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The Pain Stays, The Fight Goes On
BY RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI11 years later, remembering the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 In the days immediately following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, many assumed that it would be difficult to lure people back to downtown Manhattan either to live or work. Today, there are more people living downtown than ever before. As people return, small businesses return to serve them. The twin towers were attacked twice by Islamic extremists. America's financial center will always be a target. That's what makes the resurgence of lower Manhattan all the more impressive. We have demonstrated the resiliency that's one of the greatest defenses against Islamic extremist terrorism. Take a walk in Manhattan below Canal St. The bustling shops and crowded streets are testimony to the spirit of a strong democracy. On 9/11, we looked at all of the death and destruction and wondered, "Why? What were the terrorists hoping to achieve? We know they can't defeat us militarily. So what was the point of creating such pain?" There are no easy answers. I've devoted a lot of thought and study to what motivated the terrorists and what motivates those who follow in their footsteps. They're insane, but they're not crazy -- there was a motive for the attack. It was carefully planned to undermine our political, military and financial institutions, with the idea that success against those targets would undermine our willingness to stand up for our way of life. As time has passed and our government has grown very effective at thwarting further strikes, a very natural thing has occurred. People tend to forget. As indelible as that day remains for the people who experienced it firsthand, it is understandable that memory fades and Sept. 11 becomes like Pearl Harbor, a day consigned to our history. That is a mistake. The fact is, this isn't over. We don't have the luxury of forgetting about it. The forces that planned and executed the attacks on Pearl Harbor were vanquished. After World War II, peace treaties were signed and alliances were forged -- durable, productive alliances. The same cannot yet be said for all those who planned and executed the attacks of 9/11. A lot has been made over the words "War on Terror." But whether we call it a "war" or not, they do. And they continue that war. The many thwarted strikes in the past 11 years demonstrate that the same motives of 2001 are very much alive today.
Posted by: trailing wife 2012-09-12 |
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