Five years after 9/11 it is not clear we are better off.....

::::::::

By John E. Carey
September 10, 2006

America cannot be defeated when America is resolved and united. The problem with America today is that it is neither.

Immediately after 9/11; President Bush was asked what all Americans could do to participate in the war against terror. He said go shopping.

We did not mobilize; and I am not certain that would have been the correct response.

But I do know that newspapers balked at the "go shopping" response and so did many others.

On Sunday September 30, 2001, Mary Riddell wrote in The Observer (London), "Shop for victory. Buy for Bush and Blair. What to get? Big, expensive stuff, clearly...."

Doesn't seem to have been the right response.

Five years on, as the Brits say, what do we have?

* Osama bin Laden still apparently on the lam.

* War in Iraq and Afghanistan continuing.

* The issue of whether WMD were or were not in Iraq has caused, and still causes, doubt and division.

* Colin Powell is out, Condi Rice is in.

* The issue of the appropriate troop level for Iraq has never gone away. General Eric K. Shinseki, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army said that several hundred thousand troops would be needed. The Secretary of Defense thought less. Shinseki retired without the benefit of a handshake from the Secretary at his retirement ceremony. And, in a recent move to "beef up" U.S. forces in Baghdad, troops scheduled to come home had their tours of duty in Iraq extended.

* Despite the fact that we have had many successes disrupting the terrorists, we still live with some trepidation and fear.

* One of our key allies in the war against terror is Pakistan; headed by a General named Musharraf who took over in a coup. Just yesterday, Musharraf seemed to be defending his policy of leaving terrorists in his country alone so long as they don't stir up trouble.

* Hezbollah is a household word.

* Ahmadinejad is almost a household name. He has long range missiles, defies the United Nations and is apparently working on nuclear weapons.

* Military action upon Iran by the United States seems inevitable.

* North Korea has nuclear weapons and long range missiles of some questionable reliability.

* The United States has a missile defense system. Eleven missiles strong. Or is it twelve.

* Port security is still an issue. Most people recall that some of our major east coast ports were almost sold to an Arab nation: Dubai.

* The entire U.S. government was reorganized and the Department of Homeland Security was created. Unfortunately, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may have suffered in the process. At least the people of New Orleans suffered and one can argue how much of that was ineptitude, bad organization, a lesson in the ravages of Mother Nation or other factors. Hurricane Katrina, and the government response, would seem to be one of the major events impacting on the American psyche in the last five years.

* Juxtaposed to Katrina is the American and international response to the Earthquake and tsunami in Thailand – an event featuring an outpouring of remarkable American generosity, organizational skill and caring.

* Kofi Annan is a household name and almost no conservatives believe he has done or can do any good. In fact, most believe he does more harm than good. Liberals think the U.N. is one of the future hopes of the world.

* France has proven itself spineless, if you are a conservative; full of wisdom if you are a liberal..

* Tony Blair stood tall with the president of the United States and will be retired for it.

* Political correctness means we still search ninety year old grandmothers at airports as often as we search men of Arab ancestry. But to change this policy would require the institution of racial profileing.

* Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld have named the terrorists "Islamo-fascists." Some Democrats have done the same to the aforementioned.

My list is incomplete as are my conclusions. We invite readers to submit feedback and participate in the discussion.

Five years after 9/11 it is not certain that we are better off. Or on the right track. The only thing certain is that we are not united.

Authors Website: http://peace-and-freedom.blogspot.com/

Authors Bio:
John E. Carey is the former president of International Defense Consultants, Inc.