Even as a Web site devoted to her was overwhelmed with scathing criticism, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal refused Monday to back down from her statement that the United States "is responsible in some way" for the attacks on the World Trade Center.

"Not to have the courage to ask these questions of ourselves is to betray the victims of 9/11," she said in a new statement issued by her publicist yesterday in response to the controversy.

The actress appears in "The Great New Wonderful," which features five stories about people living in the aftermath of the Twin Towers attack.

It began screening last week at the Tribeca Film Festival, which actor Robert DeNiro helped get off the ground in 2002 to help Lower Manhattan recover.

Gyllenhaal said on Friday on NY1, the all-news cable channel, that the movie dealt with complexities and subtleties of life after Sept. 11, 2001.

"Because I think America has done reprehensible things and is responsible in some way and so I think the delicacy with which it's dealt allows that to sort of creep in," she said on the channel.

A Web site on the actress, www.maggie-gyllenhaal.net, was besieged Monday with harsh words, some of them from city firefighters. The site posted a note saying the actress does not view the site.

"She won't see the comments so please don't leave hate messages," the site indicated.

One city firefighter, asking not to be identified, said his firefighter chat room was consumed with the topic Monday. He said firefighters were telling each other to send their comments to the Web site.

The Fire Department declined comment late Monday. The Uniformed Firefighters Association could not be reached for comment.

Staff writer William Murphy contributed to this story.