Last week, our country paid tribute to those who lost their lives needlessly in the horrific terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. Many firefighters, families and friends of loved ones lost paused for a moment of silence between 8:46 a.m. (when the first of the Twin Towers was hit) and 10:00 a.m. (when Flight 93 went down in a Pennsylvania field). Nearly 3,000 people were killed that morning, including the19 al Qaeda terrorist hijackers who carried out the attacks.

The National Geographic Channel put together a four-hour mini series titled “Inside 9/11”. I was only able to catch a portion of this program, but it was very chilling to watch. In 1998, Osama bin Laden granted an interview to journalist John Miller, former co-host of ABC’s 20/20. It must have been very unnerving for Miller to sit and listen to bin Laden declare war on the United States, threatening to target both our military personnel and civilians. The events that would lead up to the September 11^th attacks began shortly after that interview was granted to Miller. Two United States embassies were the targets of suicide bombers in Kenya and Tanzania on August 17, 1998 - the work of al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. The group was also said to have been behind the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. 

It was disturbing to learn that the 19 radicals involved in the September 11^th attacks lived and walked among us for years, using their real names and obtaining state driver’s licenses. The hijackers designated to storm the cockpits and re-direct the aircrafts to their intended targets were enrolled in flight schools in the states of Arizona and Florida. We welcomed the executioner with open arms.

We had the opportunity to rid ourselves of bin Laden on at least two occasions; however, we were so worried about injuring or killing innocent civilians, we ended up pulling the plug on the missions. Osama bin Laden never reciprocated that courtesy. He’s killed thousands of innocent people – Americans – and still he walks a free man. Has he won his war against the United States?