Who Is Really to Blame for 9/11?
In the news today was the report that our air defense system was unprepared for the September 11, 2001 attacks . Evidently there was a huge breakdown of communication between the Executive Office and our military even in issuing the order to shoot down the planes. By the time the orders were made clear, all planes had crashed into their targets (with the exception of the United Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania).
Tonight's news showed family members of victims killed at the World Trade Center who wept over the fact that perhaps if communication had been better their loved ones might not have died.
Maybe...maybe not.
I certainly don't want to be insensitive to those who lost family members, but I think it's a bit presumptuous to make arm chair criticisms of the way things were handled after the fact. Certainly, it's come to light that our intelligence agencies were not in communication regarding pre-strike information. That should have been different, and I assume will be from here on out.
But I've been a bit bothered as I've watched some of the Independent Commission on the 9/11 attacks. I've felt that there was this overwhelming desire to find a scapegoat in all this--to find someone to blame.
Look...this event was unprecedented. We had never had anything remotely similar carried out in all of American history. It's hard to imagine how any previous administration would have responded.
Did everyone have all their ducks in a row? No. Will they be better prepared in the future? You bet. But all the preparation and communication in the world can't be 100% effective. Odds are--sad to say--that we will see this kind of event happen again, regardless of how prepared we are.
In the meantime? Do you really want someone to blame? Here's an idea... Why don't we blame the hijackers themselves? They did it. They are to blame. It's difficult because they are dead and we don't have them to stand trial and face the families of those who lost loved ones.
However, if it means anything to you, I can assure you that they are paying for it now...
________________________________________________________________________
And on a related note, this...
After getting nailed by a Daisy Cutter, Osama made his way to the pearly gates. There, he is greeted by George Washington. "How dare you attack the nation I helped conceive!" yells Mr. Washington, slapping Osama in the face. Patrick Henry comes up from behind. "You wanted to end the Americans' liberty, so they gave you death!" Henry punches Osama on the nose. James Madison comes up next, and says "This is why I allowed the Federal government to provide for the common defense!" He drops a large weight on Osama's knee. Osama is subject to similar beatings from John Randolph of Roanoke, James Monroe, and 65 other people who have the same love for liberty and America. As he writhes on the ground, Thomas Jefferson picks him up to hurl him back toward the gate where he is to be judged.
As Osama awaits his journey to his final very hot destination, he screams, "This is not what I was promised!"
An angel replies, "I told you there would be 72 Virginians waiting for you. What did you think I said?"