I can tell you that the last sentences Mr. Young is referring to make sense in French. When we say “ils”, that still refers to the members and brings us back to “certains membres du comité”. So, in French, it flows because we know it refers to some members. I don't agree with removing the part Mr. Young is talking about. I feel that the last two sentences in French well express what some members said. That is clear from the paragraph as a whole. I don't think there is a problem in French. On the contrary, it fully reflects what is being said and the use of the word “ils” refers to the sentence: “Certains membres du Comité ont dit avoir du mal à croire...”. So there's a reference to this group of members who have already made two statements.
On March 21st, 2011. See this statement in context.