Families outraged over FAA 9/11 warnings

Newsday.com
Families outraged over FAA 9/11 warnings

BY CURTIS L. TAYLOR
STAFF WRITER

February 10, 2005, 10:05 PM EST

Expressing outrage Thursday, family members of 9/11 victims called on the federal government to probe why it didn't act on intelligence warning of terrorist hijackings in the months before the World Trade Center was destroyed.

"The fact of the matter is these warnings were out there and nobody did anything about it," said Bill Doyle of Staten Island, who lost his son Joseph Doyle at the trade center. "My biggest concern is how high up did this get into the administration.

"There were people who testified at the 9/11 hearings that there were no warnings, but now we know there were. We need another investigation into the failures of 9/11. Obviously, someone at the FAA should be held accountable." Doyle said he received 253 e-mails yesterday from victim's families expressing anger over the declassified report.

Elaine Moccia, who lost her husband, Frank V. Moccia Sr., said releasing the information reopened old wounds.

"I am mad and upset that they keep bringing it up," Moccia said. "If they knew about it, why couldn't they have prevented it?"

Attorney Sanford Rubenstein, who represents families in a 9/11-related federal lawsuit against Saudi Arabia, said the families were hoping something good could come from the declassified information.

"It is clear that what the victims hope is what comes out of this information will prevent another 9/11," Rubinstein said. City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.(D-Astoria), said, "It was outrageous that no action was taken by the FAA." "How much more specific than the word hijack before the FAA increases security?" said Vallone.

City Council minority leader Jim Oddo (R-Staten Island) said the early warnings the FAA received show that "we can stop these things."

"It underscores that we have to be vigilant and use all our resources to prevent something like this from happening again. We have to keep our fingers on the pulse."