New website for The 9/11 Working Group
by Kevin Ryan
http://911workinggroup.org/
The 9/11 Working Group of Bloomington is a local civic education advocacy group located in Bloomington, Indiana. They have sponsored two major speaking events, bringing Richard Gage and Steven Jones to Bloomington in September 2007, and hosting David Ray Griffin in September 2008. Both events drew large crowds to a local theater in the city that is home to Indiana University. These two events, as well as another lecture given by members of the group, were recorded and are replayed regularly on cable access television and community radio. The group also has sponsored several film series. All of these events have been free and open to the public.
Bloomington is the largest city in Indiana’s ninth congressional district, where Lee Hamiton, 9/11 Commission co-chairman, served as congressman for 35 years. Mr. Hamilton is sill very active in the local community, and is director of the Center On Congress at Indiana University. Several members of the 9/11 Working Group met with Mr. Hamilton in May 2008, to discuss the 9/11 Commission Report, and to invite the former congressman to participate in any of the public discussions sponsored by the group. To date, Mr. Hamilton has declined due to schedule conflicts.
The 9/11 Working Group has also been active in the submission of Freedom of Information Act Requests (FOIAs). Such requests have been made for information concerning the alleged hijackers, for information on the whereabouts and actions of Bush and Cheney on 9/11, for environmental data collected at Ground Zero, and for background Documents supplied to 9-11 Commission, among other things. Each such request is sent to numerous potentially relevant agencies, and as useful responses are obtained they are shared with the public at the group’s website. Responses have also been used in a mainstream scientific article, and in the film Loose Change Final Cut.