Follow Up Indicates No Progress on 9/11!

9/11 IN PERSPECTIVE…

BY LES AARON

FOUR YEARS OF LOST OPPORTUNITIES…

I WAS SITTING DOWN LISTENING TO GOVERNOR KEENE REVIEWING THE RESULTS OF THE 9/11 COMMISSION AND IT BROUGHT THE WHOLE THING BACK TO ME WITH STUNNING CLARITY.

WHAT I WAS DOING THAT MORNING STARTED TO TAKE OVER MY THOUGHTS. I REMEMBERED HOW SOMEHOW I THOUGHT THE TV WAS SHOWING SOME OLD-FASHIONED SPECIAL EFFECTS MOVIE. ONLY WHEN THE NEWSMAN CAME ON DID THE REALITY START TO COME HOME… I WAS RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A BUSINESS TRIP AND HANDLING SOME OF MY PAPERWORK WHEN 9/11 HAPPENED.

MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS OF BEING HELPLESS. HERE I WAS TWO MILES AWAY WHILE MY WIFE AND MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER WERE WORKING ACROSS FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ON LOWER BROADWAY.

I RAN TO THE ROOF OF MY BUILDING WHICH AFFORDED ME A DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT WITH THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. IT HAD BEEN A PERFECT MORNING, A PHOTOGRAPHER’S DREAM. I COULD LITERALLY SEE THE SMOKE AND FUMES SPREADING TO THESE BUILDINGS AS THE FIRST BUILDING BEGAN TO COLLAPSE.

MY FIRST REACTION WAS THAT THESE BUILDINGS WERE BUILT TO LAST; THEY COULDN’T COLLAPSE; BUT THERE WAS NO OTHER EXPLANATION AS I TRIED TO PEER THROUGH THE THICK DARK CLOUDS THAT SEEMED TO WRAP THEMSELVES AROUND THESE “INDESTRUCTABLE” EDIFICES. AND WHEN THE SMOKE FINALLY CLEARED ENOUGH TO SEE, THE BUILDING WAS SIMPLY NOT THERE.

AFTER REACHING MY WIFE AND CHILD BY CELL PHONE AND DISCOVERING THAT THEY WERE UNHARMED, I DROVE LIKE CRAZY TO THE FOOT OF THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE WHERE A POLICE BLOCKADE EFFECTIVELY PREVENTED THE THOUSANDS LIKE MYSELF FROM CROSSING OVER. THEY ASSURED US THAT THEY WERE DOING EVERYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE!....

IRONICALLY, I LATER COVERED THIS TRAGEDY FOR THE DEMOCRACY CHRONICLE WHERE I WAS A SENIOR EDITOR. IT WAS PARTICULARLY PAINFUL BECAUSE I KNEW PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T MAKE IT BACK THAT DAY.

IN ONE CASE, I WAS ASKED BY A WOMAN, A FRIEND OF MY WIFE’S, TO GO TO THE MAYOR’S OFFICE TO HELP WRITE OUT A DEATH CERTIFICATE BECAUSE SHE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO RECOVER ANY REMAINS OF HER DAUGHTER.

EXPERIENCES LIKE THAT UNDERSCORED WHY THIS PARTICULAR CONFERENCE WAS ESPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT.

A FORMER NEIGHBOR OF THE GOVERNOR, I HAD ALWAYS BELIEVED HIM TO BE HIS OWN MAN AND A PERFECT CHOICE FOR THIS COMMISSION. IF ANYONE COULD GET AT THE TRUTH, TOM KEENE COULD.

I WAS SORRY TO SEE HOW EXASPERATED AND FRUSTRATED HE WAS SOME FOUR YEARS LATER WITH THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT HAD FOLLOWED UP ON THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.

THE GOVERNMENT HAD EARNED FAILING GRADES ON JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING…

SOME OF THE POINTS WORTH NOTING:

THE FIRST RESPONDERS STILL DO NOT HAVE THE TOOLS THEY NEED INCLUDING THE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS THAT WOULD LINK THEM TOGETHER…

THE CONGRESS HAD TURNED THE FUNDING INTO A ‘PORK BARREL’ FREE-FOR-ALL RATHER THAN OPERATING ON A NEED BY NEED BASIS.. IT HAD BEEN THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMISSION THAT THE GREATEST POTENTIAL TARGETS RECEIVE THE GREATEST SHARE OF THE MONIES ALLOCATED TO PROTECT OUR CITIES; IT DIDN’T HAPPEN THAT WAY IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS.…

FOR EXAMPLE, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY WAS CITED AS HAVING USED THE MONEY TO BUY AIR CONDITIONED GARBAGE VANS…

ANOTHER CITY USED THE MONEY FOR BULLET PROOF VESTS FOR ITS POLICE DOGS…AND ON AND ON…

GOVERNOR KEENE AND LEE HAMILTON SAID THAT AS A FOLLOW UP TO THE 9/11 COMMISSION THAT THIS COUNTRY WAS NO BETTER PREPARED NOW TO DEAL WITH A NEW THREAT FROM THE TERRORISTS THAN WE WERE FOUR YEARS AGO DESPITE 14 BILLION DOLLARS ALLOCATED BY CONGRESS…IN ADDITION TO OTHER SPENDING!

THAT’S A STINGING INDICTMENT! AND SEEMINGLY JUSTIFIED.

THERE IS STILL NO PLAN TO PROTECT THE HARBOR IN THE EVENT THAT SOME TERRORIST ORGANIZATION PLANTS A DIRTY BOMB OR OTHER TYPE OF WEAPON IN A CONTAINER…ALTHOUGH IT WOULD COST RELATIVELY LITTLE TO IMPLEMENT PROTECTION COMPARED TO THE COST OF A GIANT CLEAN-UP IF SUCH AN EVENT WERE LIKELY TO HAPPEN…

THERE IS STILL NO PLAN TO PROTECT THE BORDERS OR A PROGRAM IN OPERATION NOW THAT WILL KEEP SOME DETERMINED TERRORISTS FROM INVADING OUR SHORES…

THERE IS STILL NO WORKABLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VARIOUS PROTECTIVE AGENCIES AND NO ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THEIR CULTURES DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY ARE PART OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AN ORGANIZATION THAT PURPORTS TO OVERSEE ALL TERRORIST OPERATIONS, BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND ABROAD….

AND CONGRESS HAS STILL NOT STRAIGHTENED OUT HOW THE MONIES SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO REFLECT PRIORITIES RATHER THAN POLITICAL ENDS.

ALL IN ALL, IT IS A SADDENING THOUGHT TO REALIZE THAT WE HAD FOREKNOWLEDGE OF THE TERRORISTS INTENT AND DID NOTHING…AND, NOW, HAVING EXPERIENCED 9/11, WE ARE STILL AT SQUARE ONE FOUR YEARS LATER IS A TROUBLESOME AND DISTURBING FACT.

ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL 9/11 COMMISSION HAS PERFORMED ITS JOB, THE CHALLENGES WE FACE ARE SO CRITICAL THAT WE NEED TO EMPOWER ANOTHER ORGANIZATION TO SIT IN JUDGMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CONGRESS. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE FIND OUT WHY THEY HAVE BEEN SITTING ON THEIR HANDS; AND WE MUST AT THE SAME TIME RECOGNIZE THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PERPETUATE THE STATUS-QUO IN THIS MATTER. WE NEED TO GO FORWARD AND MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, AS DETERMINED BY THE ORIGINAL COMMISSION, THAT WILL ASSURE US A LEVEL OF SAFETY AND PROTECTION.

TO DO THAT, WILL REQUIRE THE RECOGNITION OF THE PUBLIC AND THEIR COMMITMENT TO FORCING THE CHANGES THAT WE NEED.

AND THE WINDOW IS ALREADY CLOSING!

LES AARON
THE ARMCHAIR CURMUDGEON

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