Terrorist attacks a universal television event

I think that most people will remember where they were at that time; I was in the Black Lion pub in Meguro, Tokyo.

And America has been living in fear ever since. Remeber those bizzare people using plastic sheeting and duct tape to make their homes safe from germ warfare attacks in the aftermath? The lasting legacy of 9/11 is the rush to war against those not involved. And still the wars continue.

Just hope they don't go through the reading of all the names again. or if they do can they tag on the 100,00 + who have died as a result of the consequent american response.

Time to get over it and reflect on the whys of it happening. And sorry, it was not because they hate your freedom - of which much you so easily gave away.

And I still want to know why the debris of the "lets roll" plane was spread over 10KMs if it crashed in one piece.

I remember it vividly. I got a call from a friend and turned the TV on at the exact moment the second plane hit the second tower live. It was a jaw dropping sensation. I also remember trying to get onto the internet for more information but the networks were flooded and impossible to connect.

Time to get over it and reflect on the whys of it happening. And sorry, it was not because they hate your freedom - of which much you so easily gave away.

Comments like this have always been disgusting. The reasoning for the attacks was well spelled out in the Fatawa of 1998 which provided religious authorization for indiscriminate killing of Americans and Jews everywhere. The reasons being; sanctions against Iraq, troops in Saudi Arabia (troops that were requested and remain there at the request of that nations government mind you), and the support of Israel.

So allow me the opportunity to reflect.

We, along with dozens in the international community, supported sanctions on Iraq due to its aggressive activities in the region in addition to innumerable human rights violations. In retrospect things may have gone a lot better if those sanctions would have been even more stringent, maybe instead of invading the country Iraq could have accellerated the Arab spring by about a few years.

I already mentioned that the U.S maintains troops in Saudi Arabia at the bequest of the government there so I'll leave it at that. We are there by invitation and if a group has a problem with that they can take it up with the Saudi's...I hear they're very open to constructive criticism.

Our support for Israel is long standing. It's our only actual ally in a sea of what was then a sea of dictators and despots, it may not be the prettiest or cleanest friend to have but it's it acts as a vaulable stragetic ally in the region.

Upon reflection I still fail to see how any of this justified starting a chain of events that has been of no benefit to anybody. The U.S has spent itself into a hole, the insurgents are largely dead or in hiding, Europe is tearing itself apart, the Middle East is in upheaval, and Osama is dead.

So did I miss anything? I'd love to know exactly why the ramblings of an old man in any way, shape, or form justify the killing of thousands of people that probably didn't even know he existed. Is there some grand revelation that I'm missing here? Because maybe it's the nostelgia talking but think most people kind of liked the way things were before the attacks.

And I still want to know why the debris of the "lets roll" plane was spread over 10KMs if it crashed in one piece

Throw a glass bottle at the ground as hard as you can at an angle...now imagine it's a thousand times larger and going several hundred miles an hour. Glass bottles are pretty sturdy and most of it's going to end up where it initially broke but bits and pieces are going to fly everywhere.

TheQuestionAug. 17, 2011 - 11:43AM JST

Comments like this have always been disgusting.

What is disgusting is the never-ending sense of entitlement to this event. Don't assume the latitude giving to people grieving (both those with cause who lost loved ones and those without whose only investment was a sense of national pride) was ever anything but a nice gift. And since we saw how that gift got translated into two wars that still have not really ended and really did not have a lot to do with 9/11, I think we should all be hesitant to ever give that gift of latitude again.

And now ten years later? Latitude over. Finished. Gone.

This is not directed at those who lost family. But to those who just felt a pang in the national pride, ten years later, suck it up princess! Right now, there are people LITERALLY dying because you got into a funk of self-obsession and prompted your Congress to just kick all power to Bush 2 and look what he did with it!

SimondBAug. 17, 2011 - 10:32AM JST

And America has been living in fear ever since.

Actually, America had already been living in fear for a long time. 9/11 prompted a sharp rise and quite a plateau.

SiamondB:

" Time to get over it and reflect on the whys of it happening. And sorry, it was not because they hate your freedom - of which much you so easily gave away. "

Please. Are you digging out those ridiculous troother theories here? That surely is below the level of this comment board.

And about hating our "freedom", yes that is precisely what the salafists do. Although GWB has been pathetically clumsy in addressing that issue. Of course Salafists hate the Western freedom of people to select their own governments and make their own laws. Because God has made a law for mankind (dictated 1400 years ago), and Gods will will only be fulfilled once we all have been submitted under that law. Salafism is very clear about that. It is no secret, you can read up on any of thousands of fundamentalists preachers to confirm that.

So please don´t pretend that 9/11 was somehow special, somehow unique, somehow unprecedented, and somehow unrelated to a very serious doctrine. It is not difficult to read up on the subject.

Willib,

you should look up Dominionism and its relation to Michelle Bachmann's beliefs.

You can't deny that our bloated, decade-plus wars are motivated in no small part by religious beliefs. I supported the wars at first, both of them, but they were completely mishandled and have gone on far too long. They now have more in common with the extremism we purport to be battling against.

I mourn 9/11 more with each passing year, because with each passing year we begin to have more in common with the monsters that caused it.

I have heard the commission reports (albeit condensed versions). I have seen almost every bit of footage - amateur and official - of the events. I have watched several documetaries, neutral and otherwise (except for the crap on Fox, which is always, well, crap). I have also seen and read a number of conspiracy theories, some idiotic and some surprisingly logical.

What I've come to realize is that there are way too questions left unanswered. So many people are content to simply mourn and pay their respects. Meanwhile, others have made it their priority to preach about diligence, tolerance, security measures, strengthening international ties (or in some cases nationalism), and getting the people responsible for these attacks. Yet, there aren't enough people continuing to ask questions and pressure the government for the truth concerning these events and their aftermath. Examining the lives of media personalities, be they direct or indirect witnesses to 9/11, is pointless filler that does nothing but perpetuate human drama. At the same time, most media outlets and networks are content to spew such filler while utterly neglecting the pursuit for answers.

September 11, 2001 was more of a catalyst for an invasion and a blackout effect with regards to access to some intelligence reports and financial records than it was a reminder that there are people who want to destroy America. People have always wanted to destroy America and there always will be. Hell, some Americans themselves want to destroy America, and that too is nothing new.

That whole fiasco ten years ago left a lot of loose ends, and it's a guarantee that the wars in the Middle East are a step in the wrong direction to tying them up.

TheQuestionAug. 17, 2011 - 11:43AM JST

Throw a glass bottle at the ground as hard as you can at an angle...now imagine it's a thousand times larger

Now try the same with an aluminum can first filled with pebbles then topped with water, with wings and tail/rudder pieces taped on. Metal does not react like glass unless its been tempered.

Ten years zoomed past, it doesn't feel like that long ago.

America got into a war with Afghanistan (the Iraq war didn't start until after we couldn't find Bin Laden in Afghanistan) because the Taliban who controlled Afghanistan refused to turn over Bin Laden when asked - multiple times. Had they handed over Bin Landen when asked, then there'd be no war, no deaths in Afghanistan, and (IMHO) no war in Iraq. So if you want to put blame for the post-9/11 wars on someone, lay it on the Taliban for their obstinance.

Thats all there is on the news, terror this, terror that, oil, oil blah blah so much negativity when the main news should focus on the economy more then anything and not finding scape goats, speaking of 911 go to video.google.com and type 'loose change' its a great documentary to watch

I have to dispute something mentioned by the author early on: Americans, for the most part, did not get the news of 9/11 and its aftermath from ABC, CBS and NBC. They got it from CNN, which covered it nonstop that day and for many days afterwards. In some ways, it was CNN's finest hour.

Don't assume the latitude giving to people grieving (both those with cause who lost loved ones and those without whose only investment was a sense of national pride) was ever anything but a nice gift. And since we saw how that gift got translated into two wars that still have not really ended and really did not have a lot to do with 9/11, I think we should all be hesitant to ever give that gift of latitude again.

How did you manage to misconstrue the devestation of an economy and the deaths of thousands as a gift in any way shape or form?

Also, I get tired of mentioning this but Afghanistan and Iraq were, and always have been, two seperate conflicts with differing causes and end goals. I've always been of the opinion that the U.S was justified in going into Afghanistan after numerous attempts to have named perpetrators handed over for investigation were refused. Likewise I believe the reasoning for the Iraq war left much to be desired.

Right now, there are people LITERALLY dying because you got into a funk of self-obsession and prompted your Congress to just kick all power to Bush 2 and look what he did with it!

Nice oversimplification. Now if you'd like to take issue with specific portions of my original post feel free. I was told to reflect upon the reasons that the U.S deserved to be attacked, so I did, and found them wanting.

As for the wars, I've already stated that I supported the Afghanistan war but opposed the Iraq one. They are seperate instances and yet people continue to lump them together. But please, go ahead, how should the U.S have responded to Afghanistan refusing to hand over those responcible for the planning of the attacks?

how should the U.S have responded to Afghanistan refusing to hand over those responcible for the planning of the attacks?

The same way it responds to any other instance of a country refusing to comply with a request for extradition of a suspected criminal? (The US has not yet bombed Canada, El Salvador, Switzerland, Mexico, Norway....)

And still after 10 years, most Americans don't understand why it happened...

Time to get over it and reflect on the whys of it happening. And sorry, it was not because they hate your freedom - of which much you so easily gave away.

Oh, here we go again, its comments like these that are just so offensive. Yes, the country did move forward and the building of the new towers is in high swing and there is a strong sense of pride and determination in the air and the people of NY and most importantly, the American people will not let their spirits be broken or undermined by conspiracies or people that have NO real knowledge of what happened. No matter where we are or where we live, we have to always be vigilant and can NEVER EVER forget.

The same way it responds to any other instance of a country refusing to comply with a request for extradition of a suspected criminal?

A problem arises when the leadership of the country in question supports or is supported by the named parties. Afghanistan explicitly stated that it would not give up the named subjects. Weeks went by, the answer remained no. The attacks were an act of war and the perpetrators indicated that they intended to conduct more attacks.

The U.S exhausted conventional channels for extradition. Military action was the stated outcome of non-cooperation and we followed through.

And still after 10 years, most Americans don't understand why it happened...

And why would that be. Now, I've read Osama's Fatawa which seems to spell out his reasons quite clearly but if you have some deeper insight into why the attacks were deemed necessary please do share.

TheQuestion should check his facts. Aghanistan (or the Taliban at that point if you like) did offer to hand over OBL to a third country. Specifically they said he could be handed over to the Saudi's. Given the close (almost obscene) ties between the US and the Saudi Royals I do not think it would have been hard for the US to end up with OBL in their custody, or at the very worse have unfettered access to him. But GW Bush, bless his little cotton brain cells, said give him directly to us or else. And we all know where or else led us to don't we?

Afghanistan explicitly stated that it would not give up the named subjects.

Lots of countries regularly refuse to 'give up' suspects to the US, on the grounds that what they are wanted for isn't a crime in the country in question or the US justice system imposes penalties considered too excessive (the death penalty). Yet The US does not bomb these countries.

The attacks were an act of war

War is a state of armed conflict between different nations or states, or different groups within a nation or state; you cannot have a war between a nation and a group.

Military action was the stated outcome of non-cooperation and we followed through.

That's on the level of the thug who justifies a mugging by saying, 'Well ah told him ah'd do 'im over if 'e dint hand over 'is wallet, an' 'e dint, so ah did. It wer 'is own fault.'

Terrorism against the US will never stop until the US packs up and goes home...

If the US stayed at home and did not try to act like the 'self appointed' global police-force (without being asked to help) I am sure the global hatred of the US would almost disappear. Trouble is, you can't say this to an American without some 'brainwashed' reason for justifying the US military's continuous global bully boy tactics.

And let's be honest...

Question: Is the world a safer, less violent place as a result of US military's global intervention/interference?

So why even bother....

1000's of innocent people (and soldiers) die every year whilst the US continues it's policy of poking it's nose into non US global tension points. Just pack up and go home. Stop using global tension points to justify selling and spending billions each year on weapons of mass destruction. I mean remind me again, who actually benefits from America's continuous war regime??? Who? ah ha!

Local agencies and/or the U.N should police global tension points, and not the 'gung-ho' US military.

Now I wait for the Americans JT members to come up with their typical rationale as to why the US gets involved in other peoples trouble (pssh - leave it to NATO and/or the U.N. they are capable)

Aghanistan (or the Taliban at that point if you like) did offer to hand over OBL to a third country. Specifically they said he could be handed over to the Saudi's.

Thats not extradition. Thats moving and their behavior up until that point indicated that they were stalling rather than putting any serious consideration into handing him over to anybody and considering OBL had fled shortly after those weak offers seems to indicate that they were not made in ernest in any event.

That's on the level of the thug who justifies a mugging by saying, 'Well ah told him ah'd do 'im over if 'e dint hand over 'is wallet, an' 'e dint, so ah did. It wer 'is own fault.'

The comparison doesn't work. In this instance it would be more like an aggressive little twerp trying to impress his friends by sucker-punching the biggest kid in school, true to form the coward hides behind someone else. The Taliban in Afghanistan, simply put, picked the wrong friends and OBL left them out to dry.

Is the world a safer, less violent place as a result of US military's global intervention/interference?

Nope, but thats not the point of war. However, if we're talking in terms of U.S actions across the board I'd say most are quite happy with the results of U.S intervention in Kosavo, Desert Storm, it's international aid, and its use of its navy to secure and protect international seaways.

leave it to NATO and/or the U.N. they are capable

Questioning the reasons behind a war is one thing but that's just funny. NATO without U.S leadership? For Gods sake, they ran out of munitions in Lybia and had to ask the U.S to buy more for them! And last I recall weren't there something like several thousand sexual assaults a week within a mile of the UN camps in Africa?

Aghanistan (or the Taliban at that point if you like) did offer to hand over OBL to a third country. Specifically they said he could be handed over to the Saudi's.

Thats not extradition. Thats moving and their behavior up until that point indicated that they were stalling rather than putting any serious consideration into handing him over to anybody and considering OBL had fled shortly after those weak offers seems to indicate that they were not made in ernest in any event.

That's on the level of the thug who justifies a mugging by saying, 'Well ah told him ah'd do 'im over if 'e dint hand over 'is wallet, an' 'e dint, so ah did. It wer 'is own fault.'

The comparison doesn't work. In this instance it would be more like an aggressive little twerp trying to impress his friends by sucker-punching the biggest kid in school, true to form the coward hides behind someone else. The Taliban in Afghanistan, simply put, picked the wrong friends and OBL left them out to dry.

Is the world a safer, less violent place as a result of US military's global intervention/interference?

Nope, but thats not the point of war. However, if we're talking in terms of U.S actions across the board I'd say most are quite happy with the results of U.S intervention in Kosavo, Desert Storm, it's international aid, and its use of its navy to secure and protect international seaways.

leave it to NATO and/or the U.N. they are capable

Questioning the reasons behind a war is one thing but that's just funny. NATO without U.S leadership? For Gods sake, they ran out of munitions in Lybia and had to ask the U.S to buy more for them! And last I recall weren't there something like several thousand sexual assaults a week within a mile of the UN camps in Africa?

@Tokyokawasaki asks a good question, but there are other equally important questions which one needs to ask as an American, which can all be extrapolated back to our actions in response to 9/11.

Is the world and the USA a safer place now?

How is the US financially status compared to pre 9/11?

How about personal freedoms in the US?

Is government more or less divided?

How many brave US and coalition soldiers have died and continue to die in these wars?

Simply put, it seems that the world is more dangerous, the US is financially broke, it's citizens have less freedom, the government is polarized, and yet we continue to ask our soldiers to sacrifice their lives for cause which has not helped us at all and appears to be getting worse. Depressing.

Is the world and the USA a safer place now?

Nope, already answered.

How is the US financially status compared to pre 9/11?

Worse. But thats to be expected. With pesudo-governmental agencies in control of the housing market and an utterly incompetent oversight board coupled with a failed education system and medicare abuse in the billions what exactly did you expect?

How about personal freedoms in the US?

Less in some places, more in others. Strip away the patriot act and they're about the same really. The wiretapping needs to go but gun legislation has gotten more lax and I'm the proud owner of a destructive device permit. In the end most of it balances out.

Is government more or less divided?

More or less the same, they're just louder now.

How many brave US and coalition soldiers have died and continue to die in these wars?

2,583 coalition deaths in Afghanistan 3529 enemy fire deaths in Iraq.

Depressing.

What is depressing is people's tendency to over simplify issues to the point that they all blend together. Economics, politics, geopolitical struggles, and war are complex matters that need to be viewed individually and analyzed. While it's important to keep in mind the greater context if we allow these issues to appear monolithic we become unable to address the hundreds of solvable smaller problems that its made of. It serves no purpose.

Excuses, reasons, excuses and more reasons.....

Just stop, pull out and go home. I am sick and tired of listening to Americans telling how unsafe the world would become without the wonderful US war machine.

How do you know the world would become unsafe if the US packed up globally and went home? "Because some other brainwashed fool told you so".

The answer is you don't know because it has never happened in our living memory.

Here's an idea - Just try it.

The comparison doesn't work. In this instance it would be more like an aggressive little twerp trying to impress his friends by sucker-punching the biggest kid in school, true to form the coward hides behind someone else.

At least you realise we're still at the level of schoolyard bullying. The 'biggest kid in town', unable to get directly at the 'aggressive little twerp' instead punched the daylights out of 'someone else' - and dragged his friends into the fracas, too.

Seems lots of people picked the wrong friends.

9-11 was a declaration of war on the entire Christian West by an element within the cult of Islam that the putative leaders of the faith have never had the power or authority to disarm and disband.

tokyokawasaki

Just stop, pull out and go home. I am sick and tired of listening to Americans telling how unsafe the world would become without the wonderful US war machine.

Fair enough. You don't like Americans telling you we provide for your safety. I doubt I am the only long-term US expat who would like to see your wish granted and most of our bases in Europe and Asia closed. Many of us would kind of enjoy watching which of the vaunted social programs we are lectured about would have to be slashed so that certain countries in those regions could finally develop militaries of their own capable of ousting genocidal thugs like Milosevic or Caliph-wannabes like Khadaffi, or dealing capably with the Stalinist nutjobs in N Korea.

Tsunami in Indonesia or Japan? Get the Canadians on it, or the Aussies.

Just stop, pull out and go home. I am sick and tired of listening to Americans telling how unsafe the world would become without the wonderful US war machine.

Let me also add to that it was Europe that initially pushed for Gaddafi to be ousted and sent NATO in, but the French wanted to the U.S. to lead and guess who was in the front and who had the most fire power, most up to date military hardware?? It wasn't the Norwegians, that's for sure. But Breit is right, I would want to pull out of ALL of these countries if it were up to me and let everyone else take the lead just once and judging the way this NATO operation in Libya has been handled, it seems to me that, if there is no U.S. to help safeguard or if there is crisis that threatens our allies, I hate to use the expression "who are you going to call?" Russia, Italy, Switzerland? How about Valenzuela? You don't need to hear how how unsafe the world has become, that is your right. But it bothers me to hear that, especially having a few of my relatives fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes, I know the current occupier of the WH is afraid to put his country first and believes that if we do an outreach and have a kumbaya moment, the whole world will like us better than before. No meddling, everyone take care of themselves. So who will take care of Iran in the all to near future, Spain? Funny, about a month ago, I was visiting S. Korea and I would hear from time to time Koreans bashing the U.S., but funny thing is, they have most everything they have, namely freedom was given to them by the U.S., at least they have freedom of expression which in the North they wouldn't have. They always have these protests, "U.S. out!" But when the North starts saber rattling, then it's always "America, please help us?" So again, I think we should close all the bases, tell everyone, take care of yourself, let the UN dictate and tell everyone what they can or cannot do, we keep to ourselves, sit back grab a beer or two and watch what would happen with this planet. I'll bet a whole lot and that picture doesn't look pretty at all.

So again, I think we should close all the bases, tell everyone, take care of yourself, let the UN dictate and tell everyone what they can or cannot do, we keep to ourselves, sit back grab a beer or two and watch what would happen with this planet. I'll bet a whole lot and that picture doesn't look pretty at all.

Excellent idea.

However, here's an alternative to your final sentence. What if, just what if the amount of terrorism and global unrest actually declined after the US went home?

Why do most Americans always ASSUME that the whole world would fall apart without their heavily armed destructive 'so called' peace keepers playing big brother?

Hang on, don't miss understand me. I respect everyman and woman that serves - I just have no respect for US government/military leaders going out of their way to find conflicts. And what really gets me is that they try to sell the idea they are protecting people, communities and nations - yet all we see on the news is death and destruction....

Thank you US of A for making the world a safer place to live. You are making real progress (tongue in cheek British humor)...

"And still after 10 years, most Americans don't understand why it happened..."

After ten years asagao is still too timid to tell us why he thinks it happened .

However, here's an alternative to your final sentence. What if, just what if the amount of terrorism and global unrest actually declined after the US went home?

Seriously, pie in the sky! That will NEVER happen at least in the near or far foreseeable future.

Why do most Americans always ASSUME that the whole world would fall apart without their heavily armed destructive 'so called' peace keepers playing big brother?

So letting Iran have a nuke is of no concern to the world and you are OK with that? Of course, they are not destructive, they are just misunderstood, is that correct?

Hang on, don't miss understand me. I respect everyman and woman that serves - I just have no respect for US government/military leaders going out of their way to find conflicts. And what really gets me is that they try to sell the idea they are protecting people, communities and nations - yet all we see on the news is death and destruction...

I understand, but I don't really buy into the notion that the U.S. government would send men and women in harms way to senselessly get slaughtered and that Washington relishes just hoping to send these brave men and women to their deaths and by the way, war IS about death and destruction, nothing pretty about it.

Thank you US of A for making the world a safer place to live. You are making real progress (tongue in cheek British humor)...

I do think so and thank you very much. We try to bring light and civility to those that need us. (American humor, but No tongue and cheek.

Al Qaida has paid dearly for 9/11.

"America has been living in fear ever since ( 9/11 )"

No, America has been living in fear only since 2008.

What if, just what if the amount of terrorism and global unrest actually declined after the US went home?

I can't believe this is coming from a Brit. Unrest? What - the US created Israel? The US drew up borders for Pakistan out of thin air? We have bases in Germany as a result of the massive, civilization-altering failures of European diplomacy.The House of Saud and the Wahabists did not con Americans into putting them in charge of Mecca;they conned you lot. It was Turkey, not America, that abolished the Caliphate which genocidal fanatics like bin Laden get weepy about. The 'unrest' in places like Somalia and Mindanao and South Thailand is completely unrelated to any American presence in the region. Get real.

tokyokawasaki@5:25pm - Har!

unbelievable comments from uneducated people. Terrorism has hit EVERYwhere! including many Arab countries its Not "just US" they (Terrorists) are also killing their people. they kill anyone who doesn't agree with them like any Evil Dictatorship in History. theres been Many Attacks way before 911, this was Big so many people think it was "the first one" the elders in Afghanistan have Helped the us Military, who do you think is telling us where they are hiding? Pakistan did the same thing. SO who do you think they are in favor of? mess with US or our allies & you'll get Squashed! (Period!) the us "minded its "own Business" in the 30's & Look what happened.

Have to agree with Raymasaki.

Terrorism is nothing new and the biggest death-toll was NOT exacted on 9/11. Russia had a bigger one nearly a century earlier.

Now I don't try to play 9/11 down but many countries have lived with terrorism for decades and centuries(granted much home-grown). Maybe 9/11 was one of the biggest SINGLE incidents but if you add the incidents that happened over the decades, etc up per country.

Neither is terrorism a new or even a 19th or 20th century invention, it goes back millennia and spans the globe.

Spain, etc is still not free from terrorism and much of the terrorism is not even done by muslims, etc.(like the IRA, Aum, groups in South america, etc).

Like I said 9/11 was a shock but still one vs out other countries that dozens or more over one year alone. And I got to say 9/11 was big because the USA was unprepared and consider themselves safe as they were far away from the people they upset.

Which is different from when the guy upset is a short car-drive away or in the next country.

Just my view and yes, we had our shares of terrorist attacks back home. Most not even aimed at my country or our doings but because they liked to target foreign shops, etc.

Just my view.

@Cleo,

Lots of countries regularly refuse to 'give up' suspects to the US, on the grounds that what they are wanted for isn't a crime in the country in question or the US justice system imposes penalties considered too excessive (the death penalty). Yet The US does not bomb these countries.

Those other suspects did not conduct an act of war on the United States by killing over 3000 civilians who had nothing to do with U.S. policy. If a group starts a war against a country and then is shielded by a different country, guess what's going to happen?

War is a state of armed conflict between different nations or states, or different groups within a nation or state; you cannot have a war between a nation and a group.

A convenient rationalization on your part, but false. You most certainly CAN have a war between a country and a group. When the group is inside the country it is called a "civil war", but when the group is outside the country it is just "war".

That's on the level of the thug who justifies a mugging by saying, 'Well ah told him ah'd do 'im over if 'e dint hand over 'is wallet, an' 'e dint, so ah did. It wer 'is own fault.'

OR it's on the level of someone who says, "You're harboring a group that is at war with us and has received near universal condemnation for their attack on our civilians. If you don't cooperate with our request then we must assume you also are at war with us and applaud their actions." The Taliban in Afghanistan miscalculated the American's response to a surprise attack. I'm not sure why they did that, considering America has given ample evidence in the past for how it responds to surprise attacks.

At least you realise we're still at the level of schoolyard bullying.

Welcome to the geopolitical landscape, it's been here for a while now.

The 'biggest kid in town', unable to get directly at the 'aggressive little twerp' instead punched the daylights out of 'someone else' - and dragged his friends into the fracas, too.

We offered them an alternative rout to avoid armed conflict and they elected to ignore it.

If the US stayed at home and did not try to act like the 'self appointed' global police-force (without being asked to help) I am sure the global hatred of the US would almost disappear. Trouble is, you can't say this to an American without some 'brainwashed' reason for justifying the US military's continuous global bully boy tactics.

And let's be honest...

Question: Is the world a safer, less violent place as a result of US military's global intervention/interference?

So why even bother....

I will even admit to some truth in this, but at the same time there is equal misinformation. The US is in fact often asked to act as something of a global police force. Aside from that, much of the world receives significant aid from dear old Uncle Sam - I see nothing wrong with protecting one's interests.

Many nations, the US included, tried the isolationist tact after the First World War with the idea of 'you leave me alone and I'll leave you alone'. Germany and Japan put paid to that. In a world economy - which you cannot deny this truly is, isolationism is not possible or practical. Suggesting that the US do this because you hate it is hardly a valid rant.

Hatred of the US and the West in general (but to often a lesser degree) will never go away if we 'stayed at home' as you suggest. The have nots always hate the haves - it's human nature. There's always some little despot, dictator or religious lunatic waiting in the wings to fuel the flames of discontent and preach how the evil, glutinous, war-monger United States (insert 'evil West') must be destroyed.

9/11 conspiracies? Give me a break. Same folks are still trying to prove that Roswell didn't simply involve weather balloons, that ET doesn't live in Area 51 and that Elvis might still be living off Highway 51 somewhere (hey, there's a conspiracy clue - Area 51/Highway 51 - just sayin).

What is disgusting is the never-ending sense of entitlement to this event. Don't assume the latitude giving to people grieving (both those with cause who lost loved ones and those without whose only investment was a sense of national pride) was ever anything but a nice gift. And since we saw how that gift got translated into two wars that still have not really ended and really did not have a lot to do with 9/11, I think we should all be hesitant to ever give that gift of latitude again.

And now ten years later? Latitude over. Finished. Gone.

What great country are you from Oracle? So you're saying that if, say, your English or French and some terrorist group crashed into Parliament or the Eiffel Tower and killed several thousand innocent civilians you would feel no sense of national outrage - no investment of national pride as you say? Well, I would say that without national pride then you really have no nation, or are simply a crappy citizen. National pride is part of what identifies an American. Not being one, and not a fan you will never quite get it.

<>Tsunami in Indonesia or Japan? Get the Canadians on it, or the Aussies. As a Canadian, I take offense at that. Most Canadians, unlike most American flag-wavers, take their worldly responsibilities beyond the gun. And as for the Trade Towers, I visited them, not long before they were destroyed. I was on an exercise machine when the scenes of the first tower's destruction first came on the TV, and I stopped in shock, only to start crying when the second one went down. But as a Canadian, ten years later, I don't find any need for a 10th anniversary viewing of a 'made for TV ratings' flogumentary. I, and my now young adult daughter, will re-build our 3000+ 3-D puzzle of New York and include the towers. For old times sake.

I don't find any need for a 10th anniversary viewing of a 'made for TV ratings' flogumentary. I, and my now young adult daughter, will re-build our 3000+ 3-D puzzle of New York and include the towers. For old times sake.

And that's fine, but you are not an American and even though what you visited them, it won't have the same impact emotionally on you as to most Americans or especially New Yorkers who were directly affected by this, so I think it is imperative to continue with the memories and the yearly memorial services. You can move on as most people have done, but that doesn't mean, we shouldn't honor these innocent people. Should Japan stop their memorial services or Europe, etc.? It just amazes me how some people think that, 10 years past, move on. Other memorial celebrations, we should never forget, dropping the bomb was bad, so much pain and suffering. Talk about hypocrites!