Remembering 9/11

Three years ago today a horrifying tragedy happend on U.S. soil. What happend was beyond anyones comprehension. Until 9/11/2001, I believe that noone in America, my home country, belived that they would have witnessed, that anyone would DARE to attack the US on it's own soil, but that is precisely what DID happen. Perhaps the government ignored the warning signs. Personally I belive they did. I belive that there were enough signs, and too much red tape and politics and infighting between intelligence agencies at the time. Could it have been prevented. I guess we will never know. To some extent, maybe yes. There were definete warinng signs (That August Memo, for instance). Condi said as much. Their concerns were mostly for overseas, not at home.

I mean, perhaps all the higher up people in the governemnt thought : "Who the hell would DARE to do such a thing to US, the United States of America?" Apparently Os*ma Bin L*den would and did, the bastard, may he rot in hell for eternity sooner than later.

The atrocity of 9/11 and all te*ror attacks since are a testament to what can happen when you misunderstimate your enemy and are too cocky and full of yourself. Unfortunately, America and the world learned a lesson the hard way.

Three years ago I sat stunned in disbelief at what I was hearing. At the images I was seeing on my computer screen at work in what was the late afternoon in this part of the world.

I heard about the first plane hitting when my husband called me and told me. I couldn't believe it. At least not at first. Then, he checked with a friend at American Airlines and they told him that one of their jets was "off the radar". Missing. I knew then it wasn't a small plane that hit. With dread I felt that this was NOT an accident as first reported... I was afraid it was done purposely.

I immediately tried to pull up my beloved CNN.com... but I couldn't for at least 5 minutes. I guess they had an overload of site hits, understandably.

Within minutes, the CNN website was posting pictures of the first plane hitting and having breaking news about the second plane.

I was still sitting in shock when the news started coming through about the towers collapsing one by one. Then, the plane flying into the Pentagon. This terrified me because one of my Uncles is frequently at the Pentagon on business. Another Uncle is still in the military and is also there from time to time. Fortunately for me, neither one was there that day.

I vaguely remember leaving work and driving home in a daze, listening to the news on the radio. The days after the attack, I was in a daze. In shock I guess. Watching the news at home. Horrifying, all of it. I had nightmares for months. I can only imagine the poor people that survived and their families and the families of those that were lost, what they went through. What they are STILL going through. My prayers are with all of them today.

I hope yours are too.