Remembering 9/11: A Tale of Two Government Agencies
The President has issued his 9/11 proclamation and, as you might expect, it’s not very much. We should remember that something happened today, something the President couldn’t quite describe but that was really sad, then we should do out and do community service.
As we pay tribute to loved ones, friends, fellow citizens, and all who died, we reaffirm our commitment to the ideas and ideals that united Americans in the aftermath of the attacks. We must apprehend all those who perpetrated these heinous crimes, seek justice for those who were killed, and defend against all threats to our national security.
Oh, I almsot forgot. We need to capture the criminals, too, because they committed “heinous crimes” that remains undescribed because it was “unspeakable”. In other words 9/11 wasn’t an attack in a war clearly declared against us, but a crime, kind of like a bank robbery, but with airplanes and box cutters, except we can’t quite talk about it. This is, of course, the mindset we had as a nation right up to about 9 AM, September 11, 2001. It is the mindset that allowed us to ignore the Islamists until they started raining the bodies of our own friends and neighbors down on us.
Luckily, not everyone in this administration is singing that tune today. CIA Director Leon Panetta must not have gotten the “crime and trash pickup day” memo from the President. His message for his people is made of much sterner stuff.
Tomorrow, our nation as a whole will remember those lost to us eight years ago. For the men and women of the CIA, September 11th is a constant, powerful incentive in the war against al-Qa’ida and its violent sympathizers. Our Agency is at the center of that fight. We have no higher priority or greater focus.
Alone, and with partners in this country and overseas, the CIA has inflicted major losses on a dangerous enemy. Places that al-Qa’ida once counted as safe havens have become less safe. People on whom al-Qa’ida once relied—planners, commanders, facilitators, and trainers—have been taken off the battlefield.
The information the CIA gathers and the actions it takes, crucial as they are, will not by themselves defeat terrorists determined to strike again. Al-Qa’ida’s own vicious ideology, founded on the murder of innocent people, has proven to be a major weakness. But we cannot wait for popular disgust to isolate and overcome the extremists. We and our allies must continue to press the offensive, eroding their ability to plot and kill.
It is difficult, hazardous work. But your skill, dedication, and valor make good on our responsibility not only to the memory of those who perished on September 11th, but to their families and to all Americans. We will never forget their sacrifice and we will never rest until we have brought those responsible for this tragedy to justice.
The President has made clear that our mission is to disrupt, defeat, and destroy al-Qa’ida—and that’s exactly what we intend to do. It is a privilege for me to work with men and women worthy of so vital a mission. Thank you for serving so well in this fight—and for helping the United States guarantee that no life lost in this attack or battle shall be lost in vain. That is our pledge and our prayer on this September 11th.
So, to the White House, at least publicly, it’s a crime and we remember the people who “we lost” due to “unthinkable acts” committed, apparently, by no one in particular, by committing speakable acts of community service.
On the other hand, Director Panetta reminds his people that we’re still fighting a war, that we must not rest until we run all those responsible to ground and that so long as he is in charge, destroying al-Qaeda is his Job One.
Maybe he’s just blowing smoke for the day, but I prefer Leon Panetta’s way of remembering today. At least it doesn’t stink of craven cowardice.
Other Posts of Interest:
- Obama to Close Gitmo…One of These Days
- Karl Rove Gets My Back on Gitmo
- Obama and the Governor – A Tale That Needs To Be Told
Category: Fighting the Islamists, President Barack Obama
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