By Sarah V. Dailey
September 11, 2001 is a day that will do down in history much like the dates of April 6, 1917, when the United States declared war on Germany, and December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. September 11, 2001 is a date that forever will be remembered for many years to come; it is a day when the U.S. was attacked by an unidentified enemy and Americans watched in horror as it unfolded on national television.
During the biggest terrorist attack in U.S. history, two hijacked 767 airliners flew into the twin buildings of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing both towers to collapse into piles of rubble and claiming many lives. Less than 20 minutes later, another airline crashed into the west section of the Pentagon, said to be heading for the White House, resulting in a lockdown on federal government, airspace and financial markets. Just hours later another hijacked plane bound for San Francisco crashed in western Pennsylvania; its destination was believed to be the President’s Maryland retreat of Camp David.
“Today our nation saw evil,” President George W. Bush said in his address to the nation Tuesday evening. Bush, who was in Florida during the time of the attack, was taken to Offutt Air Force base in Omaha, Nebraska for security measures before leaving for Washington. “Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and pursue those responsible for these cowardly actions,” Bush said while in Florida.
“We have not made a determination for who is responsible for this attack,” U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said in an address to the nation Wednesday afternoon. “We are working not only to bring justice but punishment.”
No one claimed responsibility for the attacks; however, federal authorities identified Osama bin Laden, a former Saudi businessman, as the prime suspect. U.S. officials are beginning to put together a case, which connects bin Laden to the recent devastation. The interception of communication between his supporters as well as cell phone calls from a flight attendant and passengers aboard the planes are aiding U.S. officials to the link of bin Laden and this horrific tragedy. Days later new evidence began to emerge:19 highjackers were identified and U.S. officials have confirmed that two, believed to have highjacked the plane that crashed into the Pentagon, were known associates of bin Laden.
“My view is it’s probably a bin Laden operation, given the complexity of the operation and given the target,” said Robert Blitzen, former head of domestic counterterrorism for the FBI. A London-based Arab journalist said that bin Laden’s followers warned his newspaper by telephone three weeks earlier that there would be a major attack.
Former Saudi Arabian citizen bin Laden is known to be responsible for terrorist attacks against the U.S. in 1993 with the bombing of the World Trade Center and the 1998 bombing of two U.S. embassies in Africa, as well as last year’s bombing of the USS Cole. He is quoted by the Al-Quads Al-Arbi newspaper as saying, “Our fight now is against the Americans.” His Saudi citizenship was taken away from him and he has been in hiding in Afghanistan under the protection and support of the Taliban government, Afghanistan’s Islamic militia. He has made numerous efforts to get Muslims worldwide to join him in a holy war and, according to religious edicts faxed to the outside world, has declared war on the U.S. He is quoted as saying, “I categorically state that I have not done this.” The people of the nation as well as our leader think otherwise.
“If [bin laden] thinks he can hide and run from the United States and our allies, he will be sorely mistaken,” Bush said.
“We have tried our best in the past – and we are willing in the future – to assure the United States in any kind of way we can that Osama is not involved in these kinds of activities,” Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil said from Kabul. Anthony Cordesman, a terrorism expert from the Washington-based Studies, also warned against assuming that bin Laden is responsible.
Stepping into his role as Commander in Chief, Bush announced that the U.S. “will not relent until we have saved ourselves and others from the terrible tragedy that came upon America.” He later stated that, “We’re at war.” He has ordered troops to get ready for war while preparing Americans for the long road ahead.
In the meantime, Bush has advised Americans to go about their lives while he prepares the nation for war.
“This is the Pearl Harbor of American terrorism,” said Larry Johnson, a former CIA and State Department terrorism official. “Just as occurred with Pearl Harbor, we will get through this. These groups that have called for killing Americans and gone unscathed are going to pay the price. We will overcome the grief, but after the grief, there’s rage.”
