Syracuse Post-Standard - Congressional Candidates Talk About 9/11

News Article

Mike McAndrew

Congressional candidate Howie Hawkins said today that Congress should authorize or conduct a "new, truly independent" investigation of terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The 25th Congressional District Green Populist Party candidate used the anniversary of the attacks to renew his call for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Dale Sweetland and Democratic candidate Dan Maffei, who are also seeking to succeed retiring Rep. James Walsh, R-Onondaga, issued statements today honoring the Americans killed in the 9/11 attacks and praying for their families.

Walsh also issued a statement on the anniversary.

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Howie Hawkins:

"International cooperation by police, intelligence, and special forces is the best way to bring the Al Qaeda terrorists to justice. The military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan only serve to recruit terrorists to Al Qaeda. It is time for Congress to cut off funding for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and instruct the President to focus on police action against Al Qaeda.

"Congress should also conduct a new, independent investigation into what actually happened on 9-11 and why. Instead of police action against the criminals responsible for 9-11, Congress supported the President in using the 9-11 attacks as an excuse to launch a US military occupation of the entire Middle East and Central Asia for oil, gas, and military bases, as well as lucrative contracts for the military-industrial complex. This military aggression has been utterly counterproductive as a counterterrorism policy. It is time to bring out into the light what actually happened on 9-11 and how it was used by the political establishment to rationalize wars of aggression."

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