The Patriot Post® · 20 Years Later, Battered but Not Beaten
Twenty years ago tomorrow, on a crystal clear September morning, terror struck America. Nineteen jihadi hijackers murdered 2,977 Americans. Yet that assault united every American in the effort to, as President George W. Bush put it, “take the fight to the enemy.”
Despite the roiling political divisions that sprouted all too soon, for nearly 20 years, we did just that. Until this summer, that is, when President Joe Biden surrendered Afghanistan back to the very America-attacking terrorists we ousted 20 years ago. Biden’s disgraceful retreat may be complete, but the war is not over. With the poor vetting of Afghan refugees, that may become too true too soon.
As shocking as it may be to say, no, we are not safer than we were 20 years ago. The Heritage Foundation’s Lora Ries concludes, “The Biden administration’s debacle in Afghanistan has made another 9/11 more likely.”
After Biden’s humiliation of the country he’s supposed to be leading, more than a few Americans chafe at his speaking to commemorate tomorrow’s anniversary. In what was originally supposed to be part of Biden’s boastful victory lap for “ending the war” in Afghanistan, he’s planning to visit Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania — the sites of all three attacks. But perhaps because of the catastrophe he created, Biden now doesn’t plan to give a live speech. Instead, he’ll record remarks for the occasion, maybe so his handlers can edit out the part where he checks his watch.
Yet, as political analyst Marc Theissen so powerfully argues, “Biden has no business setting foot in those sacred places on that hallowed day.” After all, Theissen explains:
Joe Biden is the president who surrendered to the enemies who attacked us on 9/11. He not only surrendered but did so with dishonor — leaving stranded behind enemy lines American citizens, legal permanent residents, and the majority of our Afghan allies who risked their lives to help us. Not by accident, mind you. Intentionally. He ordered the last U.S. plane to take off from Kabul knowing that he was leaving them behind — even though he pledged not to leave until every American was out. He forced our NATO allies — who were in Afghanistan only because America was attacked on 9/11 — to do the same to their nationals and Afghan allies. This is a stain on the honor of our nation. At the very moment the bells ring at Ground Zero on 9/11, U.S. citizens and allies will be hiding from Taliban death squads because of Biden’s shameful decisions.
Theissen concludes:
By his dereliction of duty, Biden has abdicated his right to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11. The president who surrendered Afghanistan to our terrorist enemies has no business setting foot in Shanksville, where the heroes of Flight 93 launched the first American counterattack. The president who lost 13 American service members by putting their security in the hands of terrorists has no business laying a wreath at the spot where Flight 77 hit the Pentagon. The president who left our citizens and allies behind in Afghanistan and lied to the American people has no business at Ground Zero. His presence would insult the memory of those who died in that sacred place — and those who gave life and limb to deliver justice to the enemies who struck us that day.
It’s hard to describe the range of emotions millions of Americans feel regarding this anniversary and this administration, but Theissen’s words come close. Maybe that’s why polls continue to show Biden’s support, even among Democrats, cratering.
In news related to 9/11, Biden recently ordered the declassification of some FBI investigation documents. Many families of the victims have been demanding this for years, and the suspicion is that the hijackers, who were all Saudi, had connections to the government of Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have been valuable allies in the War on Terror and they vehemently deny any allegations, though it’s not out of the question that there were connections.
Still, we can’t shake the thought that Biden’s primary motivation is that Donald Trump refused to declassify these documents, and Biden reflexively does the opposite of whatever Trump did. Perhaps we’ll learn valuable truths in any case.
Finally, though our nation is struggling mightily right now under an authoritarian regime focused more on knocking America down a few pegs than making it great, we take comfort in knowing that there are millions of Patriots who will never give up the fight. America is still a nation full of people who aim to follow the rallying cry of Todd Beamer, the hero who fought the terrorists on United 93 and saved untold lives. His words are as powerful as ever: “Let’s roll.”