Giuliani Faces Investigation Of 9/11 Radios

In the midst of his presidential candidacy, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani now faces a looming government investigation into his handling of the radios used by firefighters on 9/11.

The investigation, which will examine how the FDNY ended up using faulty equipment during the terrorist attacks and why Giuliani gave a no-bid contract to Motorola for that equipment, has been endorsed by New York City Councilman Eric Gioia, chair of the city's oversight and investigations committee.

"I will do everything in my power to get answers, to get the truth," said Gioia, a Democrat. "These families deserve answers and really the entire city and our country deserve answers."

Calls for an investigation were first proposed by filmmaker Robert Greenwald who has documented Giuliani's handling of 9/11 in a series of shorts for Brave New Films. In The Real Rudy: Radios, Greenwald documents how radios used by the FDNY on 9/11 were the same ones that malfunctioned during the 1993 attack on the Twin Towers. When - eight years later - Giuliani finally purchased new communications equipment for $14 million from Motorola, it was never field-tested. A week later, the equipment was recalled after a firefighter's mayday went un-heard. Giuliani reissued the old batch of radios. And on 9/11 when a police helicopter warned that the North Tower could collapse, more than 120 firefighters remained inside.

"To know that we had failing radios in 1993 and did virtually nothing until September 11 is shocking to say the least," said Gioia. "To watch this documentary and see the important questions that were asked and seemingly unanswered and ignored for so many years, it's disturbing."

More than 20,000 people signed a petition demanding an investigation into Giuliani's handling of the FDNY radios. In an interview posted on YouTube, Gioia confirmed that he will take the steps to initiate public hearings, including sending out letters to fellow council members and requesting pertinent documents. Greenwald praised the initial steps forward.

"Brave New Films is thrilled with Councilman Gioia's response to our petition for a City Council investigation into Giuliani's failure to equip firefighters with the radios they needed on 9/11," Greenwald told the Huffington Post. "The groundswell of support for our petition shows the depth of Americans' desire for accountability."

Comments

[Zentomato]

Ghouliani is like Harold Hill, the con man in the musical The Music Man. He will say anything to promote himself no matter if it is true or not. If you think GWB is bad, Ghouliani is Bush on steroids.

[Ammobob]

Inside the shrinking tent

Plenty of folks are telling conservatives what they ought to think about the Republican presidential field, but what do conservatives actually think about it? Human Events decided to poll its readers. 1,984 likely primary voters answered this question: “If a Republican presidential primary were held in your state today, which of the candidates would you vote for?” Here are the results (rounded):

Thompson 25 percent
Giuliani 20 percent
Huckabee 19 percent
Romney 13 percent
Hunter 8 percent
Paul 8 percent
Tancredo 5 percent
McCain 2 percent

I find it interesting that Giuliani and Huckabee, the two men being read out of the conservative movement by (respectively) some social conservatives and some economic conservatives, finished basically tied for second place.

Respondents rated immigration the most important issue, which presumably explains McCain's microscopic number. It was followed by competence, homeland security, and Iraq.

Whatever the precise dimension of the present conservative tent, all Human Events readers have a good case for inclusion. But whether they constitute a representative sample, I don't know.

[Wiredwilly]

The radios failed, the air defense response failed, the FAA failed, the team following Bin Laden failed, the President who was entrusted to protect the Country and given a specific written warning failed, Towers constructed specifically to withstand an airplane impact failed, for no apparent reason World Trade Center 7 failed, the 9/11 Comission, ( Vice-chaired by Lee Hamilton, the same man who refused to investigate the Reagan / Bush sale of arms to Iran and Executive Director Philip Zelikow, a man on G. W. Bush's transition team and appointed to office by G.H. Bush ) ignoring questions by the 9/11 Widows and allowing Mr.'s Bush & Cheney to testify together failed & Mr. Clinton is shocked when people say it was an inside job.
Apparently the only thing that worked was the plane that flew the Bin Laden family
out of the Country and back to Saudi Arabia.
As Dylan said,
" you don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows..."
Mr. Greenwald is spot on.

[cardtosser]

I hope that people don't decide this election based on radios that were purchased 13 years ago.

I want the Dems to put up a candidate dedicated to getting the US back into the international peace business and the Reps to put up a candidate that wants to continue the war footing.

If given a clear choice such as that, the US will be able to move forward.

[RobertaInCT]

Let's see if Matthews, Russert and the other frat boys of the MSM, who's spoiling for a "food fight" between Hillary and Rudy give it the full coverage. I don't think so. They are to focus on killing Hillary's chance to win.

[RedWhiteandBrooklyn]

And what about the radios, Rudy? Let's talk about the radios!

To all of the trolls who think of this sissy-boy with a bully's mask as some kind of hero, Rudy bought 2-way radios for the NYC Firefighters that were about 10 years outdated. It wasn't his call to make, but he did. He knew best. These radios did not work inside of buildings. (Now, think about New York City for a moment. Buildings, right? Right. The whole city is buildings. To the firefighters, radios that don't let them talk with one another inside buildings are useless.) They did not let the Firefighters and Police talk with one another. Police and Firefighters NEED to communicate, during fires and especially during major emergencies. The Firefighters did not want them, and said so. The firefighter brass did not want them, and said so. Rudy knew best, of course, and gave the no-bid contract (in violation of city and state laws) to a campaign donor and bought the radios. The ones that the Firefighters and Police did not want. The ones that did not work properly. The ones with outdated technology and big price tags. On Sept. 11, the Firefighters inside the World Trade Center buildings had only these useless radios. They could not communicate with one another inside the buildings, and they could not communicate with the Police. Those inside could not hear their commanders telling them to get out because the buildings were going to collapse. They never heard the Police helicopters, circling overhead, telling them to get out because the buildings were going to collapse. They died carrying those expensive, worthless radios that Rudy bought from a campaign contributor. Blood money. Blood money. Who knows how many brave men and women died on that day because RUDY'S RADIOS DID NOT WORK?!?!?! I would say that their brave blood is on his hands, but I have too much respect for them, and too much contempt for Rudy..

So, Rudy... tell us about the radios, won't you? Tell us all about the radios.

[Elliott32]

9/11 is all Giuliani has to say about EVERYTHING in his campaign. I hope the people of NYC stop his campaign in its tracks. Giuliani is nothing more than a wannabe Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSk4SUpWVuY

[vippy]

The first WTC Attack in 1993 was done by a loner who was unable to get funding for his project. This had nothing at all to do with 9/11, which in my book is an inside job until
I see a thorough investigation. For Bin Laden, he died in 2001. How is it we can find a pedophile within a day on this globe but we cannot find a 7ft Arab in the ME?

[gardengoddess]

Just one more example (how many more do people need?) why Guiliani as president would be a disaster for America.

[godlessclif]

They make those radios in Broward County Florida.
It is a screwed up operation.

They would be better off giving all the cops and fireman Apple I-Phones

[Ownsthepodium`]

Toodles, I have to run again... time's up...er... short today.

[Meah]

What would be sweet? That 911 would be the reason that Rudy goes down. 911 Rudy, 911!

[desertdweller]

The one "upside" to the protracted 2008 campaign is that there is plenty of time during which the truth about Rudy Giuliani can come out. The man is a wolf in sheep's clothing and is dirtier than a gas station restroom. He and his handlers have gone to great lengths and great expense, over a period of several years, to supress unflattering information, and I'm not referring to such inane behavior as Rudy in drag. More than ten years before George W. Bush began his fateful campaign for president, his daddy's pals undertook a similar effort to sanitize his past, silence those with information that may potentially blemish his record, and at the same time, conduct a PR campaign to re-package him as something that would appeal to a certain segment of voters. Bush was a real challenge, but these folks were professionals. Rudy has the same type of handlers. Like the slime balls who clean up and sell cars that have been in total wrecks. They will do everythg in in their power to hide his secrets right up through election day, 2008. It will be up to agressive investigative reporters like Greg Palast to find and report the truth about Rudy. If Bernard Kerik had not been outed, for example, he would have certainly been part of a Rudy regime. Let's not be duped again. There is too much at stake.

[beastofbourbon]

To New York City Councilman Eric Gioia , pin Rooty's ass to the wall..........with the blessings of every sane person in this country .

[DavidAF]

We must stop this Warmonger from getting anywhere near a presidential nomination!! He is a slave to the Imperialistic Bush Administration and I honestly think our country is doomed if he were to become President!! As much as I dislike Hillary, I’ll vote for her over Rudy any day of the month. As for my view who should be President, Edwards for the Democrats or Ron Paul for the Republicans!!