The Horror of 9/11, I Remember... But Too Many Others Forget

Everyone remembers where they were when they found out about the attacks on 9/11. I remember driving into the city and thinking that it was a particularly clear day, not a cloud in the sky.

Three hours after leaving my house, I was sitting in my office at Nickelodeon (I was the publisher of Nickelodeon Magazine) working on 2002 projections when I received an IM from my brother "hey Jeff some idiot just flew a plane into one of the trade center towers."

Working for a TV Network had its advantages, I had a TV hooked up to cable in my office. I quickly grabbed the remote, turned on the TV to see the second tower impact. At the time I thought it was an instant replay of the first one. The same thing happened when each of the towers collapsed. It was all so surreal, this was the United States of America it couldn't happen here.

Much of the rest of the morning is a blur, my staff crowded into my office we watched in horror as people jumped off a tower to their deaths.  Then again as we saw the smoldering Pentagon building and finally as each tower collapse. We even heard rumors of a fourth plane that was shot down over Pennsylvania (in actuality Flight 93 was purposely crashed by the Hijackers because the brave passengers had decided to take control of the  plane back).

At twelve noon there was an announcement that the east river crossings were once again open. I called my wife to tell her I was coming home (she begged me not to fearing another attack)  I raced for the garage and began a 40 mile drive that took way over four hours.

Outside my office near Times Square, about two miles from the now smoldering ruins of the towers one could taste the air. Breathing felt strange because the air had a texture it felt like particles of glass were mixed in with the oxygen.

Manhattan had always seemed larger than life to me, but that day it seemed small and vulnerable. Or maybe it was the entire United States that seemed vulnerable.

Staring at the ominous scene surrounding me as my car crawled its way across the 59th Street bridge it felt like something out of a bad "Godzilla" movie...crowds of shocked people were crowding the bridge, crossing on foot to make sure they got off that tiny island as soon as possible.

But this was not "Chiller Theater" this was unbelievably  real.  Looking out of my car  toward downtown Manhattan, the beautiful skyline and cloudless sky that was present during the my drive into work just a few short hours before was replaced by an impenetrable curtain of black over the East River. The aroma of the invigorating autumn air was replaced by a noxious burning smell seeping into my car through the air vents.

Because everyone was trying to use their cell phones at the same time, the cells were overwhelmed, service was non existent. Three hours into my drive I finally reached my wife now frantic because I was out of touch for so long.

When I finally got out of the borough of Queens and into Nassau County the Long Island Expressway, sometimes known as the world's largest parking lot, suddenly opened up.  The traffic wasn't just light, it was eerily non-existent (especially on the west bound lanes which lead back into the city). Just a few minutes later I noticed why. At every single exit Nassau County police cars were blocking the west bound on ramps. The message was clear, people were free to leave New York but they weren't getting back in until they knew that this first foreign attack on US soil since 1814 was over.

After finally reaching home, I spent the rest of the day watching the first reports of heroism which filtered out the tragedy.

As is my regular practice at about 7:45 pm, I left my house drove to my Synagogue for the evening minyan. Usually we have a group of 15-20 people at evening prayers, but this day was different. People began to filter into Shul in groups, fellow congregants who's Synagogue appearances are usually limited to the High Holy days showed up to pray. Each one (like me) had a dull shocked look on their face, slowly walking into the Sanctuary. Our normal crowd of less than two dozen was more than three hundred, desperate to appeal to God for the safety of their friends and family whose fates were still unknown and for the success of their country in the War they knew would follow.

This scene was duplicated in Houses of God, for many faiths from 'sea to shining sea."

September 11 was not the first terrorist attack against the United States, the attack was foreshadowed by incidents such as the First Trade Center bombing and the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen.

Those earlier acts were treated by the United States as crimes, each perpetuated by small group of terrorist operators. It was only after 9/11 that this country realized that there was a worldwide network of people willing to kill themselves to bring down our way of life. Only after 9/11 did we stop searching for "criminals" and begin a war against Islamist Terrorists (at least for a little while).

Back then Toby Keith expressed the feeling of many of us with his song, The Angry American:

(If you cannot see two videos below click here)


Despite what our President says, we are fighting a war against Islamists who use terrorism, or whatever the Department of Homeland Security wants to call it this week, to destroy the the West our freedoms and lifestyle. People who want to use violence to establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate.

Theirs is a very patient culture that will wait centuries if necessary to get even with those who they perceived as doing them wrong.

That is their advantage, we are a culture who demands immediate gratification. Ten years after 9/11 there are some many would have us give up that war...give into the terrorists.

In 2008 we elected a President who refused to recognize our enemy. Three years later many in both parties are preaching isolationism. Others are promising to balance the bloated federal deficit by gutting our nation's defenses. Whether they mean to or not, these cuts may result in America suffering through the horrors of 9/11 over again, certainly our military weakness will make it more likely.

Far too many people have forgotten the taste of the air, the curtain of black smoke, the scenes of horror, acts of bravery everything associated with that horrible day that changed our lives.

On this Tenth Anniversary of 9/11 the Mayor of New York has forgotten the first responders who sacrificed themselves during those horrible days and the faiths that gave us the strength to continue by banning 9/11 First Responders and Religious figures from the memorial service.

 Ten years after that horrible Tuesday morning ten years ago,the answer to Darryl Worley's epic song "Have You Forgotten?" may very well be yes.

May we never forget the evil that attacked us on 9/11 even if our leaders do.  May God continue to comfort the bereaved and May the memories of the dead always be for a blessing. 

Lord who grants salvation to kings and dominion to rulers, Whose kingdom is a kingdom spanning all eternities; Who places a road in the sea and a path in the mighty waters - may you bless the President, the Vice President, and all the constituted officers of government of this land. May they execute their responsibilities with intelligence, honor, compassion and love for the constitution wonderfully crafted by our founding fathers. May you always bless these United States and provide us with leaders who will comprehend your role in making this republic  the land of the free and the home of the brave

My friend Dr. Melissa Clouthier has a great 9/11 post and roundup of other 9/11 must read on her site.  Click here 9/11: No, America Is Not Over It Yet  and visit her site.

Ten Years After September 11: Who’s Really Winning the War On Terrorism

“And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!”

–Francis Scott Key, “Star-Spangled Banner”

By Barry Rubin

Ten years after September 11, when the very phrase “war on terrorism” is barred from U.S. government usage by the president, we are told that the United States has won or is already victorious. After all, there has been no major attack on U.S. soil in a decade and al-Qaida is weaker with many of its leaders, including Usama bin Ladin, dead.

“Where is that band”? According to the official line, pretty much destroyed. We won, perhaps except for a few “lone wolves.” But before the victory parades are held, let’s understand this: The war on terrorism, like that phrase itself, has been largely defined out of existence, not won.

Let’s be clear. Al-Qaida attacked the World Trade Center and Pentagon to achieve several goals:

–To become the leader in a worldwide jihad.

–To persuade Muslims that America is weak and can be defeated.

–To stir far more Muslims to jihad, that is a Holy War that today can be defined as an Islamist revolution.

–To mobilize forces in order to challenge and eventually to overthrow all of the existing regimes in the Sunni Muslim areas, replacing Arab nationalism in many of those countries with Islamism as the main ideological force.

I would suggest that al-Qaida’s September 11 attacks largely succeeded in three of those four goals. Only in the first did it fail, and for a very good reason. Precisely because it carried out the attacks, al-Qaida became the main target for U.S. efforts and repression by leaders in Muslim-majority countries. Consequently, it has suffered greatly from losses.

By the same token, however, other Islamist forces have largely been left alone by the West or faced far less pressure. Such groups include the Muslim Brotherhood groups, Hamas, Hizballah, and the pro-Islamist regimes in Syria and Iran. In fact, Islamist groups and Islamism as an ideology have advanced impressively, especially in the last few years.

Another reason for al-Qaida’s relative eclipse is its own rigidity. Al-Qaida has been a purely terrorist group. It doesn’t carry out social welfare programs or participate in elections. As a result, being so tactically intransigent, al-Qaida is at a major disadvantage in comparison to its more flexible competitors. After all, Islamist groups have won elections in Iran, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Turkey. The Brotherhood is set to become the largest single party in Egypt.

Even having said all that, al-Qaida is not dead yet. Its ally, the Taliban, is making a comeback in Afghanistan and has spread to Pakistan. Al-Qaida’s affiliates still carry out attacks in Iraq, Morocco, and Algeria. It now has small but deadly forces in the Gaza Strip. And it plays a major role in Yemen and Somalia, not to mention its terrorist affiliates in Asia, with Islamist terrorist activity especially significant in southern Thailand, the southern Philippines, and Indonesia.

What’s most important of all is to remember that terrorism is a tactic to achieve a goal. The goal is that of Islamist revolution. There might not be a single Arabic-speaking country where Islamists aren’t in a stronger position now than they were on September 11, 2001. The same applies to Turkey (though terrorism isn’t an issue there) and, to a lesser extent, Pakistan. Here are some examples:

Today, the Gaza Strip is under the Islamist rule of Hamas, which is also a terrorist group. The U.S. government pressed for Hamas to participate in elections, and then more recently pressured Israel to reduce sanctions. The world helped save Hamas from being overthrown by Israel in 2009, and the UN produced an anti-Israel report that basically rationalized Hamas’s behavior. Many groups in Europe have participated in sanctions-breaking activity that has objectively helped Hamas. Hamas, a terrorist and Islamist group, is much better off than a decade ago.

Lebanon is under the rule of a regime whose most powerful single component is Hizballah, a revolutionary Islamist and terrorist group. When Hizballah launched several cross-border raids against Israel in 2006, leading to a war, a lot of the international community was objectively acting in a way that benefitted Hizballah. Hizballah, a terrorist and Islamist group, is much better off than a decade ago.

The Muslim Brotherhood, a pro-terrorist group, and Salafist organizations often willing to use terrorism (a few of which are close to al-Qaida) is far stronger in Egypt and might dominate the country politically. It is also stronger in Syria, though its precise influence over the opposition is hard to gauge.

Where is terrorism weaker? Other than Algeria, where it was defeated in a bloody civil war, it is hard to find any such example though in other places—like Morocco and Saudi Arabia—terrorism has not made gains.

n many places in Europe, the Brotherhood and even more radical groups have made important strides in gaining hegemony in neighborhoods and over Muslim communities. Governments have not combatted this and even have encouraged it, arguing that the organizations are not presently using terrorism. But with growing radical Islamist ideas, the level of terrorism and intimidation also increases.

A key factor is the failure of the U.S. government, which basically defines anything that isn’t al-Qaida as not being a threat. Within the United States, a major terrorist attack has been averted, though luck seems to play a role here (underpants bomber; Times Square bomber). At the same time there have been many more small-scale attacks. One way the U.S. government achieves good-lucking statistics is to redefine specific events—a shooting at the El Al counter in Los Angeles, an attack on a Jewish community center in the Pacific Northwest, the murder of a military recruiter in Arkansas, and even the Ft. Hood killer—as non-terrorist, non-Islamist criminal acts.

So are things much better a decade after the September 11 attacks? Aside from the very important aspect of avoiding a huge successful terror attack on the United States, the answer is “no.”


Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal, and Middle East editor and featured columnist at PajamasMedia http://pajamasmedia.com/barryrubin/. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), and The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan). GLORIA Center site is http://www.gloria-center.org.His articles published originally outside of PajamasMedia are at http://www.rubinreports.blogspot.com> 

Almost a Decade Ago WFAN's Mike Francesa and Chris Russo Blamed 9/11 on The Jews

On 9/11/01 I was sitting in my office when I received an IM from my brother telling me of the first crash and urging me to turn on the TV (I worked for Nickelodeon at the time and had a TV in my office). Turning on the set I saw what I thought was a replay of the crash, sadly it was no replay, it was the second plane. My entire team crammed into my office. They stared in disbelief as the news grew worse, the attack on the Pentagon, followed by the horror of each of twin towers crashing to the ground. Just thinking about it brings back memories of fear and confusion.

Having driven into the city that morning I was stuck in the city because all bridges and tunnels leading out of Manhattan were closed. But the second TV announced the reopening of the east side river crossings; I rushed out of my office and began to drive home.

The streets of Manhattan were almost devoid of cars. Traffic moved slowly anyway because the streets were packed with dazed people trying to make their way out of the city. It was a surreal picture, almost like those movies where Godzilla attacking Tokyo. The 59th Street Bridge was no different, dazed people, struggling to get off that tiny island and onto the safety of the Borough of Queens. Gazing out from the bridge to what was soon to be known as ground zero; there was an impenetrable curtain of black over the East River. Even with the car windows closed the air had a "smoky" taste and a texture like sand paper.

I made it home to my family and drove into the city the next day. My memories of the drive home on 9/12 is just as vivid not because of another terrorist incident, but because of something I heard on the radio.

Per my usual practice, during the drive home I listened to NY Sports radio station WFAN. I left early enough to hear WFAN’s afternoon stars, Mike Francesa and Chris Mad Dog Russo. The fun of these guys was more than their sports knowledge, you could tell these two really hated each other; there was an undercurrent of tension on air.

On 9/12 however, these two agreed. They launched a fact deprived commentary blaming both Israel and American Jews for the attack on America the day before. Even worse Russo said (Francesca agreed) that American Jews needed to prove their loyalty as Americans; choose between Israel, which Mike called "a failed experiment," and the U.S." The two bigots thought Jews in America should take a loyalty oath to the country to prove that they were loyal to the US and not Israel.

How Did WFAN react to this blatant Antisemitism? One would think that they would have reacted very strongly, after all this is the station that six years later fired Don Imus, their number one money-maker, for calling the Rutgers girls basketball team "nappy-headed hos." Sadly WFAN reacted by sweeping it under the rug while the pair of bigots denied it ever happened ( despite the fact that other listeners including NY Post columnist Phil Mushnick heard the offensive comments).

The ADL was flooded with calls sent a letter to the station which said in part:

"Since September 12th, ADL offices in the tri-state area have been flooded with calls complaining about comments made by "Mike and the Mad Dog" show hosts Mike Francesa and Chris Russo. The complaints focus on the hosts suggesting the motive behind the World Trade Center attack is U.S. support for the State of Israel or, more importantly, suggesting a divided loyalty for American Jews between our country and Israel."

As of November 2009, the ADL never received a response from their letter:

"From: ADL Media [mailto:ADLMedia@adl.org]

Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 11:42 AM

Subject: RE: Abraham H. Foxman's letter to WFAN in 2001

As far as we can recollect, we had no response from WFAN"

To this day the two (who Don Imus called Fatso and Fruit loops) deny that this incident ever happened. I contacted the station and the two bigots last September, the station and Francesa did not respond and Russo met my request for an apology to the Jewish community with derision.

When the NY Post's Mushnick wrote about the incident in the weeks after 9/11, the sports talkers used some of their radio time to express their denial.

Mushnick wrote in 2002:

"… Francesa's claim that I fabricated quotes, then attributed them to him is a total lie because I never quoted either Francesa or Russo in that column. I couldn't quote them because WFAN claimed that it did not tape that particular segment.

But I did hear them - first-hand, not "second or third-hand" - then wrote a column critical of them for characterizing the 9/11 attacks as the fault of Israel, and by extension, American Jews……The fact that no tape was, in Francesa's words, "ever found" - he failed to mention WFAN's claim not to have taped the segment I wrote about - was used by Francesa, Monday, as proof that I fabricated a story about him."

In a 2009 column Mushnick added:

Days after the 9/11 attacks, Francesa, global affairs expert (it's a gift), launched two bigoted, backwoods and facts-depraving commentaries blaming both Israel and American Jews for America's peril at the hands of terrorists.

Francesa also said the Jews he knows are disloyal Americans in that they would go to war to defend Israel but not the United States.

In the wake of an attack on the U.S. by Islamic lunatics, Francesa even called upon American Jews to prove their virtue as Americans, to choose between Israel, which he called "a failed experiment," and the U.S.

As a third-generation American Jew, whose great-uncle was a WWI doughboy, and whose father was a WWII Naval Lt., then commander of the Staten Island chapter of the Jewish War Veterans, I was, shall we say, displeased by Francesa's determination that the time had come for me to swear allegiance to the United States.

On Sept. 23, 2001, the above appeared in this column. In WFAN's response, on behalf of Francesa, station boss Mark Chernoff denied that Francesa said any of that -- despite thousands, including WFAN staff, having heard what I'd heard. My challenge to produce those tapes was ignored.

Like most Americans who suffered through those horrible days, the sounds, tastes and pictures of the horrible attack on America are embedded in my memory. On 9/12 most Americans, stood united against the hatred of al Qaeda. But here in New York, two sportscasters on WFAN chose not to stand united against hatred; they chose to create even more hatred. I am told that they continue to deny what thousands of people heard with their own ears. I couldn't tell you for sure since I haven't listened to WFAN since 9/12/01 (where Francesa remains), nor have I tuned to Chris Russo's year old sports channel on Sirrus/XM.

In less than two weeks we will commemorate the tenth anniversary of that horror. It is about time WFAN, Francessa and Chris Russo fess up and apologize for their hatred. If you agree please contact WFAN program manager Eric Spitz here espitz@wfan.com or call the station at 212-314-9200 to comment on Francesa. As for Mr. Russo you can call Sirrus/XM corporate offices @ 212-584-5100 and tell them you think the Mad Dog should fess up and apologize

Is A Deal With the Taliban The Basis for U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan?

By Barry Rubin

Ahmad Rashid is widely considered to be the best journalist on Afghan and related Pakistani issues. And he has a scoop over the secret U.S. negotiations with the Taliban. I respect him though I don’t necessarily agree with him. And Rashid’s points must be integrated into the U.S. and Western debate over Afghanistan.

Here’s the key section:

“The talks are premised on the essential realisation that neither a successful western withdrawal from Afghanistan nor a transition to Afghan forces can take place, without an end to the civil war and a political settlement that involves the Afghan government and the Taliban, but also Pakistan, the US and the region.”

Think about that, whether or not it is accurate. What Rashid is saying is that the U.S. government “knows” that it has to make a deal with the Taliban to withdraw from Afghanistan. And since the Obama Administration is eager to get out (for political reasons more than strategic ones), it has a strong need to reach agreement with the Taliban, which means that unilateral concessions are likely.

Rashid provides a detailed history of the talks and concludes:

“A former Taliban leader told me recently that `’the fundamental problem is between the US and the Taliban and we consider the Afghan government as the secondary problem.’…If that is the case and the Taliban would like to see an orderly western exit from Afghanistan, the media and governments must allow these talks to succeed.”

This reminds me of Vietnam and other places where a revolutionary group maintained that the government stands only because of foreign support. Eliminate the foreign support and the radicals will win. The local government is treated as a puppet that is of no significance.

The bottom line, though, is that the U.S. government is seeking a deal with the group that facilitated and aided the September 11 attacks. Of course, once Western forces are out of Afghanistan, the Taliban will restart its effort to seize state power and a demoralized Afghan government is more likely to collapse.

None of this is known to most Americans. If they were aware that their government’s hidden strategy in withdrawing is to make a deal with the Taliban, with September 11 blood on its hands, one wonders what their attitude would be.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(From the Lid)

According to latest reports ..

...such talks may be gaining momentum after the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to treat al-Qaida and the Taliban separately when it comes to U.N. sanctions, a move aimed at supporting the Afghan government's reconciliation efforts.

Meanwhile, violence persists. Insurgents attacks targeted three convoys ferrying fuel and supplies to NATO troops in western and eastern Afghanistan over the weekend, killing nine Afghan security guards and torching at least 15 fuel tankers, officials said.

Ahmad Rashid's Comparison to Vietnam is particularly interesting. But not in the same way that Rashid describes. It seems as though dispited the gains made by our American Heroes in recent months, our President is looking for away to take away a possible victory and replace it with a "cut and run."