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The 19 hijackers had many contacts and interactions in radicalized mosques here and abroad. Prior to 9/11 (as former CIA agent Robert Baer also reported in his book, See No Evil) the rules prohibited agents from gathering intelligence in such houses of worship. That policy was sensitive and politically correct — and it may have cost many innocent lives.
It's time for the ACLU and others on the left, along with their libertarian allies on the right, to stop their shrill and automatic criticism of the Patriot Act and of Attorney General John Ashcroft. They need to at least recognize the significance of what both are trying to achieve. Yes, we must always be vigilant in preserving our freedoms. But that can't be accomplished unless we also protect our security. A few years from now, if the war on terrorism is going well, we can take a second look at what weapons we still need and what weapons we can discard. But right now the Patriot Act is necessary — as Ashcroft has maintained, and as many prominent Democrats — John Kerry, John Edwards, Bob Graham, Tom Daschle, and Joe Biden among them — have attested.
But it wasn't just these agencies that misunderstood the seriousness of the threat posed by jihadist terrorism. It was top leaders in Congress and in several administrations. More astonishing, perhaps, is how many people continue to resist looking reality in the face even today.
What we can say is that there is no doubt that prominent Saudis have been involved in both funding and encouraging terrorism. What we can say is the Saudi regime has not yet been open and forthcoming about the extent of Saudi involvement. At some point, hopefully sooner rather than later, we'll find out what was blacked out. At some point, hopefully sooner rather than later, members of the Saudi royal family will make the choice they have spent years avoiding: Do they want to be America's ally in the Islamic world? Or do they want to continue spreading Wahhabi hatred and incitement against Christians, Jews, moderate Muslims, and Hindus? They can't be the former while doing the latter for much longer. Finally, the point
of this report and others that will follow should not be to place blame.
These inquiries should not be used as grist for the usual political mills.
We need to learn — from our mistakes as well as from our successes.
As rapidly as possible, we need to find the most effective ways to defend
ourselves from an enemy who is as dangerous and as insidious as any the
Free World has faced. |
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ven a cursory glance at the 900-page congressional 9/11 report released
Thursday should lead to some conclusions — and, hopefully, to some
consensus. For example:
The inquiry found no "smoking gun," no intelligence that —
had it been better understood or more creatively interpreted — would
have provided advance warning of the attack. But the report also makes clear
that part of the problem was that our gumshoes and spooks weren't looking
for guns — smoking or otherwise — in the places they were most
likely to be hidden.
