Family Members and Survivors Rally in Washington, D.C.

                     Release Open Letter to the President

    WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Urging President Bush to "stand with us
in the war on terrorism," family members and survivors of the September 11th
attacks today rallied in Washington, D.C., demanding U.S. government support
for their groundbreaking legal action against the bankrollers of al Qaeda and
international terrorism.
    "Mr. President, we trust you stand with all of America's families rather
than the Saudi royal family," said Elizabeth Alderman of Armonk, N.Y., whose
son Peter, 25, was killed at the World Trade Center.  "We trust you stand for
stopping terrorism rather than soothing hurt feelings.  We trust you stand for
accountability rather than appeasement.  We trust you stand for our democratic
rights rather than a monarchy's privileges.  We trust you stand for our
society's central values rather than the extremism that afflicts parts of
Saudi society.
    "This is not a fight for us, the 9/11 Families United to Bankrupt
Terrorism," Alderman said.  "It is a fight for the safety, security and
freedom of all Americans.  Every single one of our fellow countrymen and
countrywomen deserves to have the terrorists deprived of the resources they
need to carry out their evil acts -- and to avoid the fate of our loved ones."
    Addressing the president, Joan Molinaro of Staten Island, mother of New
York City firefighter Carl Molinaro, who died September 11th at age 32, said,
"Stand tall, stand strong, stand on the side of the Americans.  If we do
nothing now, you can bet your life -- or worse, the life of a loved one --
that evil will come to America again."
    Recent news reports have suggested that the administration, under pressure
from Saudi Arabia, may try to delay or dismiss the 9/11 families' lawsuit
against the banks, foundations, charities, companies and individuals that
financed and supported al Qaeda's atrocities.  Private efforts by family
members to get the administration to refute these reports have been
unsuccessful.  In addition, attorneys for the families have made repeated
requests for assistance from the U.S. government since April 2002.  To date,
they have received no reply.
    April D. Gallop of Woodbridge, Va., was injured in the crash at the
Pentagon, along with her then-infant son Elisha.  "We did not survive that
ordeal to be let down by our own government," she said.  "We're fighting back
against the terrorists and their cowardly money men.  And we expect the White
House, the State Department and the Justice Department to cover our backs.
    "President Bush personally told some of us to stay the course," Gallop
added.  "Now justice must be allowed to run its course.  For our own
government to obstruct justice would send the wrong message to the world about
where our nation's values truly lie.  And it would disarm American civilians
-- the targets of these terrorist monsters -- in this war for our safety, our
security and our freedoms."
    "We deserve to know the truth about what happened on September 11th," said
Lieutenant Kevin Shaeffer, U.S. Navy (Ret.), of Fredricksburg, Va., who was
the only person in his unit at the Navy Command Center in the Pentagon to
survive the attack and has endured 17 surgeries to address severe burns.  "Let
us fight and help us get the financial backers of al Qaeda and international
terrorism."
    "Thirteen governments, including our former enemy, Russia, are assisting
our effort," said Ron Motley, lead attorney for the 9/11 families.  "But from
our own government we get a cold shoulder.  And even a threat to pull the rug
out from under us.  This is a self-inflicted blow against our side in the war
on terrorism.  But this is a fight that we can, we must and we will win."
    In addition to their rally, the 9/11 Families sent an open letter to
President Bush and released it in a full-page ad that ran today in The
Washington Post.
    The 9/11 families' action, Burnett, Sr., vs. Al Baraka Investment and
Development Corp., et al, was filed in United States Court for the District of
Columbia on August 15, 2002.  It has since been amended to add dozens of
additional defendants, based on new evidence gathered by the team of private
investigators pursuing this case and courts in other countries.  It charges
the defendants with 15 counts under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act,
Torture Victim Protection Act and Alien Tort Claims Act; violations of the
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act; and tort claims,
including Wrongful Death and Conspiracy.
    To date, more than 3,000 9/11 family members and survivors have joined the
action as plaintiffs.  They seek damages sufficient to punish the defendants
and deter them from ever again funding terrorist activities.

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