Posted on 09/12/2001 2:37:52 AM PDT by Vigilanteman
The attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., have led to an unknown sea of casualties. The terrorists claiming credit for airliner hijackings and crashes into the twin trade towers and defense building are guilty of murder and must be hunted down and held accountable.
The president said as much Tuesday. His resolve was evident in his broadcast address. His determination to punish the offenders could not have been clearer. The nation is preparing to respond.
And the response should be swift.
Thousands of people are dead. The nation's vulnerability to terrorism has been confirmed. Whatever complacency about terrorism that existed before Tuesday is gone.
The story, of course, is developing. We don't know the details of the terrorist organization or organizations involved. We don't know if the murderers are sponsored by rogue states, such as Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan. We do know that as recently as three weeks ago terrorist Osama Ben Laden, who is believed to be in Afghanistan, warned that he was planning a major attack on the United States. We stress, however, that it is not known at this point if Ben Laden was the mastermind.
But this much is clear: The terrorists were organized extraordinarily well. This thing was executed with astonishing precision. They had resources to plan complex acts that resulted in incredible death and destruction.
Moreover, the targets of the attacks were not merely big buildings in major cities. They were symbols of western power: the center of capitalism and economic power in the World Trade Center and the headquarters of the world's mightiest military in the Pentagon.
And most disturbing for Americans, intelligence apparatus and security measures were not enough to prevent a deadly assault on the United States.
From the perpetrators'perspective, the coordinated attack was a success. They have demonstrated their ability to destroy buildings and kill people in the most important cities in the United States. But in the long run, they have made a huge mistake.
The United States is slow to anger, but when provoked this nation will act to protect itself. By day's end on Tuesday, the anger was palpable and justified. The shock was sinking in as the nation mourned and prepared for the president's response.
The terrorism was a direct attack on the territory and people of the United States. It was not about projecting U.S. power to the Balkans or Kuwait or some other distant land. It was, some say, an act of war. That appears to be the way the president and his national security team are viewing it.
Our response should be appropriate, that is swift and harsh. The threat, we now know, is very real. The United States must muster all its resources to eliminate it.
His rather inept, ineffective missle lobs on Bin Laden and Hussien did not help this matter either. I lived in a very tough part of the inner city and I learned if I was to get in a fight with someone I had better make sure that who I was fighting did not wake up if I were to win the fight because if he lived he knew where I slept. That is the same mentality you need with the likes of Bin Laden but the naieve Clinton and his flower child mentality proved to be the all the seed of hate Bin Laden needed.
I think Clinton needs to be put under the hot light and be prompted to tell about everyone of his dealings with the Chinese.
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