The 9/11commission report
The 9/11 attacks were carried by militants related to the al-Qaida, an extremists Islamic group. They targeted against the US, the attack involved two planes were flown to the World trade center, and one hit the pentagon outside Washington, D.C and a fourth one crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. This attack resulted in mass loss of lives and destruction of property. Osama bin Laden’s attack of September 11 was determined by his fury at the countries of the west. This was especially the influence of US in Saudi Arabia; where Muslims believe is the birthplace of their faith. This to Osama was aggression against Muslims and he presented a group of Muslim faithful who were against the presence of U.S troops in the Saudi as well us policies in the Middle East. He effectively used his religions that supported jihad and history to propagate these attacks. Using his religion, he seeks to restore the pride of those who counts themselves among the victims of oppressive foreign masters. He alludes to the Quran and appeals to people to remain oriented by the changing modernity and globalization. He further mentioned that the people of Iraq ware suffering because of sanctions imposed to them after the gulf war and objected the US support for Israel.[1] This course as prompted Osama to built political and ideological sect that is dynamic and deadly. This framework is capable of attracting, training, and using the trainees in dangerous mission against the perceived enemies.
His view of the religion is based on the argument that today’s modernity and uncertainty was destructed due to leaders leaving the religious devotion and calls his followers to give themselves to martyrdom emphasizing that the walls of oppression and humiliation cannot be broken except in a rain of bullets. Osama further perceives western achievements as purely material adding that the western possess nothing more than nothing will satisfy its consequences and justify its existence. The Islamic extremists had before the 9/11 attack given warning of a massive death of Americans and therefore the situation would have been prevented if the US took it as a shock. Prior to this attack, al-Qaida had struck some attacks aimed at killing the Americans. Terror related attacks are to him a good defense of and beset faith and nonbelievers are worthy of damage
In the February 26, 1993, a large bomb was denoted at the two towers of World Trade center[2]. As this was not a suicide assault, the terrorist parked car bomb with a tool timing level B-2 then left. The explosion killed six people and opened a completely seven stores up. The FBI called few numbers of culprits a miracle.
Though several threats were detected, at times no urgent action was taken. This was despite the fact that al-Qaida training and plan was continuing. On their sides, the extremists were at times challenged by dropping of some members with others not being able to penetrate to the states. Some like Moussaoui were arrested for violating migration laws.[3]
This was to prove that terrorism had not been a priority for the Clinton administration, a weakness that spill over for the Bush government. The leadership might not have given the matter the weight it deserved because the debate on Osama and the Al-Qaida was not a major topic of discussion among the public, the media and even in the Congress.
Osama’s terror group Al-Qaida has executed several attacks against the America. In the August 1998, a group of terrorists bombed U.S Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The government responded by launching cruise missiles against the alleged al-Qaeda zones in Sudan and Afghanistan[4], on his part President Clinton adopted diplomatic tactics to persuade the Afghanistan leadership to expel Osama[5]. The US intelligence kept receiving terror reports organized by the al-Qaida and managed to break some of the al-Qaida cells. Further, the Clinton administration paid foreign agents to capture or kill Osama and his chief militants.
As Clinton passed leadership to Bush, the cole attacks were still ending with President Bush accepting that al-Qaeda was responsible for the attack and developed a plan to eliminate Osama on a period of three to five years. Though President Bush was alerted of attacks in a president daily brief article in August 2001, precaution was taken on the regions that the article cited but domestic agencies not alerted. Therefore, the danger did not receive the attention that it required especially from the media. However, the al-Qaeda evolved and devised new terrorism methods that posed challenges to the US weak capabilities[6]. Several agencies failed, for example, the CIA did not seek an expansion before the 9/11 though it had minimal capability to conduct paramilitary operation with its own workers
On their part, the department of defense did not fully participate in countering al-Qaida. NORAD failed to provide retain any alert bases and majored in the dangers of planes coming from oversees and overlooked those channeled American targets. Most seriously, the FBI did not have the ability to connect the entire knowledge of agents on the ground to national priorities as other domestic agencies delayed the FBI[7]. If the administration had assessed and predicted the possibility of a suicide hijacking, measures to fix the situation could have been taken.
Failure of combating the 9/11 attack was an indication the t the government had failed in managing the challenges in this century. The government inability to pool the intelligence resources and set priorities on allocating the responsibilities to security entities was wrong. The government should have identified, reached out, and cooperated with the countries that have prioritized war against terrorism or even established a practical strategy to identify and make the extremist and terrorist’s zones insecure need be put in place by maximizing national power. Such include zones like Pakistan that gave a bases fob the nurturing of the Taliban leading to its little people in democracy.
The government and the international community should make commitment to prioritizing and stabilizing the state of the citizens of Afghanistan. This would be by empowering the Afghanistan government to extend its authority in their country and improve the lives of the citizens. Working at ensuring that Afghanistan does not become haven for world terrorism and crime will help reduce instances of terrorism attacks.
Open confrontation of the strained America Saudi relationship will aid the situation[8]. By building relationships that, involve both sides willing to defend publicly their political and economic benefits. This will give with the people of Saudi a common cause with the rest of the world. This would trigger interest of cultural aspect and tolerance, which would in turn lead to commitment in combating extremist who carry a lot of hatred for America and its sympathizers.
The 9/11 attacks would not have been successful if the government had embraced the recommendation of the commission established after the attacks. The effects would not have occurred nor the lives lost. This therefore calls the government to be more vigilant in the future.
Bibliography
May, Ernest R. The 9/11 Commission Report with Related Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.
[1] Ernest R. May, The 9/11 Commission Report with Related Documents. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007), 22-23.