Tell Us: Is America Safer Since the September 11 Attacks?
We want to know what you think. Tell us in the comment section.
Today we remember those who died in the September 11 attacks and their families. In the past 11 years much has changed, but are we any safer?
The attacks served as the starting point for the War on Terror which sent millions of men and women into battle, drastic changes in security, economic affects, cultural and foreign policy changes. The day also marked the start of a manhunt, the arrests of several al Quaeda members, and eventual capture of Osama bin Laden.
Today, we reflect on what happened on that horrific morning and all that has happened since.
We want to know what you think: Is America a safer place today?
Anna Bucciarelli
6:50 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Yes, maybe, but nothing is for sure and we must never drop our guard.
Iron Mike
7:06 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Whatever else you may say about them, Bush and Cheney kept us safe, and they got results.
But since Jan 2009 it's been a vastly different story. Obama has abandoned the one ally we had that understands how these Islamists think, - and he has either ignored or quietly encouraged the 'Arab Spring' and Iran's nuclear bomb program.
Thus we and the western world are in greater danger.
Worse, he has ignored our southern border, and the growth of both China and Russia's navies. Now even Chavez in Venezuela is emboldened.
Mike Combs
8:46 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Obama has already attacked Iran and successfully delayed their nuclear program by years. He used American ingenuity and collaborated with Israel to create and deploy new weapons: The Flame virus, the Stuxnet virus, and even the AC/DC virus.
The Flame virus mapped and monitored Iran's computer systems. But the Stuxnet virus accelerated their uranium centrifuges until they shook themselves to pieces, setting Iran back by years.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-israel-developed-computer-virus-to-slow-iranian-nuclear-efforts-officials-say/2012/06/19/gJQA6xBPoV_story.html
"Overall, the attack destroyed nearly 1,000 of Iran’s 6,000 centrifuges — fast-spinning machines that enrich uranium, an essential step toward building an atomic bomb."
Brian
7:41 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Bush and Cheney kept us safe? Didn't 9/11 happen on their watch? I don't necessarily blame them for what happened but I wouldn't say they kept us safe.
And I wouldn't qualify the War in Iraq as getting results.
I do believe we are safer today than we were back then. Everyone who lived through 9/11 is more cognizant, now more than ever. The threats will always be there no matter who is in the White House!
Bill Kelly
10:04 pm on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Let's bring the draft back Mr. Iron and lets get our military ready to invade and kick butt John Wayne style. Oh wait a second we are 16 trillion in debt and if we put in a draft we have to have a real discussion about using our military in foreign countries, I'm ready for the talk are you?
Mike Combs
8:34 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
It's tragic that Bush left America less secure. He failed to heed the intelligence briefs warning "Bin Laden Threats Are Real", "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States", and a warning that Al Qaeda was planning to hijack planes.
He compounded this by launching the Iraq war in search of WMD that were never found. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld said "We are creating terrorists faster than we are killing them". Bush gave up on the search for Bin Laden, saying "The idea of focusing on one person really indicates to me people don’t understand the scope of the mission. … I don’t know where he is. I really just don’t spend that much time on him, to be honest with you."
It's similar to what Romney said about intentionally not mentioning (or thanking) our troops in Afghanistan: "When you– when you give a speech, you don’t go through a laundry list, you talk about the things you think are important.”
We are more secure because Obama has kept the focus on killing terrorist leaders with drones and precision attacks (famously Seal Team 6).
Before Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, Romney said:
"I do not concur in the words of Barack Obama in a plan to enter [Pakistan]... I don't think those kinds of comments help in this effort to draw more friends to our effort," and U.S. troops "shouldn't be sent all over the world."
Benjamin Tracy
9:43 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Regardless of whom you give credit to, you have to say that the record is clear: the closest thing we have to an Al Qaeda attack since 9/11 on our soil is the underwear bomber and he managed to only harm himself. Personally, I take way more comfort in the FBI/CIA/Military doing their jobs tracking these folks down before they hurt us, than I do in the TSA, but the record is clear from my perspective.
Tom Gilroy
11:43 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
First of all Osama bin Laden was not captured, he was killed by Seal Team Six. There is no mention of Major Hassan who killed 31 at Fort Hood. Are we safer today? No the court system under Eric Holder had been a friend of the terrorist and an enemy of the American people. Until we have an administration who recognizes the Islamic threat from the Moslem Brotherhood and the nuclear threat from Iran and their continued infiltration of Iraq we are not safe. Our most loyal friend, Israel, has been thrown under the bus by this administration and this is not in the interest of harmony in that extremely dynamic part of West Africa and the Middle East.
Benjamin Tracy
3:29 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Major Hassan was more mad man than terrorist, in my opinion. I would draw a greater correlation with Columbine for him than with 9/11.
Bryan McGonigle2
1:25 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
I don't know if I'm safer but I know I'm poorer - with all that security spending some worthwhile and some wasteful - and less free.
And after going through airport security, I always feel the need to take a shower.
Iron Mike
4:21 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
TO: Benjamin Tracy:
Sir, WHAT world do you live in? Where do you get your news? I am stunned at this kind of 'it isn't terrorism' denial.
Major Hasan was in REGULAR EMAIL CONTACT with Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen; - the FBI intercepted 18 of them – but failed to act
When Hasan stood on the table and called the room full of troops to Attention, he then yelled "Allahu Akbar!" - and began shooting them.
This is EXACTLY the kind of home-grown terrorism that Osama bin Laden had hoped the 9/11 attack would inspire – along with the 'Arab Spring' we see sweeping the Muslim world. Just today our embassy in Cairo was mobbed.
Mike Combs
9:31 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Romney's foreign policy team is mostly the GW Bush team. How will that work out?
Prior to invading Iraq, Bush was warned that it could destabilize the region. He thought democracy would be a good thing without pausing to think about what kinds of people might come to power.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/223529
It's a shame that Romney's foreign policy team is substantially the same as Bush.
The Nation’s Ari Berman notes that “Of Romney’s forty identified foreign policy advisers, more than 70 percent worked for Bush. Many hail from the neoconservative wing of the party, were enthusiastic backers of the Iraq War and are proponents of a U.S. or Israeli attack on Iran.”
http://prospect.org/article/foreign-policy-romney-promises-bush-redux
Peter
5:57 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Not as safe as we could be. Too much political correctness wasting money on Smoke and Mirrors. If people are inconvenienced at the airport they think it must have a deterrent effect. A waste of $billions when clear, concise surgical precision could make a bigger difference at a lower cost.
don connolly
6:11 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
we may be safer from international terrorists but we are under siege from domestic ones,ask chicago or lawrence or haverhill etc...mass shootings weekly,the drug cartels,the gangs,the southern border is a war zone over drugs,the northern border is an entry point for international terrorists because the southern border is out of control,we have serious problems regardless who is in the white house or who you want to blame for it...its nationwide and out of control,we need a force multiplier approach in certain areas....just sayin RIP 9/11 victims,all of you
Benjamin Tracy
8:55 am on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Iron Mike: It's not an uncommon occurrence for people to go postal and shoot up different places. Just because he was in contact with terrorists and shouted Islamic slogans doesn't make him a terrorist, it makes him crazy.
Iron Mike
9:07 am on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
You're either a Muslim apologist, - or you're in denial.
Did you happen to notice the news yesterday – our embassy in Cairo stormed, - our flag torn down and replaced by a Muslim flag, - our consulate in Benghazi stormed, burned, our Ambassador KILLED? Were those folks 'just crazy'?
Benjamin Tracy
9:13 am on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
This kind of embassy stuff happened before 9/11. It sucks but it did. They need to close the Egyptian embassies until the Egyptian government can prove that they can keep these nutjobs from doing this stuff.
I am not a "muslim apologist" (whatever that is). I just choose to let people's actions, not their ideologies, speak for what kind of people they are.
The question was are we safer than before 9/11, and I still say we are safer on American soil than we were before 9/11. These people want to attack us. The fact that they have failed to attack us in any sort of scale is *proof* that we're safer.
Anna Bucciarelli
6:21 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012
My understanding is that our embassies ARE considered American soil ... am I correct? If "yes", then we were attacked on American soil in the last couple of days on the anniversary of September 11 .... I consider that a strong message that the terror continues. Some of us may "feel" safer here in the US, but we are not out of the deep, dark woods, make no mistake about that.
Iron Mike
6:44 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Yes Anna, by custom, tradition, and by treaty each nation's embassies are considered their sovereign soil, and their embassy personnel have 'diplomatic immunity' from the laws of the host nation.
In NYC this causes big problems because all the 'diplomats' at the UN flaunt parking and traffic regulations – leaving the city with hundreds of thousands of dollars of unpaid parking tickets.
AND, there have been serious cases when foreign diplomats committed rape and murder, - and we had to let them depart. Last year we had an embassy employee in Pakistan who in self defense shot a couple of goons who attempted to rob him. The Paks wanted to try him, but we finally got him out of the country.
These recent attacks on our embassy are legally the same as storming the White House. Now you're going to see how inept and powerless Mister Obama is. He'll focus on his appearance on the Letterman show.
R Gagnon
2:42 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
You cannot separate the muslim's ideology from their actions when it is their ideology that drives their actions.
The fact is they have attacked us. Major Hasan was a muslim terrorist attack. The attacks on our embassies are muslim terrorist attacks. And the embassies are sovereign American soil. Any attack on an American embassy is an attack on American soil.
Andrew Sylvia
9:24 am on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Hi folks, please talk on the issues, and not other users. Thanks.
Muriel McGrann
10:27 am on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Just appears safer in my opinion.....because so much information is unavailable to us with the lack of up to dates from the Media. Much info on the internet to indicate numerous external and internal incidents, but how much if this is questionable?Obama constantly shows preferance for support to those who bear ill will against this county rather than America. Will safe America collapse from within or without?
Jeff Twohig
6:18 pm on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Bush/Cheney made many decisions I totally disagreed with but they did, in fact, keep us safe. This administration, under Barack Obama, with its policy of appeasement & groveling acquiescence to Muslims worldwide as well as to Muslim groups in the US (CAIR), has definitely made us less safe. He has openly welcomed the "fox into the chicken coop" in the hope that if we treat that "fox" nicely he will, eventually, "like us". Nothing could be more naive & further from the truth. The followers of this religion, nay this "Way of Life" (their set of laws (Sharia) would REPLACE our Constitution), have one goal in mind "replace western civilization". I firmly believe that Obama's early (boyhood) exposure to Islam left an indelible influence on him as evidenced by the blatantly obvious, most- favored-religion, status he has bestowed upon Islam while sharing Muslim hatred of Jews and Israel. Btw, I believe any Jewish-American who votes for Obama in November is an unindicted co-conspirator in the annihilation of the Jewish state. There is something fundamentally wrong with Islam & Obama's policy toward them reminds me of human attempts in recent years of at least two people to "live among the grizzly bears". The two tried to ingratiate themselves to the bears and, for a time, it seemed they were succeeding. Ultimately, both people were slaughtered and dismembered because they were under the "misguided" impression that you can domesticate animals. Such is the case with Islam.
R Gagnon
2:46 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Well stated and absolutely true.
Vincent DiRico
9:30 pm on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The more I think about it the more this guy in the WH is just Jimmy Carter's second term. Letting his guard down on the anniversary of 9/11 is just inexcusable! Now there is talk that the attack in Libya was an organized attack. There was warning about impending protest/attack in Egypt. And this Jimmy Carter look-alike did NOTHING. A leader would have been on the phone to Egypt and made it clear that if the protest reached the block before the embassy there would be hell to pay. Not only is this Jimmy Carter look-alike naive, he also has no backbone!
Bill Kelly
9:56 pm on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Interesting how the President holds a weekly "kill meeting" but is then criticized by Fox news for both being "soft on terrorism" and also goes about killing terrorists for political gain.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/05/31/president-obama-secret-kill-list/
Come can't you make up your mind? Jimmy Carter I don't think so. Lets discuss this election on the merits not on fantasy. If Romney wants to beat this guy most of us wants plans and facts. Thank you.
Vincent DiRico
10:04 pm on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
I am not fox news. The facts may still be a bit in flux but one fact (4 bodies being shipped home) CANNOT be disputed. This does not appear to be over and certainly no "spring"!
Vincent DiRico
10:07 pm on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
is this the same BK, do you live on a one way street? as I said Jimmy #2 knew the protest was going to happen in Egypt!
Bill Kelly
11:27 am on Sunday, September 2, 2012
You think advice from the same Condaleeza Rice who before 9/11 ignored all the warnings that an attack on us was imminent is worth hearing?
Brian
10:01 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Doing "nothing" is not true. Most of the embassy staff had left due to the prior warning of an upcoming demonstration. That is doing something. Or should we have invaded? Now that would have really been doing something. Letting his "guard down" on 9/11 really? In such in unstable country? I would say letting your guard down would be if an attack happened in the United States of America. Not in some country where there is no "real" democracy. It could have happened at any time under anyones term in office including McCain. McCain could not have done anything about it. To think otherwise is just naive. I am curious, all these "act tough"comments that criticize the current administration, what REAL solutions do they have? Wait, that's right, only criticism.
The question to the post was "do you think America is a safer place today than after the 9/11 attacks" to which I answered previously yes and explained why. Others like to simply ignore the question and simply overstate their unhappiness over the current White House administration. Whether it be in this post or every other post. Move on from it I say. We already know your opinion.
Vincent DiRico
10:24 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Yes he let his guard down. I'm now reading there was a 48 hour warning, we lost our ambassador for 6 - 8 hours, based on that he did NOTHING. Your response was correct on just one point, the thread asked if America is safer. If you ignore the fact that this plague is now spread all over the middle east region then the answer could be MAYBE. If you look at the FACTS there is only one answer and it is NO and due to a clear lack in leadership.
Brian
11:38 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
9/11 changed America forever. For those who lived through it life will never be the same. If anything it made us feel vulnerable. Much the same as I would imagine the attacks of Pearl Harbor had on those who lived through the "day of infamy". Point is that to think that somehow this administration is to blame is just ridiculous. It wouldn't matter who was in office. If Mitt Romney gets elected tomorrow it would be naive of me to think in 3 years "America" would be any safer. There are those out there who threaten us for who we are as a nation and will always be plotting against us. Do we really think that a specific government policy would have prevented the people from attacking our embassies/consulate? As a result of some ludicrous film or for any other reason? Blaming the President for what happened in an election year is easy.
Brian
11:39 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
A leader could have done what specifically (not generalizations but specifics)? What specifically could have this administration done to stop the impending attacks on foreign soil? Send in the military? Do we even know who is really in control of these areas?
Call them (whomever "them" is - do you know?) and tell "them" there would be "hell to pay". I could see that working. Really I am curious?
I'll use your term; the "poison" (plague) has been going on the middle east longer than you and I have lived and it will continue to always do so. History has shown us. The United States of America will never will eliminate the threats from that area of the world or in any other for that matter.
Vincent DiRico
11:47 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Did we apologize for Pearl Harbor? NO Did we apologize to the Russian's during the cold war? NO ... Leaders did what was in the best interest of America. This 4 year apology and appeasement tour will be over soon.
Vincent DiRico
7:18 am on Friday, September 14, 2012
Also, please go back and take a look at what candidate Obama had to say about foreign affairs (the Iraqi troop surge, the good war, the middle east, ...) , he did not keep his mouth shut. He had a 4 year try at it, now we are not expecting the whole middle east to be a rose garden BUT clearly it ain't working!
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/14/world/meast/embassy-attacks-main/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
Brian
12:55 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Again you state your opinion on the current Administartion which all of us already know but you don't tell us what they specifically did do, didn't do or should do. No surprise there.
"Keep his mouth shut" or "Apologize". Can you be more specific and site sources?
Or is this just your opinion? What would you do dirfferently with regards to Syria? North Korea? China? Besides just stating an opinion based on no facts I think most of here would like to know. Name calling is your MO so keep spreading the "poison".
Start making an argument based upon fact and not opinion and then we can have a decent conversation.
Vincent DiRico
1:03 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
"take a look at what candidate Obama had to say about foreign affairs (the Iraqi troop surge, the good war, the middle east, ...) " -> do some research
"What would you do dirfferently" -> my thoughts are logged in this thread, go take a look -> "hell to pay", ... and it would not be with $s from the US
Bill Kelly
10:24 pm on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Huh. You compare him to Carter- What about Reagan who left our Marines as sitting ducks in Beirut and a suicide truck bomber was able to roll through killing over 200 of them .
Vincent DiRico
9:21 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Yes Jimmy Carter #2. Or Mr Vegas? I will let you choose!
The more info that comes out on 9/11/2012 the more any reasonable thinker can see the cards are tumbling down (no more "spring" in the air) and the problem is not Mitt.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/2012/09/13/protesters-storm-embassy-yemen/us2t4bERzpsuT3d0qcCjHP/story.html
Vincent DiRico
11:47 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Mr Vegas -> Baccarat Obama
priceless!
Bob Samson
10:20 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Obamas Middle East Foreign Policy is collapsing as I write this.
Iron Mike
10:32 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012
He had a Middle East Foreign Policy..??? Does he have ANY foreign policy?
I've been thinking that all he was focusing on was eviscerating America's successful people and giving their money away around the world...
Anna Bucciarelli
11:25 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Iron Mike ... I hail from the Big Apple and I have known about all you spoke of re: diplomats and the UN ... I have not been in NYC for at least 20 years ... is it still happening to the degree it was when I was a girl. I'm sorry to say I no longer have relatives in NY so have little occasion to visit and catch up, tho I read the NY papers online, but have really seen no mention about this business.
Anna Bucciarelli
6:11 am on Friday, September 14, 2012
For what my opinion is worth, I think we have done all we can, given blood, guts and money to the Middle East and it is simply hopeless to expect anything but what is happening now. Except for Israel, we ought to just get out of there once and for all, sever all relations with all those countries which have shown such little appreciation for years of our effort. I don't think it would be a sign of defeat, just a sensible acceptance that we can do no more. Open up our pipelines, let our own oil flow into our land. We really don't need them. Sadly, they don't realize how much they need us.
Just my thought ... get out of there and come home at last.
Anna Bucciarelli
6:26 am on Friday, September 14, 2012
And ...no need to EVER apologize for who we are and what we stand for! Appeasement only increased the horrors of WW11 ... remember?
Iron Mike
1:15 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
To Brian;
Not to deflate your ego [sir], but simply to inform you... None of the patriotic conservatives who write comments here have much interest in 'having a decent conversation' with you.
They've pretty much written you off as an Obama apologist.
Most of us are making comments so that curious and uninformed readers will get a balanced perspective on issues and events. That's pretty hard in this state where Taxocrats outnumber thinking patriots.
If you wish to converse with like-minded Obamaphiles, - try the nearest Starbucks, or drop into Niki's office. She still worships her MEssiah.
Brian
9:39 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
To suggest I am not patriotic shows that you know nothing about me. I apologize for nothing or no one. I don't care about people's political allegiance. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, voicing/showing their support and voting for whom they choose. That is what makes America great. However I think it is just ignorant when people do things like name calling. Disrespecting the President (Republican, Democrat, white, blue, purple or whatever) is unpatriotic.
Iron Mike
10:01 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Brian, this pResident has long ago burned through any grudging 'respect' I might have held him for getting elect.
In the Army I served in - respect was given to the uniform and the rank - upon first contact. Everything after that had to be EARNED.
This particular individual has TOTALLY EARNED my eternal loathing!
Brian
10:48 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
And I could respect your opinion as you just stated.
But I couldn't respect your opinion when you were suggesting I am unpatriotic or by the sarcastic name calling because I happen to disagree with you. You wouldn't earn anyones respect that way and you would be no better than those you were disrespecting. I was taught by my relatives that served, by my family members and my church to respect others and their opinions. Even if they disagree with you.
Al
1:36 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Mike, I'm curious why you think we're not safer now based on the fact we haven't been attacked in all the years of Obama's presidency. Even if you're giving Bush a pass on 9/11 then certainly we have been attacked just as much on either of their watches ( well there was the whole deadly anthrax thing that went unsolved but we'll give him a mulligan on that too...as it mainly affected public sector employees who aren't people in your estimation). The exception - we've killed a lot more high ranking terrorists abroad in the past 3 years than during bush's terms. I love your Starbucks quip too - yes lets make judgements about people's morals and value by the retail establishments they shop at. The left enjoys that same game, go see "people at Walmart" websites.
So in my book you 'conservatives' and 'liberals' are all the same. Demand respect but give none and have no time to understand how things might actually be different for your fellow citizens. Here's why I like Obama, for the past 4 years I've had a steady well paying job in software, my wife has had equal luck in her job in the healthcare field. Our 401Ks tanked at the end of bush's term but now for the first time they are above their 2008 values. We sold one house at a profit and moved into a nicer one. We have good schools in our new town and great job prospects (seriously if I got fired today I could find a job on Monday). Honestly if that happened under McCain I'd be saying "eh, stick with him another 4 years".
Anna Bucciarelli
8:28 am on Saturday, September 15, 2012
'scuse me? "...we haven't been attacked in all the years of Obama's pesidency..."?
What do you call what is happening presently in our embassies (our American soil, by the way) throughout the middle east and elsewhere? Open your eyes, it has little to do with conservative and liberal ideologies, it has to do with ineptness and very poor judgement. For goodness sake, in the final analysis the President is the one to call the shots, the buck really does stop at his desk (which he desicrates with his big feet, not respecting the historical value of that very desk). I belong to no party, my opinions are based on performance and let me just say that the present performance of this President leaves very much to be desired, along with all of the questionable people he has and does surround himself with. Past performance is an indicator of future decisions .... praise and vote for whomever you wish ... just don't expect the rest of society to step in line with your thinking.
I repeat,, we ARE being attacked and it is, indeed, under the present President's watch. We are far from"safe" and just may not be for a very, very long time.