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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Pentagon officials have told U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that no remains from United Flight 93 passengers were disposed of in a landfill. In a letter to Sen. Toomey, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Jo Ann Rooney said that all Flight 93 DNA specimens sent to the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory for testing were returned to Somerset County Coroner Wallace Miller in 2005. “I am relieved to learn that no remains from United Flight 93 passengers were sent to a landfill for disposal. The families deserve the peace of mind of knowing that these remains were treated with the utmost respect and dignity,” Sen. Toomey said. “I thank Secretary Panetta and the Pentagon for this response to my inquiry, and I hope to learn more about the treatment of remains from the Pentagon soon.” Today’s response follows a letter Sen. Toomey sent to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Feb. 28 asking him to clarify if any remains from the Pentagon and United...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta today asking him to clarify if any remains from the Pentagon and United Flight 93 were cremated and disposed of in a landfill. According to a Washington Post report today, small amounts of unidentified remains from Shanksville, Pa., the site of the United Flight 93 crash, and the Pentagon were cremated and then sent to a landfill for disposal. However, Somerset County (Pa.) Coroner Wallace Miller told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review today that no remains from United Flight 93 were ever sent to a military mortuary for disposal. “The heroic passengers on United Flight 93 gave the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, and their families deserve to know the fate of their remains. It is critically important that we get to the bottom of this matter, clear up any remaining doubts, and ensure that those responsible for any mishandling of remains be held accountable,” Sen. Toomey writes. The full text...

With growing objections to holding the trial of September 11 terrorism suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York City, it's possible the trial could be held in Pennsylvania. The Department of Justice set guidelines that the trial must be held in one of the three locations where a September 11 crime occurred. Although Shanksville in Someset County is where one of the highjacked airplanes crashed, the trial could be held in federal court in Johnstown, Pittsburgh or Erie. Speaking on the Fred Thompson Show this afternnon, Governor Ed Rendell said he isn't sold on the idea of having the trial in the Commonwealth. "Right now in Pennsylvania, like every state in the union, we're facing huge budget challenges and I'd have to be assured that all of the costs would be paid for (by the federal government)," Rendell said. The Obama administration is setting aside $200 million to help the US city where the trial is held. Rendell said security is another issue that concer...