Sept. 11 Remembered

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Sept 13, 2012
All Rights Reserved.                                         

             On the eve of Sept. 11, a U.S. predator drone attack killed Yemen’s al-Qaeda No. 2  leader Saeed al-Shihri and six other terrorists.  In case anyone forgets the dangers of releasing Guantanamo Bay prisoners, al-Shihri spent six years in U.S. custody after getting plucked off the Afghan battlefield.  Before Sept. 11, the Taliban hosted Osama bin Laden’s terrorist training camps about 100 kilometers from Kabul.  When Bin Laden bombed U.S. embassies Aug.7, 1998 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya, the U.S. was finally getting the message.  Former President Bill Clinton ordered ineffective Cruise missile attacks at Bin Laden’s training camps in a feeble attempt to deal with the menacing Saudi-born terrorist that nearly took down the World Trade Center Twin Towers in 1993.  By the time Clinton finished his last-ditch attempts at Mideast diplomacy in August 2000, Bin Laden struck again Oct. 13, 2000 in Yemen’s Port of Aden.

           Proving that Gitmo prisoners can still harm the U.S., al-Shihri was suspected in the Cole attack, leaving no doubt that the U.S. has a long memory for terrorists.  While the campaign is parked at the door today, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his VP running mate House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) never mention Obama’s successful mission to kill Osama bin Laden May 1, 2011.  Obama’s relentless pursuit of terrorists since taking office Jan. 20, 2009 has netted more high-value targets than his predecessor.  Yesterday’s successful predator drone attack shows how seriously Barack takes his role as Commander-in-Chief.  Despite all the victories, the war against al-Qaeda goes on.  Lurking outside the Arabian Peninsula, the Taliban’s Mullah Mohammed Omar and al-Qaeda No. 1 Ayman al-Zawahri continue to plot against the U.S. and its allies.  Approaching the 11th anniversary, Operation Enduring Freedom rages on.

             Promising to end the Afghan War in 2014, Obama faces tough choices dealing with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.  Karzai’s known for criticizing the U.S. for collateral damage. Obama must decide whether or not there’s any real hope in accomplishing the mission.  Bush wanted to eradicate the Taliban and promote democracy in Afghanistan.  Karzai’s Pashtun tribal roots make him part of the same ethnic clan as the Taliban.  There’s been many reports of Karzai’s security services having close ties to the Taliban.  “We are using all our strength to get rid of him [Prince Harry], either by killing or kidnapping,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters.  Stationed at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Prince Harry, AKA Captain Wales in the British Army, flies helicopters in the treacherous region.  Calling him a “high value target,” Mujahid warned “we have informed our commanders in Helmand to do whatever they can do to eliminate him,” showing the Taliban’s influence.

            British military officials insisted the prince, like other military personnel, are protected, dismissing the Taliban’s bluster.  Like al-Qaeda, the Taliban operates their mouth pieces with free reign, underscoring the primary obstacle to the U.S. completing its mission.  Karzai’s army and the Taliban have close tribal ties, leaving security breaches that threaten U.S and coalition troops   There’s no way of knowing how much enemy infiltration has taken place with Karzai’s Security services, making collaboration impossible without jeopardizing U.S. and coalition forces.  “That’s not a matter of concern,” said NATO Secretary-General Fogh Ramussen in Brussels.  “We do everything we can to protect all our troops deployed to Afghanistan, whatever might be their personal background,” rejecting the Taliban’s threats.  U.S. and allied forces need to be very concerned about Taliban infiltration into Karzai’s security forces, leaving all troops vulnerable to suicide bombers.

             Remembering Sept. 11 raises sobering questions about the U.S. role in Afghanistan.  When Bush began Operation Enduring Freedom Oct. 7, 2001, the mission was to kill or capture Osama bin Laden and Mullah Mohammed Omar. While Barack succeeded nearly 10 years later in getting Bin Laden, the one-eyed Omar and al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri remain at large.  Too many reports of Karzai’s close family ties with the Taliban make it difficult for the U.S. to end the current infiltration making collaboration dangerous to U.S. and coalition forces.  With Bin Laden dead and the U.S. predator drone program doing its job, it no longer justifies continued combat operations.  No amount of counter-insurgency work or bombing Taliban strongholds will change a national movement.  When Obama decided to pull the plug on Iraq Dec. 31, 2011, it didn’t stop the CIA and Pentagon from pursuing Bin Laden and other high-value terrorist targets.

            Going forward from Sept. 11, the U.S. can’t let down its guard wherever terrorists threaten U.S. interests.  Like in Iraq, the U.S. can pursue its national security goals without the Afghan War.  Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney called Iraq the “central front in the war on terror,” a feeble excuse for shifting priorities away from Afghanistan.  It’s now up to Obama to refocus U.S. efforts more efficiently by ending the Afghan War, shifting U.S. assets to fighting the high-tech war on terror.  While there’s been no major attack in the U.S. since Sept. 11, the Homeland Security Department needs to revise its current one-size-fits-all transportation security strategy that punishes U.S. citizens without targeting likely terrorists. Once Nov. 6 rolls around, the nation must find a better way of prosecuting terrorists than starting more conventional wars.  Judging by the CIA and Pentagon’s latest remote control efforts, they’re moving in the right direction.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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