Have We Forgotten Already?
By Jon Alvarez (06/24/03)
Have we already forgotten the lessons we were supposed to learn from 9-11? It hasn't even been two years since that horrible, dark day in American history. Tuning in to the nightly news and talk shows, one could surmise that many Americans have slipped back into a state of complacency; similar to the one we were in prior to that fateful September day. President Bush warned us that this would be a long struggle. My fear is that we are being lulled into thinking such an attack could not happen again on American soil.
Blame for this new sense of complacency should be placed squarely on those that seek to discredit President Bush and the war on terror. What kind of reaction can we expect from the American public were we to be hit again? Would the Democrats, who have been so vocal in their opposition to President Bush and his efforts to protect America, be able to turn this disaster into political gain? Are they, in a sense, aiding the terrorists that seek our destruction?
We are now witnessing new attacks by the Democratic opposition who claim that President Bush had misrepresented the dangers posed by Iraq. Imagine the response had we not taken Iraq out and in the not-so-distant future Los Angeles was hit with biological or chemical weapons traced back to Iraq. I'm sure we would then hear from Martin Sheen and his Hollywood friends that President Bush had failed to act quickly enough to remove the threat posed by Saddam Hussein. If the Democrats had their way, Saddam Hussein would still be in power today. It's ironic to note the patience Democrats had for Hans Blix. UN Weapons Inspectors were granted more time than our own government is now being given. Daily we witness the discovery of large caches of weapons that had been hidden in schools, neighborhoods, etc. We will find the WMD, Iraq is a huge country. Everyone is in agreement that WMD did exist, they just haven't been found yet. We know Saddam existed, he just hasn't been found yet, either. Would the Democrats have us believe that Saddam Hussein never existed?
One particular concern regarding these partisan attacks on the credibility of our president is the effect this could have on future operations. Will this cause critical delay in future operations due to the need to ensure that critics are satisfied with the accuracy of field intel? To cause delay in dealing with future threats to our country due to such caution could prove to be catastrophic. It would be better to err on the side of caution. We cannot sit idly by and allow a country with terrorist ties such as Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Imagine the result if they were to deliver such destruction into the hands of Hamas.
Another area of concern is the contempt shown by local authorities towards the Department of Homeland Security and the threat level matrix. Examine the reaction recently by those cities that have stated that they will not beef up security in the event of another threat level increase by the DHS. Certain municipal leaders feel that the DHS is overstating the threat each time they raise the alert level. Could part of the skepticism towards these warnings be the result of political bias towards the Bush administration? Imagine the results if these local leaders turn out to be wrong. Are we prepared for another major attack and its aftermath, despite these political games?
Just yesterday, in my local Sunday paper, nationally syndicated columnist Cynthia Tucker wrote of her desire to see John Ashcroft reined in for what she deems as abuse of power in fighting the war on terror within our own borders. Despite the fact that since 9-11 we've had zero attacks on American soil, Ms. Tucker cites two cases in which abuses have taken place. One of these cases being the well-publicized one in which three Arabs med students were arrested in Florida after making so-called terrorist threats at a diner in jest. She labels Ashcroft's efforts as ''un-American'' and likens them to those employed by a "police state". Well, it certainly seems to be working as we just received news of an Ohio truck driver being arrested as a lookout for future Al Quada attacks. Coincidentally, the truck driver also happens to fit the profile of those that wish to destroy our country. I'd prefer Ashcroft stay the course and be proactive. We can always apologize for any inconvenience afterwards. Ms. Tucker concluded her column by admitting a gross overstatement in her prior week's column. She admitted that she misstated the number of black men incarcerated in U.S. prisons. I'm sure she doesn't have an agenda! Seems she would fell right at home at the New York Times. This is just another example of left-wing pundits acting irresponsibly in their quest to discredit and attack President Bush.
President Bush has decided that resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians could have a significant impact on the War on Terror. In a stroke of brilliance, President Bush has created an opportunity for the world to witness the true intentions of the more radical factions of the Palestinians, in particular, Hamas. This group of terrorists has proven that they do not seek peace, but the destruction of Israel. Hamas must be dealt with, and in the only terrorists can be dealt with. They must be destroyed. The world must now recognize and deal with the key players in the world of terrorism: Hamas, Syria, and Iran. We can only hope that President Bush will be swift and decisive in his efforts to destroy terrorism.
As a nation, it seems that we still are not willing to do what is necessary to ensure that we protect ourselves from another terrorist attack. The liberal left and the ACLU decry the Patriot Act as a threat to our civil liberties. What freedoms have we lost? The liberal left feel that conditions at Camp Gitmo are too harsh for the enemy combatants we are detaining there. Are we going to allow ''political correctness'' to overrule that which we already know? The war on terror is going to get ugly if we are to win. We will have to remove the kid gloves. We've reached a point of critical mass in the war on terror. We must decide if we are willing to move forward and do what is necessary to destroy terrorism and those that support it. Too many are still straddling the fence, waiting for what I don't know.
My ultimate fear is that it will take a second attack on our soil for many to realize what we already know. The world received a powerful message with the swift disposal of Saddam Hussein's tyrannical regime in Iraq. The world has taken notice of American power, we must press on, we cannot be afraid to use force again in order to prevent future terrorist attacks. To delay could be catastrophic. Unfortunately, that might be the goal of the Democrats and their supporters on the left. Their ugly ploys to regain political power may come at the expense of future American lives at home.
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