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Today we pause to remember those who perished in the July 7th London Bombings one year ago. Sadly, the attacks took the lives of 52 innocent people and wounded hundreds. On this solemn day we offer our sincere thoughts and prayers to all those families who were affected as they gather together to remember their loved ones. We also offer our goodwill to those who were injured or witnessed the bombings, recognizing that their lives are also changed forever.
Like many of you, following 9/11, I was deeply touched by the kind gestures our family received from my friends, family and individuals from all over the world. Their words of encouragement and acts of kindness gave me strength and renewed my hope in mankind. Today as the families in London commemorate the lives lost, we reach out across the globe to offer our hearts to those who grieve.
If you would like to send a note to the families of the July 7th London bombings please forward an email to email@voicesofsept11.org by next Friday, July 14th. We will collect the notes and forward them on your behalf.
Warm Regards,
Mary Fetchet
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VOICES Commemorative Events |
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Response has been outstanding so far to our survey requesting feedback on what you, the 9/11 Community, want to see and experience at this years VOICES Information Forum on September 10th. Thanks to all of you who have taken the survey already, it will be very helpful as we finalize the program. We will continue to solicit your responses to the brief 10-question, yes/no survey through next Friday, July 14th. If you haven't yet, please take a moment to give us feedback by clicking the link at left to fill out the survey. Please note that upon completing the survey your web browser will automatically go to the homepage of surveymonkey.com, the host for the survey, and that no further action is required.
The guiding theme of this year's Information Forum is "Remember and Renew," and
we are very excited about the event.
We hope you are able to join other VOICES members from across the country and world as we continue to expand our community of support and friendship for all those affected by 9/11.
When: Saturday,
July 15th
Time: 12:30 to 5:30 PM
Where: Bellmont Race Track, Elmont, NY
Contact: Click Here
All welcome-Enjoy the day (rain or shine), Honor the "Boys" knowing you made a major contribution to the Arce/Boyle Memorial fund dedicated to helping needy Firefighter families. All you can eat and drink, admission to the park, tent and the program only $100 per adult. Children FREE! Betting windows in tent, fully A/C with over 20 TVs.
Please
click here to send us information on your memorial or foundation event. The
information will be posted on the VOICES website and included in upcoming
e-Newsletters.
The controversial search for possible human remains at the Deutsche Bank building resumed this week with preparation of the roof and training of recovery workers, according to the LMDC. Federal regulators have "approved a protocol for cleaning the roof. The roof cleaning – which includes the search for human remains – is scheduled to resume on July 5th and should take about four weeks to complete," according to a recent e-Update from the LMDC.
WTC Families for Proper Burial, a 9/11 Family organization devoted to ensuring respectful recovery and burial of all remains of 9/11 victims, issued a statement today criticizing the LMDC's process for ensuring that all possible remains have been recovered before the building is demolished. "Four years ago the LMDC said that the Deustche Bank building was cleared of all human remains. In recent months, almost five years later, nearly 700 fragments were found, with the expectation of finding hundreds more," click here to read more. WTC Families for Proper Burial claims the LMDC is limiting its search to the roof, ignoring the possibility that remains could be found at other locations in the building. Reached by telephone, LMDC officials refuted parts of the statement from WTC Families for Proper Burial by pointing out that it did not own the Deutsche Bank Building four years ago and could not have said at that time that it was cleared of remains. They also claimed that areas outside the roof possibly containing remains have been or will be searched in the future. The LMDC has defended its protocols, claiming that the recovery workers on the roof will have the expertise to find possible remains, and will be supervised by experts including anthropologists and representatives from the Medical Examiner's office. For more information on the LMDC's efforts at 130 Liberty St. please visit their website's frequently asked questions.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officially voted yesterday to take over construction of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the WTC site. The announcement was widely expected, but clarifies the agency's role at Ground Zero, which has grown greatly in the past year. The agency has also committed to building the Freedom Tower. The Port Authority stepped in to assume the lead role on building the Memorial because they will be best able to limit costs on the $500 million project. It will also provide $150 million to construct infrastructure at the site.
The task of constructing the memorial previously belonged to the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, which will still own and operate the memorial. So far, the Foundation has raised $130 million out of a $300 million goal. Yesterday, the Foundation launched a national television, radio, print, outdoor, and online advertising campaign to raise the remaining $170 million. Mayor Mike Bloomberg said he had made a donation to the foundation, but declined to disclose the amount. Construction on the memorial could begin as early as next month, with the goal of opening on September 11, 2009.
The September 11 Memorial Garden in London opened on the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks in a ceremony attended by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, the American Ambassador, the Honorary William S. Farish, and many family members who lost their loved ones on that day. The memorial, located at Grosvenor Square (also known as ‘The American Square’) commemorates all those who died in the attacks, especially the citizens of the United Kingdom, whose names are etched into the memorial.
Work began in early 2003 and included a great deal of input from the families of those who died. They requested that the memorial be beautiful, timeless, and enduring. The design team was inspired by the acts of remembrance observed by these families, specifically their words during the various memorial services. The memorial is a special place of reflection with benches under a leaf-covered pergola, as seen above.
The memorial is made from wood, bronze, and stone. A girder from the Twin Towers, encased in glass resin, is buried under the garden. Many flowers also adorn the area. There are plants of American origin as well as specially chosen symbolic plants, like white roses and rosemary, which is the plant of remembrance and friendship. This plant matches the spirit of the memorial garden, which is, as Prime Minister Tony Blair declared, “the permanent reminder of the link between our two nations and the love and support which the people of Britain and America gave each other. The garden is a tranquil space to stop and remember – not only those who died, but also the friendship which terror can never destroy.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced yesterday that it foiled a terrorist plot to bomb the Holland Tunnel and cause additional damage by possibly flooding lower Manhattan. However, Homeland Security officials have made it clear in a statement that: "at this time, we have no indication of any imminent threat to the New York transportation system or anywhere else in the United States." In fact, the plot was only in the early planning stages, and some officials, including Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) have claimed the Lincoln Tunnel was the intended target. "There's no evidence that anything was ever done, no purchase of explosives or even the sending of money," Schumer said in an interview with CNN's "American Morning" (transcript). The investigation has been going on for about one year, according to the FBI, and became public through an unauthorized leak. Officials criticized the leak, saying it will make apprehending terrorism suspects more difficult and complicate relationships with foreign governments cooperating with the U.S. on the investigation.
Some counterterrorism experts have also cast doubt on the seriousness of the threat, claiming that blowing up the Holland or Lincoln tunnels would require a huge amount of explosives as well as expertise in blast effects, according the The NY Daily News, who broke the story. Also, safety experts pointed out that blowing a hole in the tunnel would not cause a flood at either end. "There's nothing in lower Manhattan that's below sea level - and that's what would make it susceptible," said NYC Office of Emergency Management spokesman Jarrod Bernstein in the Daily News (second article). "It would flood the Holland Tunnel, and that's it," because the water in the tunnel would rise no farther than the water surrounding it.
According to the FBI and Sen. Schumer, the plot was detected by FBI officials trolling through terrorist web sites and message boards. The plot unraveled with the help of Lebanese police forces who arrested alleged "mastermind" Assam Hamoud (also known by his al-Qaeda alias Amir Andalousli) in Beirut. According to authorities in the US and Lebanon, the plot had links to associates of former
al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, killed last month in a U.S. airstrike. FBI officials claim that two other suspects have been arrested in foreign countries, and that more arrests would be forthcoming.
Both Sen. Schumer and Rep. Peter King (R-NY) said yesterday that the plot is evidence of terrorist continuing to target New York, and shows a need for increased funding to support counterterrorism in the City. New York's DHS grant for counterterrorism and preparedness was slashed 40% this year. "This is very draining on New York City's treasury," Rep. King is quoted in the New York Times. "Without going into detail, an extraordinary amount of money has been spent by the New York City Police Department on this particular plot." New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg added at a Friday afternoon press conference "When you catch a terrorist, he has a map of New York in his pocket... the American government should give out money based on risk."
London police warn of more bombings -- Britain marked the first anniversary of the London suicide bombings with flowers, candles and a 2-minute silence on Friday as the city's police chief said another attack now looked more likely (Boston Globe)
A Year Later, Homegrown Terror Still Baffles Britons --
One year after three of the four London transit bombers set out from a grim neighborhood called Beeston, in Leeds, the place they left behind forever is keeping its secrets to itself (New York Times)
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