Articles Index The Alarm Has Been Ringing: It’s Past 9:11 and Time to Wake Up!
1993 should have been a wakeup call, when terrorism hit us here at home, but we hit the snooze button. Nine years ago on 9/11 the alarm sounded louder. Why are we still asleep?
When I returned to the U.S. in 1981 all I wanted to do was enter law enforcement. The problem was I was way ahead of the times.
My resume, like all others in the early 1980’s, had a short and long term objective across the top:
“Short term objective: to secure a position with a law enforcement agency.Long term objective: to specialize in anti-terrorism.”
During an interview with the F.B.I. the interviewer read my objectives aloud and laughed as he said “this is America, we don’t have terrorism”.
I shot back with “wait ten years and remember the word Jihad”. Needless to say, the interview ended shortly thereafter and I did not get the job. Also, needless to say I was off by two years.
Interestingly, years later I was a guest on the Jerry Agar Radio talk show along with the former F.B.I. Director (I believe it was Director Louis J. Freeh) discussing 9/11. The former Director formally apologized to me on the air explaining “they only wish they had hired you or people with your knowledge when they had the chance”.
It wasn’t like America hadn’t experienced terror prior to 1993.It just wasn’t here so it didn’t seem too important.
1979- Nov. 4, Tehran, Iran: U.S. embassy seized taking 66 hostages. 14 were later released. The remaining 52 were freed after 444 days.
1982–1991- Lebanon: Thirty U.S. and other Westerners were kidnapped in Lebanon by Hezbollah. Some were killed, some died in captivity and some were released. Terry Anderson was held for 2,454 days.
1983- April 18, Beirut, Lebanon: U.S. embassy destroyed in car-bomb attack; 63 dead, including 17 Americans. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.
Oct. 23, Beirut, Lebanon: Hezbollah suicide bombers exploded a truck at the U.S. military barracks at Beirut airport, killing 241 marines. Minutes later a second bomb killed 58 French paratroopers in their barracks in West Beirut.
Dec. 12, Kuwait City, Kuwait: Shiite truck bombers attacked the U.S. embassy and other targets, killing 5 and injuring 80.
1984- Sept. 20, east Beirut, Lebanon: truck bomb explodes outside the U.S. embassy annex, killing 24, including 2 U.S. military.
Dec. 3, Beirut, Lebanon: Kuwait Airways Flight 221, from Kuwait to Pakistan, hijacked and diverted to Tehran. 2 Americans killed.
1985- April 12, Madrid, Spain: Bombing at a restaurant frequented by U.S. soldiers, killed 18 Spaniards and injured 82.
June 14, Beirut, Lebanon: TWA Flight 847 hijacked to Beirut by Hezbollah terrorists and held for 17 days. A U.S. Navy diver was executed.
Oct. 7, Mediterranean Sea: gunmen attack Italian cruise ship, AchilleLauro. One U.S. tourist killed. Hijacking linked to Libya.
Dec. 18, Rome, Italy, and Vienna, Austria: airports in Rome and Vienna were bombed, killing 20 people, 5 of whom were Americans. Bombing linked to Libya.
1986- April 2, Athens, Greece:A bomb exploded aboard TWA flight 840, killing 4 Americans and injuring 9.
April 5, West Berlin, Germany: Libyans bomb a disco frequented by U.S. servicemen, killing 2 and injuring hundreds.
1988- Dec. 21, Lockerbie, Scotland: N.Y.-bound Pan-Am Boeing 747 exploded in flight and crashes into Scottish village, killing all 259 aboard and 11 on the ground. Passengers included 35 Syracuse University students and many U.S. military personnel. Libya formally admitted responsibility 15 years later (Aug. 2003).
After the 1993 World Trade Center bombing (February 26) I really thought that America had finally gotten its wake up call and had opened its eyes to the threat of Islamic terrorism. Although the U.S. did start to concentrate more on the threat of terror, it was nowhere what was needed.
The terror just continued with more incidents involving targeted Americans leading up to 9/11.
1995- Nov. 13, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: car bomb exploded at U.S. military headquarters, killing 5 U.S. military servicemen.
1996- June 25, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia: truck bomb exploded outside Khobar Towers military complex, killing 19 American servicemen and injuring hundreds of others. 13 Saudis and a Lebanese all members of Hezbollah were indicted in June 2001.
1998- Aug. 7, Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: truck bombs explode almost simultaneously near 2 U.S. embassies, killing 224 (213 in Kenya and 11 in Tanzania) and injuring about 4,500. 4 men connected with al-Qaeda were convicted and sentenced to life in prison. A federal grand jury had indicted 22 men in connection with the attacks, including Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, who remained at large.
2000- Oct. 12, Aden, Yemen: U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole heavily damaged when a small boat blew up alongside it. 17 sailors killed. Again, this was al-Qaeda.
So, after 9/11 I thought to myself “now America has to wake up, there is no way they will ignore the threat of Islamic terror any longer, even if our politicians do the American people won’t”. Boy was I wrong. Dead wrong! 9 years later and we are still sleeping.
Instead of learning from the past, America believed the rhetoric and blamed itself. This did not start on 9/11 due to “our foreign policies”; one look at the past proves this. So where did all this “guilt” come from? Why are Americans more concerned with blaming themselves than with securing the borders or their own safety? What in the hell has to happen for this country to wake up, a chemical/biological or nuclear attack on one of our cities?
Look at the above list; better yet, look at what has happened since 9/11. How many more have to die before you admit the obvious? We are at war, terrorism is real and it will happen again and again. I for one do not want to be writing about the next 9/11 or worse grieving for my own friends or family.
Do not let over 3000 American civilians or over 6700 military deaths be in vain. Wake up to the truth; stop believing that “we” are to blame. This November vote in some people that give a damn about our country and its people’s security or the next time an attack occurs you might not be here to read that it was once again Islamic terror.
The alarm will ring again; will we finally turn it off this time?
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2010-09-11 17:39:25 |74.214.40.xxx| Reese
Thank you Gadi, thank you for your perseverance, for continuing to scream as you face the frustrations of a deaf and ignorant society. Thank you for continuing to bang that drum and being ok with waking one person at a time and educating us. I continue to daily learn more and more, and try and do my part in educating, and I feel I think perhaps just an ounce of your frustrations since I, too, feel so many walls in the name of PC and tolerance, that must be broken down.
Blessings upon you and all of America as we face this ...
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2010-09-12 13:02:23 |151.213.210.xxx| Diana Pinkstock
Many Americans have learned the truth, but sadly, many have not. These are the Americans who are still watching main stream media for their information or prefer to walk around blissfully ignorant rather than face the truth. I find this extremely unsettling when there is such a wealth of information out there to educate themselves. They have been deceived into believing that Islam is really a "religion" of peace by most "moderate" muslims. Political correctness will be the death of us if we do not continue to educate.
I read an article from a woman who was raised muslim in Egypt ( sorry, I do not recall her name)she stated, "Tolerating intolerance is not a sign of compassion; it is gross negligence". God bless you Gadi as you continue your calling to try and educate while there is still time.
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2010-09-20 10:59:39 |72.201.120.xxx| EMA - Awakening
Well - does the public continue to snooze or will we all finally wake up and realize the threat that terrorism holds for us here in the U.S.?
Gadi - continue with your good works and words and hopefully you'll reach a larger portion of the "sleeping citizens" of this great country. The common folk refuse to believe that terrorism is a threat and someone has to rattle the cage and wake the people up!
Let's pass the word along, folk - tell others about this web site and others like it - perhaps this will begin the wake-up call!
In talking; and mostly listening; to the boots on the ground; I hear the frustration of the soldiers. I believe that the citizens repeatedly saying that its national security and not just drug lords crossing the borders that make us want those borders secured. As its not just the incredible restrictions put on our soldiers in battle that is frustrating both the citizens and soldiers. We see the leadership of this country for what it is. Part of the destruction of our very way of life. obama backed his first cousin, Odinga, in Africa. does that show us anything?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh10-w351MI
It shows us that he supports both terrorism and sharia. And the people are outraged. It shows in the mobilization across the country and everyone from the oath keepers, the well regulated militia, the veterans groups to the soldiers now in action and the sheriffs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYRfkXK13KM
who are aware that this gov will not only refrain from protecting us but, are themselves a threat to the citizens of this country. My last correspondence was to a lt gov and in discussion with our next governor in what the states plan to do to protect this country. They see what is not only happening here but, throughout the world. Sites around the world showing not just the major attacks but, Noor Almaleki and beheadings, burning of Christian and Jewish children, the twisted lies being put forth about Israel, the enabling of Iran to gin nuclear weapons at the hands of russia, the murder two weeks ago of the russian investigator into the plane crash of the polish president and his family [which was no accident] among the other horrific and blatant attacks. It is building. And as we pray; we are mobilizing and preparing; around the world; for the great battle of good and evil. Its going to take a change in power. And that is coming. The people no longer believe the lies.