9/11 survivors denounce Bush

President is blasted for refusing to declassify part of intelligence report pertaining to Saudis

Staten Island Advance -Wednesday, July 30, 2003

By TERENCE J. KIVLAN

WASHINGTON -- Survivors of Sept. 11 victims expressed outrage yesterday at President Bush's refusal to declassify a 28-page section in the recent congressional intelligence committees' report, which is believed to describe Saudi financial involvement with al-Qaida.

The blacked-out material in the report is believed to recount how individual Saudis gave hundreds of millions of dollars to Islamic charities that served as financial funnels for al-Qaida. But the material reportedly contains no evidence that the contributors knew they were indirectly supporting the terrorist group.

Joan Molinaro of Eltingville labeled "completely ridiculous" Bush's argument that declassifying the material would compromise an ongoing investigation and "help the enemy" by revealing intelligence sources.

"We are going to keep digging until we get the information. There is no doubt about that," said Mrs. Molinaro, who son, Firefighter Carl Molinaro, was killed at the World Trade Center.

"It's obstruction of justice," said William Doyle, of Bush's decision to keep the material secret.

"The investigation could go on for years and that means we may never see this stuff," said Doyle, an Annadale resident, whose son, Joseph, also died at Ground Zero. "That can't happen. The families should have the information."

Said Bruce DeCell of Great Kills, whose son-in-law, Mark Petrocelli, was killed at the Trade Center: "The only thing that the release of the pages would compromise is Bush's pocketbook and his [financial] interests in Saudi oil."

Both Doyle and Mrs. Molinaro are plaintiffs in a $1 trillion lawsuit accusing hundreds of Saudis of financially supporting al-Qaida.

Another plaintiff in the case declined to criticize Bush.

"Whatever he feels he has to do I think he should do," said Joan Miuccio of South Beach, whose husband died at the Trade Center.

In a related development, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) stepped up pressure on Saudi officials to hand over a mysterious Saudi national who reportedly helped two Sept. 11 hijackers while they were living in San Diego, before the 2001 attacks.

Speaking at a press conference over the weekend, with Sept. 11 relatives present, Schumer called on the Bush administration to seek Omar al-Bayoumi's extradition to the United States.

Schumer, preparing to meet with President Bush to discuss the congressional report, also wrote to Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal.

"Both of our nations have suffered greatly as a result of terrorism and it's in both of our interests to cooperate to end it," Schumer said in his letter to Al-Faisal.

According to the report, al-Bayoumi provided financial and other assistance to hijackers Khalid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhamzi in San Diego prior to the 2001 attacks, and may have been a Saudi intelligence agent.

Citing recent Saudi government declarations of its partnership with the United States in the war on terror, Schumer wrote, "Given the evidence, presenting al-Bayoumi to FBI officials for questioning is essential to backing up these words with deeds."

Schumer also urged the Saudi minister to continue putting his own pressure on Bush to declassify the blacked-out section of the report. The Saudis have themselves requested its release, saying they "have nothing to hide."

But Mrs. Molinaro expressed skepticism at the Saudis' call to make the information public.

"They are saying what they think the American people want to hear -- that they are with us in the war on terrorism," she said. "They are not."

Panel to Meet With CIA, FBI on 9/11 Report

Washington Post - Thursday, July 31, 2003; Page A03

In an effort to avoid a congressional confrontation over information contained in a report on the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the leaders of the Senate intelligence committee have asked CIA and FBI officials to meet with them by the end of the week to determine whether there are portions of the report that could still be declassified.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), chairman of the committee and one of President Bush's staunchest allies, said he believes "it could be possible" to release portions of the section without damaging national security or compromising ongoing investigations.

The section in question contains information about possible links between Saudi individuals, diplomats, officials and charities with some of the 9/11 hijackers and the al Qaeda terrorist network.

Roberts, who has studied the classified section, said "there are quite a few names" of individuals possibly under investigation that would preclude releasing the entire document. He said he wants to avoid the precedent of having the Senate vote to release the information, which it has the power to do under a regulation enacted in 1976, but has never used.

There is growing sentiment in the Senate to bring the issue to the floor. A decision to release the information would have to pass the intelligence committee after consultation with the White House.

Yesterday, a spokesman for Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he had collected the signatures of 44 senators supporting declassification, including Republican Sam Brownback of Kansas.

This week, intelligence committee member Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) said the pages "should be declassified after taking the necessary actions to protect sources and intelligence-gathering methods. The American people deserve to know this information that relates to the unprecedented September 11th terrorist attacks on our nation."

Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.), who was the ranking minority member of the committee when the report was being drafted by an unprecedented House-Senate panel, has called on the committee to set its release process in motion.

"This is a continuation of the pattern of the last seven months, a pattern of delay and excessive use of national security standards to deny the people the knowledge of their vulnerability," Graham said in a statement.

Bush said Monday that he would not declassify anything in a blacked-out 28-page section of the report, despite an unusual plea by Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Saud Faisal, that the White House make the information public.

In an interview with Reuters yesterday, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell again stated the administration's view on the matter: "It's closed," he said.

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