U.S. states offer fund for Mexican attack victims

By LISA J. ADAMS
Associated Press Writer

MEXICO CITY – Representatives of 31 U.S. states with offices in Mexico announced a fund Thursday to help Mexican victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to thank Mexicans for their support in the crisis.

At least 15 Mexicans are listed as missing in the World Trade Center attacks, though Mexican Foreign Secretary Jorge Castaneda has said that the number of those killed but not identified could be far higher.

The new Sept. 11 Fund was announced by U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow and Douglas Smurr, president of the U.S. Association of State Offices in Mexico, which represents the 31 U.S. states with offices in Mexico.

Smurr said the fund meant to repay Mexicans' generosity toward Americans in Mexico following the attacks.

"The hotel discounts and the free calls to the United States that Mexico offered while our citizens couldn't return home, this solidarity gave these people the sense that yes, they were at home, despite the distance," Smurr said.

"In return ... we wanted to reciprocate, especially for the Mexicans affected by the tragic attacks."

Davidow said demonstrations of support from Mexico have "helped us during these days of pain."

The Sept. 11 Fund is intended to help relatives of those killed and injured in the attacks and those who may have survived but lost jobs in the United States, said Beverly Halls of the United Fund Private Assistance Institution, the private Mexican organization handling the donations.

Many Mexicans worked in hotels, restaurants and offices in the World Trade Center towers, which collapsed after being struck by two hijacked airplanes on Sept. 11.

Davidow said there would be no discrimination against survivors of the attack who had been working illegally in the United States, or against relatives of the victims who come forward to help with the identification process.

"I want to stress that the lack of legal papers is not going to be in any way an obstacle," Davidow said. Mexico's consulate in New York had listed 19 people as missing, but "two of them appeared yesterday and said they were OK," said Gustavo Mohar, director-general of consulate affairs for Mexico's foreign relations department, who took part in the news conference.

Mohar did not release the names of the two people or say where they were from. He said situations such as theirs explained why officials have been hesitant to list those missing as dead until they have solid proof.

The consulate later issued a news release saying that only 15 Mexicans were listed as missing. It did not explain the discrepancy.

The City of New York has listed 6,347 people as missing and confirmed 300 dead, of whom 232 have been identified. None of the confirmed dead were of Mexican origin, the consulate said.

AP-WS-09-27-01 1806EDT