were still burning at Ground Zero, brave men and women came to New York to provide help. And during their selfless service, these workers unnecessarily exposed themselves to toxins and containments. As Governor Paterson works with the New York State Legislature to pass this worthy bill, Congress must also act. This is a debt that can never fully be repaid, but we must do right by the living victims of 9/11.”

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney said: “All New Yorkers should be proud that Governor Paterson and the State Assembly and Senate are leading the charge to take care of the heroes of 9/11, and it’s high time the federal government did the same by passing the Maloney-Nadler-Fossella-King 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. It is a moral imperative for our government to take care of Americans who risked their lives and health to save others in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. The contrast between the state and federal responses to this health crisis could not be clearer: New York is finding new ways to help the heroes of 9/11, while the Bush administration is still trying to avoid this responsibility.”

Congressman Peter King said: “The heroes of 9/11 became sick after working in the dust cloud of Ground Zero to save the lives of others. It is our duty to develop a plan to monitor and care for these responders. I fully support the establishment of the World Trade Center Health Program and will do all I can to ensure that the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act becomes law.”

Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno said: “This bill will help ensure that first responders, who put their lives on the line in the minutes, days, weeks and months after the September 11th attacks, get the health care treatment and benefits they deserve. I thank the members of the 9/11 Worker Protection Task Force for their work. The Senate advocated for the establishment of the task force in the original legislation that addressed this issue. This bill mirrors the task force’s recommendations for ensuring that 9/11 heroes are properly taken care of.”

Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith said: “Legislation to expand health care benefits beyond its initial scope, which left out hundreds of 9/11 workers, was long overdue. People from across the city, state, and country fearlessly risked their lives in an act of patriotism and their efforts should not be forgotten. It is time for the legislators to stand up for those workers the same way they stood up for us in the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center–unconditionally. I join my colleagues in commending the Governor on introducing this bill and call on the legislature to pledge full support to expand health care benefits to 9/11 workers.”

Senator George Onorato, Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Labor Committee, said: “I commend Governor Paterson and the September 11th Worker Protection Task Force for their efforts to expand needed health care benefits to additional men and women who aided in search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center. We have an obligation to provide care for these brave first responders who risked their own health and safety in service to others on that dreadful day.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said: “This measure is a simple matter of fairness for the men and women whose health has suffered in the aftermath of their work as first responders to the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. I am pleased that Governor Paterson has followed the recommendation of the September 11th Worker Protection Task Force and, introduced legislation to extend health and disability benefits to these individuals — including many who live or work in Lower Manhattan — who served with such extraordinary dedication on September 11th and in the difficult days that followed the terrorist attack.”

Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco said: “The courageous first-responders who risked their lives to help save fellow New Yorkers in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks are genuine heroes and fully deserving of expanded access to health care benefits. We owe these heroes a profound debt of gratitude on behalf of a grateful nation that was inspired and deeply moved by the selfless heroism and bravery displayed by our first responders. I applaud Governor Paterson for making the expansion of health care benefits to 9/11 workers a priority and I look forward to working with him and my legislative colleagues to ensure these heroes continue to know just how much they are truly appreciated by all New Yorkers.”

Assemblymember Peter Abbate, Chair of the Assembly Government Employees Committee, said: “By extending health and disability benefits to these additional workers, the Governor is acknowledging the vitally important tasks they performed on September 11th and the days following the devastating terrorist attack, as well as the fact that, in performing their duties, these workers were exposed to conditions that put their health at serious risk. It is important to note that the recommendation to provide benefits to these workers was based on the careful work of the bipartisan September 11th Worker Protection Task Force.”

Assemblymember Joseph Saladino, Ranking member of the Assembly Governmental Employees Committee, said: “It is an honor to work with Governor Patterson to provide further protections and assistance to those selfless heroes whose only concern was to rescue the lives of Americans in the hours and days following the 9/11 attacks on our nation. As a lawmaker whose focus is protecting those who protect the public I am eager to pass this legislation and make a difference for so many men and women who now and in the future will be suffering do to their unselfish acts. When we called on them needing their assistance the first responders came running, now is our turn to do the same.”

Lou Matarazzo, Vice Chairman of the September 11th Worker Protection Task Force, said: “The original legislation might have overlooked some of the workers who risked their lives responding to the attack on the World Trade Center, and had conditions that were too stringent for all affected workers to receive benefits. This legislation goes a long way toward correcting those conditions.”

Patrick J. Lynch, President of the New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, said: “Clearly Governor Paterson recognizes the great personal sacrifice made by all those who rallied to save and help the city recover after the attacks of 9/11. The Governor’s proposal expands benefits to those responders whose welfare fell between the cracks of the first law. This bill should be supported by all of our legislators and signed into law as quickly as possible. We add our voice to all of those praising Governor Paterson for his proposal.”

Steve Cassidy, President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, said: “We applaud the governor for his proactive support of firefighters and all first responders.”

Widespread press reports say that many of the thousands of people who have gone to court for illnesses stemming from the 2001 terror attacks don’t have serious health problems. This claim was made by lawyers for New York City in court papers.

About 10,800 plaintiffs claim to suffer from a wide variety of health problems from breathing toxic dust from the debris of the World Trade Center after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. They are seeking compensation from an insurance fund.

The claims are filed in federal court in Manhattan, where U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein is overseeing the cases. About half were filed by city workers, including police officers and firefighters.

In a letter to Hellerstein last month, the law firm hired by the city, Patton Boggs LLP, contended that its review of the pending claims indicated that about 30 percent of the people seeking compensation allege “only nominal injuries.”

The letter, first reported Wednesday by The New York Times, said 30 percent of claims involved cases in which a specific ailment was not diagnosed. The claims instead describe symptoms, such as a runny nose or sleep problems.