Many families and relations of the 3,000 people killed when hijacked airliners slammed into New York's World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, are having candlelight vigils at Ground Zero and others also came with roses to mark another Anniversary of 9/11, the 11th one today.
11 Sep 2012 16:15 Africa/Lagos
Statement by 9/11 Commission Chairs Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton
"We owe it to the American people to keep our attention riveted on ensuring we are taking every step to keep the country secure."
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former 9/11 Commission Chair and Vice Chair Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton, now co-chairs of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Homeland Security Project, released the following statement today on the eleventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks:
"Today marks eleven years since the 9/11 attacks on our country. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims and survivors of that tragic day. We commend the progress our government has made in reforming and strengthening the institutions that protect us. We commend the sustained commitment and dedication of the tens of thousands of military, federal, state, and local officials, law enforcement and first responders who have done so much to keep us safe.
"As the years pass the danger exists that we will lose focus, divert attention to other concerns. But the threat of terrorism persists and our enemies continue to devise new ways to harm us. Fighting these emerging threats should not be a partisan issue. We owe it to the American people to keep our attention riveted on ensuring we are taking every step to keep the country secure.
"Eleven years after the event, some important 9/11 Commission recommendations have still not been implemented and require immediate attention. We call on the government to build out an interoperable, broadband network for first responders. We encourage Congress to take the steps to reform its oversight of intelligence and national security institutions, and to help those agencies make the changes and confront the challenges that will make them stronger and better. Congress and the administration should remain ever vigilant and exert maximum leadership to ensure terrorists do not acquire nuclear or radiological weapons, a prospect that would be a grave threat to us. And finally, we encourage the administration to put teeth into the Privacy and Civil Liberties Board that the Commission recommended and legislation created. That Board will help ensure that there is a proper balance between the many security measures that have been implemented since 9/11 and our tradition of privacy and civil liberty."
About the Bipartisan Policy Center:
Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a non-profit organization that drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation, and respectful dialogue. With projects in multiple issue areas, BPC combines politically-balanced policymaking with strong, proactive advocacy and outreach. For more information, please visit our website: www.bipartisanpolicy.org.
SOURCE Bipartisan Policy Center
CONTACT: Ashley Clark, +1-202-637-1456, aclark@bipartisanpolicy.org
Web Site: http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org
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