TresSugar

Front Page: The Nation Remembers 9/11 Eight Years Later

TresSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:00:26 -0700

The country mourns the eighth anniversary of 9/11 with a moment of silence and a day of service. - AP
Meanwhile, the Pakistani Army announces the capture of a key Taliban leader. - New York Times
Abuse of prescription drugs such as Oxycontin has dropped since 2007. - USA Today
South Carolina Republicans call for Gov. Mark Sandford to resign. - CNN
Police search for missing Yale student Annie Le, set to wed this weekend. - Newsday

9/11 Guantanamo Defendants Denied Access to the Internet

CitizenSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:00:40 -0700

Five defendants, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed professed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, are being denied Internet access as they prepare for their death penalty trial. The men are being held at the Guantanamo Bay Naval base for the 9/11 attacks on the United States and are facing charges from conspiracy to terrorism. The no-net ruling was handed down by a US military judge siding with prosecutors who argued at a pretrial hearing last month that providing these “high value” defendants access to extra-prison communications would pose a security risk.

Among the other items refused to the inmates by their captors were printers and the ability to speak with their families by telephone. They were, however, given laptops installed with a legal dictionary, the US Constitution and the Geneva Conventions. Three of the five awaiting trail are representing themselves although the Pentagon is providing standby counsel should they wish assistance.

Is the ruling fair? Can they fairly and adequately prepare without Internet access - or is even considering giving it to them, ridiculous?

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Remembering September 11th

DearSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Today marks the seven-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country. And even if you didn't lose a loved one or weren't directly impacted by the events of this day, I'm sure September 11th still stirs up some emotion for you. So on this day of remembrance, tell me, how do the historical events of September 11th make you feel?

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Front Page: Pentagon Dedicates Memorial, Bush Allows Pakistan Raids, Thailand Renominates PM

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 06:51:15 -0700

Pentagon Dedicates Memorial:
The two-acre memorial to American Airlines Flight 77 will be dedicated today by President Bush at the Pentagon. The memorial's 184 steel and granite benches are engraved with each victim's name and oriented along the plane's flight path the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Unlike the rest of the Pentagon, the memorial will be open to the public all day, every day, starting at 7 p.m. tonight.

Bush Allows Pakistan Raids:
President Bush approved orders in July to allow American Special Operations forces to carry out ground assaults into Pakistan without approval by the Pakistani government. Officials say they will notify Pakistan when they carry out missions, but that they will not ask for permission.

Thailand Renominates PM:
Two days after being forced to resign due to constitutional misdeeds, Thailand's prime minister has been renominated by his party. The party claims there is nothing in the constitution to stop them from doing so, but the opposition and the thousands of protesters who called for the prime minister's resignation will likely disagree. After a two-hour meeting, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said, "I am accepting the nomination in order to protect democracy in the country."

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Seven Years Later: The World Remembers September 11, 2001

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:50:22 -0700

Just last week, construction workers erected the first steel column on the site where the north tower once stood. Building a museum and memorial on the former World Trade Center site, and despite setbacks, it's set to be completed on the tenth anniversary, in 2011.

The beams of the memorial will carry the signatures of tens of thousands of people. A project taking the beams to 25 states culminates in New York, with signings being held today and tomorrow, and a collection of notes of hope to be preserved in the new museum.

Michael Bloomberg spoke to the delays in an op-ed in yesterday's Wall Street Journal saying:

We will now push the Port Authority to make two concrete commitments. Most important, the memorial must be completed by the 10th anniversary. No more excuses, no more delays. New York Gov. David Paterson and I are in complete agreement on this subject, and it's time for the PA to formally commit to the same goal. . . realizing our vision, without further delay, of Lower Manhattan as a global financial center, a dynamic family neighborhood, and a peaceful and inspiring place of reflection and remembrance.

How will you mark the day of quiet reflection?

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Was 9/11 a Government Conspiracy?

CitizenSugar — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:00:13 -0700

The seventh anniversary of of September 11 is approaching and it seems like it's impossible to remember a time before. This horrific tragedy has entered the global lexicon of experience and colored everything since in a way few events in history have. Almost every person has a story of their own from that day, and a personal way of dealing with it since - some stay away from the movies and documentaries as if the facts are still too fresh; others obsessively pore over every true tale and listen to the 911 calls from that morning, hoping to that bitter medicine will hold answers.

Still others out there think very differently about that morning - those who believe the events were perpetrated by the government. From thinking that the collapse of the buildings was actually caused by controlled demolition explosions, to wondering whether there was actually a commercial plane at the Pentagon crash site, theories abound. This passionate collection of conspiracy claims and arguments against them recently posted on YesButNoButYes, got me thinking about the different camps.

New York Magazine a couple of years ago broke down the various schools of thought on the level of conspiracy people believe there to have been. The piece is called "The Ground Zero Grassy Knoll" and they list almost all of the theories ever floated including the "HOP" level: LIHOP (Let it Happen on Purpose) to MIHOP (Made it Happen on Purpose.) It's a comprehensive read and exposes the complexity of people's thoughts about 9/11. While it's possible we may never know a story that will satisfy everyone, what do you think?

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Life After 9/11: One Young Arab Gets Thrown in US Jail

LibertySugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:00:18 -0700

A recent piece in the New York Magazine chronicles the nightmarish journey of a young Arab immigrant. After September 11, Rasha found herself in jail with her family. Rasha's story sheds light on a darker side of national security.

At five-years-old Rasha moved with her family from Syria to the United States on a tourist visa. When she was in the sixth grade, after years of trying to get permanent residency, and failing, Rasha and her family moved back to Syria. Eventually she would get her Brooklyn life back, after her family was finally granted their green-cards. But the joy didn't last forever.

In February 2002, fifteen US officers awoke Rasha and her family in the middle of the night - Rasha's family was being investigated for terrorist connections. Once in a holding cell, officials questioned each family member in a separate room. To find out what happened next, read more.

After a few days of this treatment, Rasha's father begged the FBI agent to deport the family. Instead, INS detained the family until they completed their investigation. After three months of detention, the family was unexpectedly and quickly released, allowed to live their lives as before, but with new fears. Rasha, having missed school, received Fs on her report card, and having missed mortgage payments, the family had to sell their home. The New York Magazine gives a detailed account of the family's stay in prison and the recovery process after their release.

Lucky for Rasha and her family, their lawyer and other family members advocated for their release. But many others, who were arbitrarily detained, stayed longer or were deported following September 11. Without an understanding of what people like Rasha have gone through, can we accurately assess America's national security policy?

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Verdict Issued in Trial of Osama bin Laden's Driver

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:40:57 -0700

The military jury's verdict in the Guantanamo Bay trial of Osama bin Laden's driver is in: he has been found not guilty in the more serious count of conspiracy to aid terror, and guilty of material support of terrorism. The sentencing phase of the trial begins this afternoon. The prosecution's case did not prove that he intended to do harm, but that he aided the al Qaeda network in accomplishing acts that caused harm. This was the first war crimes trial since WWII.

Front Page: Anthrax Scientist Commits Suicide, Dorm Collapse Kills 16, US Unemployment 4-Year High, Darfur Peace Mission

CitizenSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:56:30 -0700

Anthrax Scientist Suicide:
A top US biodefense researcher, who was of high interest to the FBI in connection with the spate of anthrax mailings following 9/11, has committed suicide. The Justice Department was seriously considering charges against the 62-year-old. The lab where he worked for 18 years was at the center of the FBI investigation into the anthrax attacks that killed five people.

Dorm Collapse Kills 16:
A three-story girls' dorm at a school in Turkey collapsed after a large gas canister exploded, killing at least 16 and injuring dozens. Most of the girls, aged 8 to 16 were asleep at the time. They were at the school to attend Koran classes during Summer vacation.

US Unemployment Four-Year High:
The US unemployment rate hit 5.7 percent in July, its highest level in more than four years. The economy lost 51,000 non-farm jobs, the seventh straight month of losses. Areas showing job growth: government, hospitality, education, and health services.
Darfur Peace Mission:
The UN Security Council renewed the mandate for peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region for another year. The decision came two hours before the mandate was set to expire, complicated by the ICC's move to indict Sudan's president for genocide. The United States abstained from voting over language added to the resolution would send the wrong signal to the Sudanese president. The Darfur conflict has left 300,000 dead.

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Study Finds Long-Term 9-11 Stress in Lower Manhattan

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:00:35 -0700

Coming up on the seventh anniversary of September 11, the New York City health department wanted to know how those affected are coping today. They released findings from the first study to assess 9-11's long-term effect on mental health today.

The results illuminate the day's lingering impact and the staggering difference between those living near the World Trade Center compared with the rest of Manhattan.

One in eight Lower Manhattan residents reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - 12.6 percent - three to four years after the attacks. Considering within six months only 1 percent of Manhattan as a whole reported PTSD symptoms, this is a significant finding. To see what else they found, read more.

PTSD, it turns out, is not gender, color, or class blind. Women instead of men; African Americans and Hispanics instead of whites; and those earning less than $25,000 per year were all more likely to report symptoms. At 38 percent, residents who suffered injuries were most likely to be affected, and at 17 percent those caught in the dust that rushed through the streets were the second most.

While the disparity may seem self-evident, researches love to hypothesize. The constant reminders in the area, disruptions to routines, and the large number of residents evacuated from homes are posited theories; however, the correlation has not been studied.

While results from a follow-up 2007 survey will be released later this year, the current study calls for further and more in-depth monitoring of PTSD victims. As a temporary solution, the city is urging people to take advantage of its free mental health services.

Considering those still living around Ground Zero have an almost constant visual reminder of the events of the day, is the city doing enough to help those affected? What do you think income has to do with mental symptoms? Will we ever know the true extent of the attack's damage?

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