by Brooke Holland, Village Soup [Camden, ME]
April 29, 2004
Ellen Mariani was flying to California for her daughter's wedding on Sept. 11, 2001.
Her husband, Neil, was on a flight two hours after her. That flight was United Airlines 175, which crashed into the World Trade Center.
Ellen was at her stopover in Chicago when she found out her husband's plane had been hijacked. She didn't find out until the following morning that he was dead.
Mariani, from Derry, N.H., spoke in Rockland Tuesday at St. Peter's Episcopal Church about her fight to gain truth from her government about what happened before and after 9/11.
She believes President George W. Bush "intentionally allowed 9/11 to happen to gather public support for a war on terrorism," a statement she made in an open letter to the president.
"I never wrote in my life," said Mariani. "My heart is broken but my hand isn't."
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. Why were 29 pages of the 9/11 committee report personally censored at your request?
. Where are the "black boxes" from Flight 11 and Flight 175?
. Where are the "voice recorders" from Flight 11 and Flight 175?
. Why can't we gain access to the complete air traffic control records for Flight 11 and Flight 175?
. Where are the airport surveillance tapes that show the passengers boarding the doomed flights?
. When will the complete passenger lists for all flights be released?
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The RICO act was passed in 1968 as a way of combating organized crime, specifically the Mafia.
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In her speech, Mariani used red flags to signify all the times that she felt misled, lied to, or treated unfairly or unkindly. She raised a red flag at United Airlines because of its poor treatment of her and the handling of her vulnerable situation.
"I put the lawsuit in because I wanted to face United Airlines in court because of my husband's death," said Mariani. "I want answers; I want to know why he didn't get to his destination safely. I was treated unfairly and rudely."
She raised a red flag at her past lawyers who wanted a cut from her victim compensation fund eligiibility. Mariani signed papers with her first attorney soon after the 9/11 attacks.
"I went back to look at what I signed," said Mariani. "My attorney took my power of attorney over me."
Finally, she raised several red flags at the government for the following list, all stated in her open letter to the president:
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. Why were 29 pages of the 9/11 committee report personally censored at your request?
. Where are the "black boxes" from Flight 11 and Flight 175?
. Where are the "voice recorders" from Flight 11 and Flight 175?
. Why can't we gain access to the complete air traffic control records for Flight 11 and Flight 175?
. Where are the airport surveillance tapes that show the passengers boarding the doomed flights?
. When will the complete passenger lists for all flights be released?
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Mariani's husband didn't have a will, and was unemployed at the time of his death and lacked health insurance. She is living off social security and had to sell her house, but declined to take any money from the 9/11 victims' compensation fund.
"I have reported to the world that I am going to eat dirt before I take that fund," said Mariani, who is originally from Maine. "I'm from Maine and I mean business."
Published by
Village Soup [Camden, ME]
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"I'm 100% sure that they knew"
by Christopher Cousins, The Times-Record [Brunswick, ME]
April 27, 2004
Not only did the Bush administration fail to stop the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks -- it may have caused them.
That's the position of Ellen Mariani, the widow of Louis Neil Mariani, who died when terrorists crashed the United Airlines flight he was riding into the World Trade Center.
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Mariani, of Derry, N.H., visited the United Church of Christ Congregational Monday night to tell the story of how her government first failed to heed warnings about the attack and then has covered up that fact ever since.
Mariani is a member of the more than 70 families of Sept. 11 victims who refused money from the 911 Victim Compensation Fund. She is suing President Bush and several senior members of his administration under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act for the way they handled the attacks and the aftermath.
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"The 911 Victims Compensation Fund is nothing but a shut-up fund.
"[This is] not about money; I want answers.
"We are living in fear, and it's called orange, yellow and red. It's called Homeland Security and the PATRIOT Act.
"I'm 100 percent sure that they knew.
"I want to be able to go to sleep at night knowing I did everything in my power to get to the bottom of what happened on Sept. 11, 2001." |
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Mariani spoke Monday to a group of about 18 people. She stood before the group in a black suit, using a stack of mismatched papers -- some of them hand-written, some of them typed -- for reference. Speaking for more than an hour, Mariani exhibited her resolve for her cause and a total lack of intimidation in the context of this one-woman-against-the-government standoff.
At one point she held up her husband's death certificate, which states that he died from "blunt trauma -- body not found."
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"I'm not playing a game here," she said. "The 911 Victims Compensation Fund is nothing but a shut-up fund.
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"[This is] not about money; I want answers. We are living in fear, and it's called orange, yellow and red. It's called Homeland Security and the PATRIOT Act. I'm 100 percent sure that they knew. I want to be able to go to sleep at night knowing I did everything in my power to get to the bottom of what happened on Sept. 11, 2001."
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Mariani and her husband were taking separate flights to her daughter's wedding in California. They last saw each other outside a terminal at Logan Airport in Boston. They exchanged hugs and kisses and said goodbye -- for the last time.
After the attack, Mariani was stranded in Chicago when aircraft across the country were grounded, and found out about her husband's death there.
She said United Airlines officials kept her and many other passengers sequestered in a large conference room and refused to give her information about her husband.
"When I entered that conference room the first time, you could cut the evil with a knife," said Mariani. United Airlines is named in Mariani's suit.
She went on to explain connections she believes exist between President Bush and the family of terrorist Osama Bin Laden and shady links between the terrorists and Bush and others. She claimed that the attacks might have been a ploy planned by Bush so he would have an excuse to raid Iraq and Afghanistan.
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"I have reported to the world that I am going to eat dirt before I take that fund," said Mariani.
"I'm from Maine and I mean business." |
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One member of the audience, Alane Joy Lee of Bath, suggested that someone start a push to impeach the president, but then remarked that there is no one with the courage to do it.
"I'll do it," said Mariani with not a moment's hesitation. "Do you want me to do it? I'll do it."
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If Louis Neil Mariani were alive today, he might not be so quick to make the same accusations as his wife.
"He didn't see the bad in anyone," said Mariani of her late husband. "He could see no wrong. He read his Bible every night, so I know he's at peace."
Published by
The Times-Record [Brunswick, ME]
What do you think?
There's much more than this at Unknown News.
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From the archives, April 26, 2004:
Government tries to gag FBI worker over 9/11
From the archives, April 26, 2004:
Two questions for
the 9/11 Commission
by Susan Strouss, Unknown News
From the archives, April 19, 2004:
September 11, 2001:
Questions that'll never be asked ...
by Tess Ellis, Unknown News
From the archives, April 14, 2004:
FBI whistleblowers go unheard
9-11 Commission disregards
survivor families' interests
From the archives, April 13, 2004:
Ashcroft's record of
lying to Congress about 9/11
From the archives, April 9, 2004:
Why won't the U.S. cooperate with Sept. 11 prosecutions?
# with comments by H&HH
From the archives, April 9, 2004:
The pre-9/11 blunder
you’ve probably never heard of
From the archives, April 2, 2004:
FBI whistleblower says Rice is lying; Bush knew al-Qaida was planning attack
From the archives,
March 25-26, 2004:
Rice contradicts CIA,
Cheney, Armitage, herself
From the archives, March 22, 2004:
After 2 ½ years asleep,
Wall Street Journal notices
a few oddities about Sept. 11
# with comments by H&HH
From the archives, March 14, 2004:
High-ranking government
officials took Sept. 11 souvenirs
# with comments by
John C. and H&HH
From the archives, March 4, 2004:
U.S. stonewalling may let another terror suspect off the hook
German prosecutor calls
U.S. conduct "incomprehensible"
# with comments by
John C. and H&HH
From the archives, Feb. 10, 2004:
Daschle still says Bush & Cheney asked for no 9/11 investigation at all
From the archives, Jan 31, 2004:
White House seizes notes
from 9/11 investigators
# with comments by H&HH
From the archives, Nov. 13, 2003:
Victims' families rip 9/11 secrecy deal
# with comments by H&HH
From the archives, Oct. 26, 2003:
Bush administration obstructs investigation into Sept. 11
From the archives, Sept 17, 2003:
Two years of lies about Sept. 11
The new Warren Commission
by Helen & Harry Highwater, Unknown News
From the archives, Sept 10, 2003:
Hijacked 9/11 jets flew past
several US military bases
From the archives, Sept 4, 2003:
While all other planes were
grounded across the US ...
White House OK'd flight home
for Bin Ladens in Sept. 11 aftermath
From the archives, Aug. 13, 2003:
Germany warned CIA about
Sept. 11 terror pilot, Stern says
From the archives, Aug. 9, 2003:
White House ordered EPA to
lie about 9/11 pollution danger
From the archives, July 24, 2003:
9/11 families say: Tell us the full story
From the archives, July 16, 2003:
Bush blocks investigation
into September 11 attack
From the archives, July 1, 2003:
60 days prior to Sept. 11, 2001|
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"The attack will be spectacular and designed to inflict mass casualties against U.S. facilities or interests. Attack preparations have been made. Attack will occur with little or no warning." --CIA Intelligence Report for President Bush, July 2001
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From the archives, June 18, 2003:
"Fighting the White House" to get at the truth about Sept. 11
From the archives, May 9, 2003:
"An interesting day:"
Bush's movements and actions
on Sept. 11, 2001
From the archives, March 31, 2003:
Sept. 11 victim's wife asks uncomfortable questions
From the archives, March 29, 2003:
Increased funding brings investigation's budget to $12-million
# with comments by H&HH
From the archives, Oct. 21, 2002:
Cheney instrumental in blocking independent Sept. 11 commission
From the archives, Oct. 12, 2002:
Lawmakers say Bush is
blocking Sept. 11 investigation
From the archives, Sept. 4, 2002:
Plans for Iraq attack
began on Sept. 11, 2001
From the archives, May 19, 2002:
Britain warned US to expect
Sept. 11 al-Qaeda hijackings
From the archives, Jan. 29, 2002:
Bush and Cheney ask Daschle
to limit Sept. 11 investigation
From the archives, Dec. 19, 2001:
German firm probes last-minute
World Trade Center transactions
From the archives, Nov. 7, 2001:
Officials were told to 'back off' on Saudis before September 11
From the archives, Oct. 3, 2001:
Taliban Ambassador asks for evidence against bin Laden
From the archives, Sept. 28, 2001:
White House lied about
threat to Air Force One
From the archives, Sept. 24, 2001:
Pentagon officials canceled
travel plans on Sept. 10
due to "security concerns"
From the archives,
Sept 23-24, 2001:
U.S. to publish evidence
against bin Laden
From the archives, Sept. 21, 2001:
U.S. rejects Taliban's requests
for bin Laden evidence
From the archives, Sept. 18, 2001:
U.S., Germany, Japan investigate unusual trading before attackTwo years later, the other shoe drops
From the archives, Sept. 12, 2001:
San Francisco Mayor says he
was warned not to fly yesterday
From the archives, Sept. 12, 2001:
Bipartisan Committee's recommendations on terror
were disregarded by Bush Administration
From the archives, Sept. 11, 2001:
German intelligence says US knew
in advance about today's attacks
From the archives, July 26, 2001:
"Threat assessment" keeps
Ashcroft off commercial air flights
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