10 September 2003
 Vice President Cheney is expected to attend The Riverside Church of New York for the Port Authority memorial service tomorrow for its WTC victims. The Secret Service was making security preparations today. The church was built by the Rockefeller family in 1927. It is known for its social justice programs. A sermon delivered there last Sunday probably not to the Veep's liking: http://cryptome.org/jesus-code.htm |
| Riverside Church, 10 September 2003. Orange bollards for sidewalk
repair not security. Cryptome photo.
|
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 2:34 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Wednesday he asked Vice President Dick Cheney not to attend the city's World Trade Center anniversary ceremony because Cheney's security would have ``inconvenienced'' family members of victims.
``Because of concerns that the increased security measures required for vice presidential travel would have inconvenienced or delayed family members, I have asked Vice President Cheney to attend a memorial service later in the day honoring fallen Port Authority officers and employees, instead of the morning's commemoration at the World Trade Center site,'' Bloomberg said in a statement.
The vice president's office confirmed that Cheney had accepted the invitation to attend the afternoon service honoring the Port Authority, not the morning event at ground zero. He will not be speaking at the event.
``The vice president is going to the ceremony to show the administration's respect and reverence to the people of New York,'' said Cathie Martin, a spokeswoman for the vice president.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the vice president will be going to New York to pay tribute to the victims of Sept. 11. ``The vice presient looks forward to going to New York tomorrow to represent the administration on the second anniversary of Sept. 11,'' he said. ``The last thing we want to do is be disruptive of any remembrance ceremony that is occurring.''
