2008 Woodie Awards
A World of Terror
Christine A. Gianino
Issue date: 9/22/04 Section: News
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Three years after the atrocious attacks of September 11th, Americans must wonder not only about the safety of our country, but also about the safety of the world. While the war on terror rages on, the same terrorist organizations that, theoretically, should have been weakened, remain resilient and determined to attack suddenly, unexpectedly, and in gargantuan proportions. Russia is currently attempting to recover from its own crisis with terror. The attacks of early September included the simultaneous bombing of two commercial airliners, a suicide bombing at the Moscow metro, and, most notably, the taking hostage of schoolchildren which resulted in hundreds of deaths.1 President Vladimir Putin announced on September 14th that billions of dollars were being allocated from the budget to make a "war on terror" the foremost prerogative of the Russian government. Does this sound familiar? It should. Putin's announcement is startlingly reminiscent of a similar claim made by President George W. Bush almost exactly three years ago.
On September 13th, 2001, President Bush announced that America would "lead the world to victory"2 in the first war of the 21st century. The next day, he commanded the military to call 50,000 reservists to duty. On the 16th, Bush declared that the United States would embark on a "crusade" to "rid the world of evil-doers."2
And who were these "evil-doers"? The targets at the time were Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, and the 19 Islamic extremists who hijacked the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Today, these men have been seemingly long forgotten, not only by the government but also by the American people. Over one thousand American soldiers have been killed in the ongoing battles in Iraq, a country that had nothing to do with the September 11th attacks. Osama bin Laden, once our top priority and the most-wanted man in America, for whom Bush declared, "I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive,'" 3 has not been captured. The weapons of mass destruction have not been found. The terror alerts throughout the country still remain at troubling levels.
On September 13th, 2001, President Bush announced that America would "lead the world to victory"2 in the first war of the 21st century. The next day, he commanded the military to call 50,000 reservists to duty. On the 16th, Bush declared that the United States would embark on a "crusade" to "rid the world of evil-doers."2
And who were these "evil-doers"? The targets at the time were Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, and the 19 Islamic extremists who hijacked the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Today, these men have been seemingly long forgotten, not only by the government but also by the American people. Over one thousand American soldiers have been killed in the ongoing battles in Iraq, a country that had nothing to do with the September 11th attacks. Osama bin Laden, once our top priority and the most-wanted man in America, for whom Bush declared, "I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive,'" 3 has not been captured. The weapons of mass destruction have not been found. The terror alerts throughout the country still remain at troubling levels.