9/11: Some Can Never Forget
The tragedy of 9/11 has permanently bonded many of those affected by that day.
NewMajority asked a former Homeland Security Department Secretary, retired CIA and FBI officials, and some families who lost loved ones for their impressions and reflections on this somber day in American history.
September 11th will always be embedded in the minds and spirits of those most affected. All those interviewed unequivocally felt it is a day of mourning and remembrance. Gordon Haberman, who lost his daughter at the World Trade Center, reflected that “9/11 to me is fresh every day… 9/11 will always be a day of remembrance for me.” For many of the CIA and FBI officials interviewed by NewMajority it is no different. A former CIA operative noted that “I think about it every day. In my mind it was practically yesterday. It’s still raw for a lot of us.” Craig Dotlo, a former FBI agent, explained how his fellow colleagues felt while investigating the terrorist act. He sadly commented that “those victims are no longer faceless, but they are real people with families and dreams whose lives were extinguished in just moments. Seasoned FBI agents who felt the pain of those families… knew this incident would leave an indelible mark on the victim’s families and many would never really be able to recover from it.”
The family members interviewed hope that Americans will not forget and become complacent. John Pasquale who lost a son and son-in-law at the World Trade Center stated “People always forget the lessons of the past.” Another former operative concurred with Pasquale in stating that “I’m becoming increasingly concerned that the U.S. has forgotten, especially since there’s not been another major attack here.”
Many former officials told NewMajority that they will never forget that nightmarish day. A former high ranking CIA official wants the family members to know that “I think of 9/11 all the time. I want to always remember the awful feeling of that day. To forget would dishonor those who died.” Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who recently wrote the book Homeland Security, commented to NewMajority that “I have not forgotten them. I have on my desk a piece of steel which has written on it ‘recovered steel World Trade Center’ and I keep it on my desk because it is a visible symbol that I have NOT forgotten.”
All those interviewed feel that the current administration is soft regarding the War on Terror. Debra Burlingame, whose brother was the pilot of the plane that crashed into the Pentagon, is outraged about what this administration is doing. She angrily stated that “he (Obama) is not taking us back to September 10th; he is taking us back to worse than that. At least on September 10th the public was unaware of the nature of the threat.” A former high ranking CIA official agreed and explained that he thinks “about the families and how their lives were forever changed in an instant - and how that could easily happen again to other unsuspecting families.”
The family members are horrified at how the Obama administration is weakening the CIA and catering to the rights of the terrorists. Alice Hoagland who lost a son on United Flight 93 felt it is a travesty that those who are truly guilty, the terrorists, are not getting prosecuted; yet, Attorney General Holder is deciding if CIA operatives should be prosecuted. She furiously stated that “people are whining in the fact that the terrorists were waterboarded. I would happily be waterboarded if it would bring my son back to me.” Joe Holland who lost a son at the World Trade Center does not understand why the CIA is being punished for doing their job which saved lives and stopped attacks. He wonders “if the Obama administration’s actions are making this country risk averse" and he "hopes that Americans wake up.”
Jacquie Van Laere, who lost a brother at the World Trade Center, feels that many Americans do not understand the circumstances surrounding the period directly after 9/11. She insightfully stated that “it is very difficult to look back in hindsight and make a judgment. My brother and 3,000 other people were blown apart. I think we had every reason to fear much worse and I think the CIA was acting on our best behalf.” Another former high ranking CIA official made the same point when he noted that “people don’t understand that time was not on the CIA’s side. We were within days of stopping another attack. No one can understand that unless they were there.”
Going forward what should be done? Bob and Shirley Hemenway, who lost a son at the Pentagon, felt that “the CIA should be left alone to do their job to keep Americans safe.” Maureen and Al Santora want Americans to recognize “who are the truly evil ones.” They are tired of hearing criticism about the CIA from those individuals “who would never put their lives on the line and complain how these poor individuals (the terrorists) were treated so miserably. None of the terrorists were beheaded, none were shot, and none were stabbed.” A former CIA station chief wanted Americans to stop assuming the danger has passed and quit tolerating “the administration’s pandering to leftist interest groups and turning on the intelligence community.” Richard Marquise, a former FBI agent, wants to prevent 9/11 from ever happening again which is “one of the reasons I do what I do - teach cops how to prevent terrorism.”
Kent Clizbe, a former CIA operative, became very emotional when reflecting about the past and commenting on the future. He wanted the 9/11 family members to know that “Americans are sorry for their losses and that those fighting the terrorists, whether the FBI, CIA, law enforcement, or those in the military, are doing their best to strike those that killed your loved ones. We will continue to do our best so please keep the faith.”