Family members of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks stand under the American flag at US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Photo: Willy Lowry / The National
Family members of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks stand under the American flag at US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Photo: Willy Lowry / The National
Family members of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks stand under the American flag at US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Photo: Willy Lowry / The National
Family members of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks stand under the American flag at US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Photo: Willy Lowry / The National

United in grief, relatives of 9/11 victims mark 20th anniversary in Guantanamo Bay


Willy Lowry
  • English
  • Arabic

Standing under the baking Caribbean sun, a handful of relatives of victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks watched as three sailors and two firefighters raised the American flag at US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Saturday, the 20th anniversary of the Al Qaeda strikes.

The family members had travelled to the remote US penal colony, whose image is forever linked with America’s war on terror, to attend the pretrial hearings of five men accused of assisting the 9/11 hijackers.

Elizabeth Berry lost her brother Billy Burke, a captain in the New York City Fire Department. He was last seen on the 27th floor of the North Tower, telling his men to get out and that he was coming behind them.

Ms Berry believes her brother stayed behind trying to help a paraplegic man who was unable to get down the stairs.

Ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the attacks were held throughout the US on Saturday, but Ms Berry said she was determined to spend the sombre occasion in Guantanamo Bay, where the so-called “9/11 Five” defendants are detained.

“I felt, what better place to honour my brother than here with other family members and with the prosecution team, the people who’ve been very supportive of me over the years? This is where I want it to be,” she said.

Over the years, Ms Berry has made frequent trips to the base to watch the men accused of planning the attack that killed 2,977 people from more than 90 countries in New York, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

Courtroom sketch showing the '9/11 Five' this week. William J. Hennessy / AFP
Courtroom sketch showing the '9/11 Five' this week. William J. Hennessy / AFP

The 9/11 Five, some now in their sixties, are whispers of their former selves, prematurely aged by years of confinement and harsh treatment during CIA interrogations. They are among the 39 detainees still housed at Guantanamo.

Seeing them can be a challenge for victims’ relatives.

The case has dragged on for over a decade and Ms Berry worries the world has forgotten that justice still has not been served.

“A lot of people in the United States today, especially young people, were not even born on 9/11. So it’s not something you hear a lot about in the media any more and, just personally, coming down here allows me to keep in touch with what’s going on,” Ms Berry said.

Hearings in the case, which is still in the pretrial phase, resumed this week after the pandemic halted proceedings in February 2020.

Ms Berry said she is hopeful progress will finally be made.

The family members joined dozens of military personnel for a special ceremony inside a chapel, which overlooks the bay’s emerald waters.

“On this naval installation, more than any other place in the world, we remember this every day,” Navy Capt Samuel White, the commanding officer at the base, told those in attendance.

“We remember 9/11 every day. We think about it every day.”

On television screens on either side of the altar, the names of all the victims slowly scrolled by.

Liam Canavan, 19, who was not born when his uncle Sean Canavan was killed, spoke of the lasting impact the attacks have had on his family.

“The one thing that brings peace to my family is knowing that the men responsible for such pain are locked up here,” he said.

A 2002 file photo showing a detainee at the now-closed Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay. AP
A 2002 file photo showing a detainee at the now-closed Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay. AP
Martin Sabbagh profile

Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East

In the role: Since January 2015

Lives: In the UAE

Background: M&A, investment banking

Studied: Corporate finance

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP5
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UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
​​​​​​​Bloomsbury Academic

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

BANGLADESH SQUAD

Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (vice captain), Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahaman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

Essentials

The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours 
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.

If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

Brief scores:

Toss: South Africa, chose to field

Pakistan: 177 & 294

South Africa: 431 & 43-1

Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0

ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- Margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars

- Energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- Infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes

- Many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts

Pakistanis%20at%20the%20ILT20%20
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Match info

Premier League

Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)

The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT

Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000

Engine: 6.4-litre V8

Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less

Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Alan Rushbridger, Canongate

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My Country: A Syrian Memoir

Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

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Ouai Hair @theouai

Outdoor Voices @outdoorvoices

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Revolve @revolve

Uniqlo @uniqlo

Warby Parker @warbyparker

Zara @zara

MATCH INFO

Burnley 1 (Brady 89')

Manchester City 4 (Jesus 24', 50', Rodri 68', Mahrez 87')

Married Malala

Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.

The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.

Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.

Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

RESULT

Huddersfield Town 1 Manchester City 2
Huddersfield: Otamendi (45' 1 og), van La Parra (red card 90' 6)
Man City: Agüero (47' pen), Sterling (84')

Man of the match: Christopher Schindler (Huddersfield Town)

Updated: September 11, 2021, 9:57 PM