9/11's Lingering Cloud

Medical Evidence, Political Pressure Keep Mounting, But Sick Ground Zero Workers Face Grim Future

(CBS)  By CBSNews.com's Stephen Smith

---

It has been a cruel year for 5-year-old Tylerann Zadroga, and last week proved especially difficult. At her suburban New Jersey day care center, Tylerann could only watch as the other children made Father's Day cards.

"She's been upset the last few days," said her grandfather, Joseph Zadroga. "She's really been missing him."

Tylerann's dad, James Zadroga died last year at the age of 34. A decorated NYPD detective, the 9/11 rescue worker's death was the first to be directly linked to exposure to the toxic air at ground zero. (Zadroga's wife died of a heart ailment in 2005, leaving the job of raising Tylerann to her grandparents.)

Seventeen months after James Zadroga died of a respiratory disease triggered by World Trade Center toxins, doctors and politicians have gradually awakened to the ballooning health crisis stemming from the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. The debilitating - and increasingly deadly - illnesses plaguing recovery workers are now well documented.

Of the 70,000 people taking part in Mount Sinai Medical Center's World Trade Center health study, 85 percent are suffering some kind of respiratory problem. Medical experts now say the toxic cloud sparked at ground zero has not only caused severe breathing problems in the short term but also will likely spawn diseases like cancer in the years to come. The mounting medical evidence has put pressure on lawmakers to fund monitoring and treatment for sick responders.

Still, resentment and desperation lingers among the ailing workers and the families of 9/11's delayed health casualties. They say not enough is being done to treat, support and honor the terrorist attack's forgotten victims.

"If Bush can send $15 billion to Africa over five years for AIDS treatment, I'm sure he could find $1 billion a year to help these people," Joseph Zadroga said.

For the workers besieged by ground zero-related illnesses, the pain has been increasingly unbearable. Bonnie Giebfried was buried alive in the debris of the Trade Center's south tower. The former EMT suffers from numerous ailments, including asthma, nerve damage and sciatica. But Giebfried says the emotional fallout has been equally as draining for sick responders. Surviving 9/11 responders are falling into dark clouds of depression, drugs and even suicide, she says, and with disabled parents unable to work, family dynamics are crumbling.

---

View a photo essay of 9/11's toxic aftermath.
Former EMT Bonnie Giebfried details her health woes.
Giebfried remembers the horrific scene of Sept. 11, 2001.
Read the story of NYPD Detective James Zadroga.

---

The struggles are also financial. Because Giebfried was employed by a private hospital on Sept. 11, 2001, she was not considered a "uniformed" city worker and thus did not qualify for three-quarter salary benefits afforded to sick responders who worked for the city. She lost her chance at getting a disability pension at work because she fell six months shy of qualifying. Her union cancelled her medical and prescription drug benefits. Red tape and unbalanced assistance programs aren't just hurting Giebfried: In February, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office released a report showing that 40 percent of sick ground zero workers have no insurance or inadequate coverage.

"People don't know how we're existing every day, trying to pay bills, keep family structure and keep our heads above water," said Giebfried, who has lost all her savings to medical bills. "The government left us buried at ground zero."

Earlier this month, Mayor Bloomberg appointed a new World Trade Center health czar for New York. Jeffrey Hon, a former spokesman for the Red Cross Sept. 11 Recovery Program, has the task of ironing out inconsistencies in the city's health benefits as well as working with programs tracking ground zero workers' health. That effort may be hampered by a statistic released just last week: Only half of roughly 70,000 members in the registry tracking post-9/11 illnesses have responded to follow-up surveys. The dwindling numbers are making the city's already-complex task of gauging the long-term health effects more difficult.

[hmmagain]

' if life was an epic quest to cure the common death, perhaps we'd invest in minimum wage folk dancing get well soon feed the world songs and canvassing everything all the tiem, alas it is an epic quest to cause the common death, therefore we invest in maximum wage folk dancing get sick soon tax the world songs and canvasing nothing '

' a kid lookd out and promised to build an eternity and a god looked in and promeised to keep it safe and secure '

[cathaleen]

We need to help these people who volunteered to do the worst job imaginable. This should be a no-brainer - just test the people who claim to be sick and if they really have an illness stemming from 9/11 treat them accordingly. We're always sending money elsewhere, let's keep it home and help our own.

[BlueInWI]

The GW administration has more important things to worry about, like vetoing the latest Stem Cell Research bill...

[hanshammar]

EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman told us, two days after the attacks, that dust composed of asbestos and toxic computer parts was "safe." Sure.

But this was just part of the bigger lie. 9/11 was an inside job, it's obvious to anyone who looks at the evidence with an open mind. The fires were all but out, then the towers exploded in controlled demolition. Eyewitnesses reported numerous secondary explosions. WTC 7, not hit by a plane, collapsed in 7 seconds. There was molten steel in the rubble of all 3 buildings. The steel was shipped immediately to Asia with no investigation. The truth is coming out.

[king77shaw]

people are sick from the dust because the twin towers were loaded with asbestos, which is why Larry Silverstein (WTC leaseholder) wanted them brought down ... it would have cost over $1 billion to remove the asbestos and he had run out of waivers - instead he made $7 billion on the terrorist insurance policy he took out 50 days beforehand ... hmmm, coincidence ? - what did Silverstein, the Mossad and Wall St. know about 9/11 beforehand ? - what the rest of America is slowly finding out ... 9/11 was an INSIDE JOB !

9/11 Mysteries: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=
-6708190071483512003&q=911+mysteries&hl=en

[king77shaw]

who is Philip Zellikow ? ... and why was he executive director of the 9/11 Commission Report ?

an impartial report ? Bi Partisan ? and why was his name never mentioned in the media%u2019s %u201Ccoverage%u201D of the report ?

of course we didn't get the truth - we got the MYTH !

[king77shaw]

www.911revisited.com

1) why did WTC7 fall? WTC lease holder Larry Silverstein admitted to having the building "pulled" (slang for demolished) - only problem is that it takes weeks at best to prepare a building for demolition. Why did the 9/11 commission fail to even mention the collapse of WTC7-why isn%u2019t it shown on TV? OBVIOUS DEMOLITION!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6QV6LK8j1Q

2) how could the twin towers fall at free fall speeds if we are to believe the "pancake" theory? The buildings fell in 9 seconds! If floors were collapsing into the ones below them there would be slight delay before the lower floor gives. If it were a half a second at each floor that would still be nearly 50 seconds - huge steel beams were being ejected hundreds of feet HORIZONTALLY, concrete was pulverized into fine dust, SQUIBS (well-placed charges) are exploding outward up to 20 floors below the collapse wave. All characteristics of a controlled demolition not collapse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDt3mVlI8mk

[uradufuss]

"If Bush can send $15 billion to Africa over five years for AIDS treatment, I'm sure he could find $1 billion a year to help these people," ---Joseph Zadroga--

Yes, just like the hurricane victims in the South-Central US -- they are all but forgotten. Let's bring our troops home to help care own sick country (our own, VERY sick, country). Trying to win the "war" in Iraq is like trying to win a war on Mars --you'll never reach the people, so what is the point in being there? It's funny how we have not learned anything from watching the events in the Gaza Strip for the last 50 years?

[ramos937]

Rudy Guilliani was Mayor during 9/11 for for a while afterwards. 9/11 happened on his watch. I, for one, would like to know what he did to help these people while in office and afterwards?

[uradufuss]

News Flash: President Bush announced today that he has declared war on the planet Mars. When asked who we will be fighting, he replied, "I'm not sure, does it matter?" Bush said that his actions were the result of 7 years of unreturned messages, and failed communications. "They just refuse to pick-up their phones, and work things out. I honestly believe that we can get there; but, as of yet, I do not have a clear plan for evacuation, once the war is over. We can worry about that when the time comes. One thing for sure, is that we must support our troops," he went on to say.

[edjohn66]

Christine Todd Whitman:

You have blood on your hands. You indicated that working at ground zero was OK when you were the head of the EPA.

[easeup-2009]

Just logged on.....

Have the black helicopter conspiracy loons arrived?

[passerby2]

Bush is the worst thing to have happen to america.

how come there is no investigation into larry silverstein's insurance policies and claims?

Why are there no answers to why the towers fell in under 9 seconds and the wtc 7 collapsing when it was not hit?

Have any of the neocons seen the video 9/11 Mysteries?

why the h*ll is bush president?

[zootallures2]

Just logged on.....

Have the black helicopter conspiracy loons arrived?
Posted by easeup at 11:51 AM : Jun 20, 2007

So what if they have? Not they nor you are anything the universe needs to continue. You got what you got. You mess it up, you aren't worth another.

[j-whitman]

What are they complaining about ??? -- Rudy Guiliani made millions from 9/11.

[lochlan-2009]

When I heard on the news, several days after 9/11, that the EPA had done tests and concluded that the air in Manhatten was safe, I litteraly laughed. I remember when the media broadcast the farse and wondering, how many bathrooms were in those buildings, how much asbestos covered the pipes and what about all that dust from concrete bodies etc., why aren't the media asking these questions. Here we are several days after a historical national tragedy and our government is blatantly lieing to every man, woman and child in Manhatten (actually they lied to the entire country)but, telling them to keep working and their health is safely being monitored by the very government that couldn't prevent the attacks.

[junogoose]

This serves as a good introduction to Michael Moore's 'Sicko', out next week. The bountiful lip service to the 'heroes of 9/11' is yet another another disgrace to the administration who has placed bureaucratic obstacles to their health care.

[irishmail42]

The lingering effects of 9/11 demonstrate just how dangerous terrorism can be. And where are we spending most of our money? In Iraq. Smart move Mr. President.

[neenga]

I remember when Whitman proclaimed the air safe to breathe. My mouth fell open .. surely she doesn't think we're all idiots! This is a no-brainer. It should come as no shock that these poor victims are dying. We need the Iraq war dollars to take care of our own citizens. Our government is killing our own country through neglect and blindness to reality.

[cbs_oliver]

My reaction was the same when Whitman made her proclamation. Since I had been involved in environmental evaluations of much less contaminated environments I could only conclude that the results were either being suppressed or that willful ignorance was being practiced at one or more levels.

It was clear that the Bush administration was going to needlessly sacrifice the health of alot of people.

Whitman and Giulliani should probaly go to jail. I'm sure the case can be made. It will probably never happen. They have alot of friends who will shield them from consequences.

Too bad the poor good people who really did something other than make speaches and pose for photos can't be shielded from the consequences too.

[feelfree1]

We know that the Bush regime is responsible for killing all of those who end up dead, from listening to the regime's EPA, who wrongly and foolishly told people that the air in New York was safe to breathe following the building collapses.

But who is responsible for the 9/11/01 attacks themselves? Most people in the U.S. have some real doubts about the 'official' story, as was documented by the '9/11 Commission'.

Many films have now been produced that offer alternative analysis of what happened on 9/11/01. Here are a couple of films on this subject that I would recommend:

'Improbable Collapse' 9/11 WTC

(Part 1 here)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUMKP4WaMgM

and %u20189/11 Press For Truth%u2019

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5589099104255077250

Both of theses films are available online, for free viewing.

[dlpracer]

The TRUTH can be found here.

www.debunking911.com/

www.jod911.com/

www.911mysteriesguide.com/

screwloosechange.blogspot.com

Nothing like these wackos taking a point in time and then rewinding time, revising what happened, match selected pics or vids to match the sippet of time, link them together....then proclaim they have the truth in hand.

Fortunately, when the whole picture is viewed, the wackos cannot with stand the light of day.

Back under the rock maggot.

Try Again

[notblue]

The obsurdity of the Bush blaming statements in these comment areas not only show the America blamers are now grasping at "dillusional straws" but speaks volumes in regards to there on going defense of the EVIL Islamic extremists that are trying to destroy America and our freedoms. The evil barbarians that flew planes into the twin towers will always have a special place in hell. Knowing this we can all take some comfort from the fact that even though that evil act is still killing Americans to this day there are NO virgins were these radicals have been sent.

[prinzowhales]

The air in Christine Todd Whitman's office was relatively safe to breath...if one chose to breathe the same air as a lying murdress.

The Bush Regime cut funds for the survivors of the WTC rescue efforts. Guiliani stopped the search for the bodies of the fallen firemen despite the firemen's plea to continue the search. Bones are found to this day and the fallen of 9-11' remains have gone into the filling of potholes.

The Bush regime fought and honest, lawful investigation of the 9-11 false flag attack and after posing with with firemen for political gain, betrayed them, just as the regime is betraying our Vets wounded in the Stupid People's War.

Soldiers! Its time to come home and defend the Constitution. Your country needs you here, now!!

[nothappyatall]

"If Bush can send $15 billion to Africa over five years for AIDS treatment, I'm sure he could find $1 billion a year to help these people," Joseph Zadroga said.
"

Yeah, we always find money to ship OVERSEAS like $15 billion to AFRICA for a totally preventable disease like AIDS, but we screw our own people, including AIDS patients HERE. Another repubiCON legacy.

[prinzowhales]

notblue--Who flew those planes into the WTC? If it was the men named by the FBI, then you must have an explanation as to why a minimum of seven of those named as 'hijackers' are alive and well. The State Department even apologized to one in Saudi Arabia. The CIA's asset, Osama, was not wanted for 9-11 by the FBI--because they had no proof! Unless, of course, one is silly enough to accept the fat guy in the bin Laden tape wearing the jewelry as Osama bin Laden.

The evidence is that these Arab patsies could not even fly little prop planes much less a Boeing.

[redcat15]

note of correction: the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program run out of Mt. Sinai has screened 12,000 individuals who volunteered to visit the participating clinics. Of these 9500 agree to have their data analyzed and results reported. About 70% of these workers reported respiratory symptoms. The World Trade Center Health Registry has over 71,000 registrants. It seems the writer of this article has mixed up the two programs.

[redcat15]

note of correction: the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program that is run out of Mt. Sinai has screened 12,000 individuals who volunteered to visit the participating clinics. Of these 9500 agree to have their data analyzed and results reported. About 70% of these workers reported one or more respiratory symptoms. The World Trade Center Health Registry has over 71,000 registrants. It seems the writer of this article has mixed up the two programs.

[dlpracer]

The CIA's asset, Osama, was not wanted for 9-11 by the FBI--because they had no proof! Unless, of course, one is silly enough to accept the fat guy in the bin Laden tape wearing the jewelry as Osama bin Laden.

The evidence is that these Arab patsies could not even fly little prop planes much less a Boeing.

Posted by Prinzowhales at 01:42 PM : Jun 20, 2007

------------
...oh dear, you didn't take your meds this morning did you?

Hurry home for your therapy session, remember what happened when you were late last time...they took your teddy bear away.

Love,

Mom

[bogusbones]

9/11 is the Administration's propaganda anchor. Without this terrible atrocity, this Presidency would be floundering and would still blaming all of our problems on homosexual perverts. Now that the Iraq war is going badly, the Immigration issue is their huge issue. I'm warning you of less than right wing sexual preferences, your time will come again before the Bushites leave office.

[feelfree1]

Do you have doubts about the official explanation of the events of 9/11? You are definitely not alone.

According to a New York Times/CBS News Survey, taken in October of 2006, a whopping 81% of Americans surveyed nationwide thought that the Bush regime was either 'hiding something' or 'mostly lying' about 'what they knew prior to September 11th, 2001'

www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/13469

[king77shaw]

unfortunately - the 9/11 debunking sites can't debunk Newton's laws of physics no matter how hard they try.. free fall speeds are free fall speeds meaning all three WTC buildings met no resistance when they fell. Silverstein admits WTC7 was demolished, so there is no debate on WTC7.. molten metal in the basement, squibs - no DEBATE - CONTROLLED DEMOLITION, which is why the 9/11 omission report can't even go there..

why doesn't debunking911.com show the collapse of WTC7? even a maggot could figure that out!

collapse or controlled demolition ? - look at the photo and you be the judge...

http://911research.wtc7.net/wtc/evidence/photos/wtc2exp2.html

more photos .. collapse or controlled demolition ? how did the beams get shot so far horizontally ? curious ...

http://911research.wtc7.net/wtc/evidence/photos/wtc1nenw.html

[seven-pesos]

they still love that snake, bush, in the slave state south.

the south elected bush,
the south loves bush,
the south supports bush.

i ***** in the south.

i wipe my azz with the confederate flag.

war,hate, arrogant christian creeps...

nothing good comes out of the south!

[king77shaw]

it's true, the FBI doesn't want Bin Laden for 9/11 - check it yourself:

Not a mention of the 9/11 attack. curious, to say the least ..

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/laden.htm

[king77shaw]

it's true, the FBI doesn't want Bin Laden for 9/11 - check it yourself:

Not a mention of the 9/11 attack. curious, to say the least ..

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/laden.htm

[killtheliars]

I still wonder how the FBI knew without a doubt the identities of the highjackers within a few hours but the CIA cannot find a six foot arab riding around in a motorcade.
Remember the media tried to say they found a partially burnt passport of one of the highjackers in the wreckage? That is the most pathetic lie ever told. If the plane could melt steel how does a piece of paper survive. Also why would a highjacker take a passport on a domestic flight?
Anyone who believes the official story is a fool.

[king77shaw]

here's how the FBI responded to the question of Bin Laden not being wanted for 9/11:

%u201COn June 5, 2006, the Muckraker Report contacted the FBI Headquarters, [phone], to learn why Bin Laden%u2019s Most Wanted poster did not indicate that Usama was also wanted in connection with 9/11. The Muckraker Report spoke with Rex Tomb, Chief of Investigative Publicity for the FBI. When asked why there is no mention of 9/11 on Bin Laden%u2019s Most Wanted web page, Tomb said, %u201CThe reason why 9/11 is not mentioned on Usama Bin Laden%u2019s Most Wanted page is because the FBI has no hard evidence connecting Bin Laden to 9/11.%u201D
Surprised by the ease in which this FBI spokesman made such an astonishing statement, I asked, %u201CHow this was possible?%u201D Tomb continued, %u201CBin Laden has not been formally charged in connection to 9/11.%u201D I asked, %u201CHow does that work?%u201D Tomb continued, %u201CThe FBI gathers evidence. Once evidence is gathered, it is turned over to the Department of Justice. The Department of Justice than decides whether it has enough evidence to present to a federal grand jury. In the case of the 1998 United States Embassies being bombed, Bin Laden has been formally indicted and charged by a grand jury. He has not been formally indicted and charged in connection with 9/11 because the FBI has no hard evidence connected Bin Laden to 9/11.%u201D

[dlpracer]

unfortunately - the 9/11 debunking sites can't debunk Newton's laws of physics no matter how hard they try.. free fall speeds are free fall speeds meaning all three WTC buildings met no resistance when they fell. Silverstein admits WTC7 was demolished, so there is no debate on WTC7.. molten metal in the basement, squibs - no DEBATE - CONTROLLED DEMOLITION, which is why the 9/11 omission report can't even go there..

---------------

Ah yes the AJ crowd. The modern PT Barnum millionaire who keeps the unwashed masses whipped up into a frenzy to line his pockets.

That's an original business plan.

Bet ya you think everything you see on Mind Freak is real too....right?

Get a life.

[king77shaw]

FINALLY, some of the rescue workers are starting to speak up about the obvious demolition.. WTC7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5864an4_w6Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o2Be8RtvO4&mode=related&search=

how the 9/11 myth was sold on the day of%u2026 hmmm - why did google pull this video ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U_GISl3aAA&mode=related&search=

[king77shaw]

is it coincidence that the company in charge of security (Securacom/Stratesec) at the WTC and Dulles Airport (where Flight 77 supposedly flew out of) was headed by Marvin Bush (W's little brother) and Wirt Walker ... Marvin left in 2000, Walker left Securacom on 9/10/01 ... hmmm - coincidence - the day before 9/11 ?

[feelfree1]

We now know that the plans to invade both Afghanistan and Iraq were hatched well before the events of 9/11/01. What the 'Project for a New American Century' planners needed to advance their dubious plan was a '...new Pearl Harbor...' according to their own writings.

For some background on these PNAC conspirators, and a brief explanation of many of some of the most glaring inconsistencies of the 'official' story, here is a very good short film, available for online viewing:

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-5224963246223576086&q=%22third+stage%22

[prinzowhales]

Yeah, lets not forget Marvin...the NORAD that couldn't intercept four hijacked planes... the CIA-connected flight schools that the patsies attended...the Regime's threatening to arrest FBI agents who investigated the bin Ladens and their associates...the FBI HQ's shutting down of the Minneapolis office's investigation into the '20th hijacker' prior to 9-11...the patsies entry into the country through a CIA-controlled visa mill in Saudi...the failure to release film from the cameras from businesses around the Pentagon...only a carefully edited 'smudge film' showing that a smudge struck the Pentagon....

9-11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB and Professor Steven Jones has proven that the residuals from the cut four-foot support columns came from thermate-- a form of thermite with added sulphur made specifically to cut steel.

Time for the soldiers to come home! Time to restore Constitutional government in the United States!

[notblue]

Prinzowales and the rest of the American hating idiots,I realize your delusional fantasies are neccessary to make sense of your world and ideology. Any intelligent reply to your fairytales is not worth the time or effort so believe what you will while the rest of the clear thinking Americans will protect your right to insanity and vitriol because this is America, the greatest country on earth.

[notblue]

FeelFree1, NEW YORK TIMES/CBS SURVEY???? WAy TOOO FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a moron you are!

[feelfree1]

Let's not forget that the Taliban had offered to turn over Osama bin Laden, if the U.S. would have simply provided some evidence that he was involved in the 9/11/01 attacks.

Why didn't U.S. officials simply provide this evidence? Obviously, they did not have any.

We could have saved ourselves a whole lot of blood, treasure, and dignity, had we simply honored this very reasonable request.

[notblue]

Let's not forget your barbarian Islamic extremist brothers slaughtered over 3,000 innocent American civilians in the name of an evil 6th century ideology known as radicla Islam on September 11th 2001. It was the most horific attack and loss of innocent civilian lives in the history of the United States of America. More lives were lost than in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Osama was recorded taking credit, the radical Islamic world erupted in celebration. These radicals have been made insignificant because of there own ability failure to join the rest of the civilized world so in order to regain some selfpercieved relevance and pride there Jihad has been invented twisting the great peaceful religion of Islam into the Satanic cult it has now become hell bent on destroying the freedom loving countries throughout the world. This curse on all mankind is what you people defend on a daily basis!

[king77shaw]

too many questions surround 9/11 to entirely place the blame on Bin Laden - the FBI can't ... way too many - the 9/11 Commission Report was a sham, didn't even bother to question Silverstein - why was Zellicow put in charge of the Commission report? ... Why was Jerome Bauer all over the American press 30 minutes after the attack blaming it on Bin Laden furthering the myth? Why did Chertoff let Mossad agents arrested on 9/11 walk ... each one of these right wing extremist Israelis have their fingerprints all over the 9/11 attack -

[feelfree1]

Re: "Osama was recorded taking credit, the radical Islamic world erupted in celebration."

The faked video 'found' laying around on the floor somewhere in Afghanistan, of a guy who is obviously not bin Laden, is hardly compelling proof of Osama's involvement, and since this video was 'found' years after the invasion of Afghanistan, it would hardly serve as supporting evidence for the initial invasion, even if it was not such an obvious hoax.

[golfkt]

Have you read the Purdue study, just rleased. It debunks the conspiracy theorists notion that the WTC buildings were brought down by "an inside job"...

[athenaleigh]

Please check out this site

www.actforyourself.org


We would love to have more info and input from people with your knowledge on the 9/11 attacks.