Prometheus 6

Same Room, Different Views for Relatives of 9/11 Victims
By MICHAEL JANOFSKY

Published: April 9, 2004

WASHINGTON, April 8 — They sat several seats apart on Thursday, listening to President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, testify before the Sept. 11 commission. What they had in common was suffering.

But John Owens of Mineola, N.Y., whose brother, Peter, died in the World Trade Center, and April Gallop of Woodbridge, Va., an executive assistant for the Army who was injured at the Pentagon, might as well have been watching from Venus and Mars.

Three hours of long questions and longer answers could not have struck them more differently. Mr. Owens nodded his head in agreement and several times applauded, while Ms. Gallop shook her head disapprovingly and often appeared skeptical.

"I came here to show support for President Bush," Mr. Owens said.

Ms. Gallop came looking for accountability. "I heard her responses," she said. "There was a failure to mention that mistakes were made. I didn't hear that."

Together, they seemed to reflect parallel universes for a rare public accounting by an administration witness responsible for helping keep the country safe and secure. But as such, Ms. Rice was a reminder, too, of a nation still searching for someone, anyone, to blame for failures before the Sept. 11 attacks.

"She is someone who can be trusted," said Ernest Strada, the mayor of Westbury, N.Y., for the last 23 years, as he left the hearing room. His son, Thomas, was killed at the trade center.

"She answered candidly," Mr. Strada said. "She didn't try to dodge the questions. She serves our country well. She serves the administration well."

Beverly Eckert of Stamford, Conn., whose husband, Sean Rooney, died in the trade center, was near tears in frustration and disappointment. She could not have disagreed with Mr. Strada more.

"I don't think this resolved anything," Ms. Eckert said. "She didn't acknowledge the fact that this administration wasn't addressing issues and problems the right way. They asked her what she did, and she said she didn't do anything. To me, that's a lack of responsibility, a lack of accountability, and it's very troubling."