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In this, perhaps the most tragic time in American history, there's no way to express the horror we've felt at hearing reports of the human devastation in the terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Terrorists won. America lost. It's the dawn of a new era in the Western world. 

There's no reason to place blame unless such blame is reasonable and effective in preventing terrorism in the future.

So let's place blame: 

The FAA has not done its job. There are major holes in the US airport security systems, erring  in favor of the market-friendly view that relatively  hassle-free business and carefree vacation air travel is important to the airline industry. For too long, government agencies have been protecting rather than regulating the industries over which they're charged. 

Boarding a plane will become tougher, to the detriment of airline commodities and the ease of air travelers. Low paid airport workers are targets for terrorist infiltration.

Pay rates must rise for airport and flight workers, but most important, thorough background checks must be instituted. If lives are saved, it's worth it. No more putting our lives in the hands of people unchecked, underpaid, indifferent and vulnerable, making us vulnerable.

Deregulation, at its heart, is a noble free-market idea. But there are limits to free markets, and it may be time to reconsider the almost 20-year deregulation of airlines, at least until airlines companies institute reforms to protect customers and increase customer service.

The US intelligence community has failed its own people. There are small indications that government officials had some warning that something big was happening in national security, but no national warning of imminent threat. 

But the intelligence community has been decimated in the name of "democracy."

US leadership, especially under former President Bill Clinton, essentially ignored the persistent threat of terrorists such as Osama bin Laden and terrorist sponsors like Iraq, Iran and related organizations. This too fails Americans. It did so Tuesday.

The Clinton administration occasionally warned of the importance of the terrorism threat, but when you have a new topic or "talking point" every day, it's hard to distinguish the importance of any topic.

But Clinton did little to beef up security and the military to answer such proverbial attacks on the US. 

Talk -- that was the essence of the Clinton years. Talk the "correct" talk, don't worry about walking the walk.

Congress, without adequate vision, has let America down by not having a more focused view -- or the political will -- to revise their constituents' view of the threat of terrorism.

And of course there's Osama bin Laden and his international terrorism supporters, from Iran to Iraq to Libya to Palestinians.

Bin Laden, the one man who has enough money and hatred and enough syphilis-infected, wild-eyed fanatics at his disposal to hurl unwarranted violence at his stated enemy.

Oh, yes, his stated enemy --  the "Great Satan," which "idolizes" Jesus Christ and money "too much" and "ignores" Islamic law (the two religions are so close in principle that division is almost ludicrous and mass murder of innocents in both concepts is the worst of all in the eyes of God).

Oh yes, the stated enemy of Islam is America, "the Friend of Israel." Remembering the toll taken against the Jewish people over thousands of years, remembering the number of Islamic militants who died by their own hands, it puts the lie to so many US liberals who feared American Christians and their  supposed  Inquisitions more than Islamic fanatics.

Bin Laden and his ilk must be understood and destroyed, as must all the cowardly people who kill by suicide for political reasons, psychotically obliterating  thousands of people, destroying hundreds of thousands of lives and portions of  civilizations along the way.

But hindsight is easy. Foresight is tough -- and essential.

What now?

A resurgence of Americanism. Not isolationism by any means.

In the rise and fall of civilizations, there is always a point at which historians can determine the beginning of that decline.

That point has not been reached in America yet, I assert.  Despite talk of the nation's decline, it's still The Great Nation it always was, because freedom here, more than anywhere else, thrives.

Despite watching our leaders wreck their personal and professional lives with peccadilloes while blatantly lying to the people, despite sitting back while decadence ruled during some of the '80s and all of the '90s, despite political broken promises on all sides, despite increasing acceptance of deviant sexual behavior, despite increasing fears of a government out of control, there are still few signs that America is on the decline.

The hearts of so very many go out to the families of victims in the devastating destruction of the World Trade Center.

The resolve of many goes to the heart of justice that must be found in the unthinkable terrorist attacks against the US over the past 30 years.

"Unthinkable" to Americans, who are a gentle, kind people who value life,  freedom and God, no matter how harsh seems their rhetoric or manner or demeanor.

There is a new war, just like the old wars, just like World Wars I and II, Korea  -- a war against those who kill the innocent.

The United States is the same America that helped win those three wars. And there is every reason to believe the resolve shown during those wars will resurface in the next few weeks, with a realignment of priorities, a stronger sense of the value of freedom that we have for so long taken for granted and a renewed belief that fools -- no matter how clever -- cannot truly threaten the freedoms that are at the heart of the US.

But then there is the toll. Besides the heart-wrenching, devastating loss of tens of thousands of lives the September 11th World Trade Center and Pentagon destruction wrought. 

There are the tradings of freedoms for the overall security of the nation.

Airports could be nationalized, to bring their security under direct federal control.

Borders could remain closed indefinitely, because there are many more unchecked immigrants than the impoverished Mexicans for whom many Americans sympathize. There are terrorists among us because of lax immigration standards. This must change.

A resurgence of governmental control even as our president and portions of Congress and the majority of Americans rage against the ever-growing governmental bureaucracy could mean a resurging fear of fascism even in the US.

But as the population of the US continues to grow massively, so do the massive problems of managing such a large number of people. Already, political concerns are out of control, as the partisan past ten years have shown: Politics wrongly have outstripped statesmanship.

The world has changed dramatically over the past ten years, not often for the good. But are we willing to give up more freedoms for the national good? 

Only in wartime. And this is war. Against those who kill indiscriminately. Or who ambush and kill innocents after psychotic interpretations of God's will.

Giving up freedoms for the national good is an old philosophic argument that's healthy as any civilization renews itself. That must be the new national topic, among others.

I call on Americans not to target American Arabs for derision or undue suspicion.

I call on Americans, nevertheless, to report anything reasonably suspicious that could threaten national security: nothing is too small to report -- and there is a website to do so: http://www.ifccfbi.gov/

I call on anyone who can buy US stocks to do so right away. A strong national showing on the stock markets is important now. A huge selloff, and the resulting continuing economic decline, is the last thing the US needs in the wake of the New York and Washington devastation.

I call on everyone to stock their food cabinets and gas up their cars just to make themselves feel better, but remember this is still the safest nation in the world and supplies are plentiful.

This is not the beginning of the new depression, it is a renewal of the American spirit in memory of those who died.  So relax and remember the innocent.

It's not the beginning of the end. It's a re newed beginning, a realignment of priorities, a snap from the Old America to the New, more prepared United States of the 21st century. 

A better America, with the enemies of freedom of worship, trade and belief again our renewed adversaries.

The old fights about special interest  issues, the political demagoguery of interest groups such as senior citizens and Baby Boomers and Generation Xers should end. The interest of American citizens as a whole should emerge, ending the overwhelming infighting politicians have been indulging in, ending the tolerance of incompetence at high levels.

And it's a time for a new Individualism in the great freewheeling American tradition in which the cancerous elitist, mind-numbing, thought-controlling fascism of "political correctness" must end. We need to open our minds and hearts to new ideas and re-examine old ones.

It's the virtual realignment of America for the first portion of the 21st century reality. Brought, as renewal so often is, by tragedy.

Russia is no longer our biggest enemy, though they may be implicated somehow in the September 11th tragedy. China threatens but needs us. The Middle East is volatile but always has been and will be. The European Union is gathering but there is yet no momentum.

Deliberate justice is left to the United States, still the world's leader. 

This is a time to be proud. Not the insolent pride religions decry, but the time to be proud that we are courageous, philosophical descendents of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Paine, Jackson, Lincoln, Wilson, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Reagan.

There is deep pain in the nation. Thousands are dead and we grieve with heartbroken confusion and anger. 

If we wonder how to carry on, it is this: Their deaths must not be in vain. We will learn and move forward and remember them forever.

TV journalists say "we're a changed America" after the terrorist attacks. Headline: Terrorism has come to America. Hoo-hah. 

Terrorism came to America years ago -- and TV journalists don't rule our conscious:  we're not changed at heart.

We are the most diverse people in the world, and we don't like having thousands of our innocents killed because someone from afar decides their "god" doesn't like us.

America and freedom are undiminished.

There are great obstacles ahead, but the democratic process -- and the unyielding will of free people to remain and expand the world's freedoms -- will see the Republic through.

-- Mike Shiloh
Editor, TheLatest.Net

NOTE: An ABC/Washington Post poll released Wednesday showed 66-percent of those asked would give up freedoms for more security.

TRADE CENTER RESCUE EFFORTS SUSPENDED; THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE SOUTH TOWER COLLAPSES

THE LATEST:   AS OF 6:30 PM ET, THE AREA AROUND THE SITE OF THE COLLAPSED WORLD TRADE CENTER HAS BEEN EVACUATED AS THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER'S SOUTH TOWER COLLAPSES -- and a nearby 54-story building called One LIberty Plaza is said to be shaking, preparing to collapse. There are also concerns about a gas leak in the area and another building near the site that is reported unstable. All rescue efforts are temporarily suspended.

THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS it has information that the hijacked jetliner that slammed into the Pentagon Tuesday originally intended to hit the White House. It's unknown why the jet veered over to the Pentagon.

AIR FORCE ONE WAS ALSO A TARGET, the White House says.

FEDERAL AGENTS descended on a Boston hotel, finding what they believe to have been the room used by one of the hijackers. In addition, three men were taken into custody in Providence, Rhode Island.

THE FBI said Wednesday that at least one of the highjackers who have been identified is known to have been a follower of international terrorist Osama bin Laden.

FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY THEY'VE ALREADY GATHERED HARD EVIDENCE THAT BIN LADEN WAS BEHIND THE WORLD TRADE CENTER DISASTER.

CONGRESS is okaying an emergency supplemental spending bill of more than 20-billion dollars for increased military spending, cleanup and rebuilding of the Pentagon and increased security at airports.

SEVERAL CONGRESSPEOPLE said Wednesday they've been briefed that more terrorism in the US is "likely if not probable."

NATO leaders stated Wednesday that the attack on the World Trade Center was an attack on NATO.

PRESIDENT BUSH says he's spoken to several world leaders, putting together an international coalition to fight terrorism.

THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE WILL NOT REOPEN THURSDAY, according to the Exchange chairman. Friday is the new target date. Chicago markets are expected to open Thursday

Many of the hijackers have been identified, officials say. There were three to six hijackers on each plane, some of them trained in the US as pilots.

NO AIRPORTS ARE OPEN YET.  The FAA is  allowing the resumption of commercial air travel, but planes are not flying yet. Planes that were diverted Tuesday will be the first to fly. 

There are new precautions and security measures already in place at US airports. No more curbside check-in.

SO FAR, EIGHT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PULLED OUT ALIVE from the wreckage of the World Trade Center; 348 New York firefighters are missing after the explosion.

SO FAR, 55 bodies have been pulled from the wreckage; bodies are being taken to a makeshift morgue at a converted Brooks Brothers store.

There are two-thousand rescue workers trying to pull those trapped in the debris of the Trade Center.

Cellular phone calls have come in to 911 operators in New York City from people trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center. Rescue workers continue feverish excavations to find those trapped. 
        This is miraculous because a number of cell phone towers were located atop the Trade Center, which has collapsed. Cell phone calls have been disrupted since the explosion, yet survivor calls have gotten through.

ONE OF THOSE RESCUED, A NEW YORK PORT AUTHORITY COP, TOLD RESCUERS HE WAS ON THE 82nd FLOOR of the World Trade Center when the collapse occurred. He said he "rode the building" down. He has two broken legs; his wife is eight months pregnant, rescue workers say.

UNITED NATIONS WORKERS AND AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC PERSONNEL ARE BEING PULLED OUT OF AFGHANISTAN.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he supports US retaliation for Tuesday's terrorist action. And he promised a moment of mourning Thursday at noon for the dead.

US Navy ships are patrolling off Manhattan island.

Utah Senator Orrin Hatch says there have been intelligence intercepts of cell phone calls indicating that fugitive Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden is behind the terrorist attacks. The calls say "the deed" is done.

Writer Barbara Olsen, who was killed on one of the suicide flights, called her husband on a cell phone to describe the weapons used by terrorists.  Reports say those terrorists ordered flight passengers who had cell phones to call relatives to tell them goodbye as a news media tease.

It will be awkward at the start of trading Thursday on Wall Street -- a lot of the trading that took place on the stock exchanges came from -- The World Trade Center.

Five men have been identified by the FBI as possible suspects in the Trade Center bombing.

An Arab journalist says terrorist Osama bin Laden warned of the US attack three weeks ago.  

There are some vague concerns that asbestos was used in the building of the Trade Center and those who inhaled dust from the collapse of the buildings could be at high risk of lung cancer.

Good news: there was a conference of doctors in New York City Tuesday, so there were more (voluntary) doctors and nurses than needed at one hospital where the injured came in all day and night Tuesday.

The world's tallest buildings, the twin towers of Kuala Lumpur's Petronas -- Malaysia's twin towers similar to the World Trade Center -- were evacuated Wednesday morning after a bomb threat. No bomb, no explosion.

Palestinians -- and Egyptians -- celebrated at the news of the Trade Center  and Pentagon demolitions.

All that remains of the World Trade Center: a mass of rubble, the facade of the lowest floor of the south tower -- AND AN AMERICAN FLAG, STILL MOUNTED HIGH AMONG THE FACADE.

INTERNET RUMORS: Could there have been anthrax bags aboard the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon -- the results of such a horrific scenario won't be known for days.

HOW IT HAPPENED (see Terrorist Attack Chronology, top right): Within an hour of the crash of the two planes into the buildings, the unthinkable happened: both towers collapsed in a cloud of debris, broken glass, concrete dust and human remains.

The crash of the planes into the towers, and the resulting collapse, was replayed on satellite and cable TV endlessly on news networks. Remarkably, and for the perhaps the first time in history, the people who masterminded the deaths of thousands watched it on television on the other side of the world.

Four -- possibly five -- planes were hijacked, all headed for from East Coast airports to California, carrying the maximum fuel possible. One crashed into the Pentagon, two others into the two World Trade Center towers. Another crashed near Pittsburgh; that plane is believed to have targeted either the White House, the US Capital or Camp David.

A third building in the Trade Center complex collapsed just after five PM ET Tuesday as a result of the previous explosions.

The hijacked planes were of United and American heritage. American was cited just two months ago for security breaches (poor passenger screening).

THE TRAGEDY: The death toll is estimated at more than 10-thousand in both the World Trade Center and Pentagon deathplanes, though more than 40-thousand people are in the Trade Center on any given workday.

Hundreds of New York City firefighters and rescue workers are missing and feared dead, many of them having undertaken rescue efforts after the explosions but before the collapse of the buildings.

And for the first time since the War of 1812, an attack on Washington: another hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon, killing as many as 800 employees.

THE WORLD FALLOUT: Several world leaders, including former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, have stated flatly that fugitive Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden is responsible for the attacks.

Israel, as have more than 17 nations around the world, has expressed sympathy and "assistance."

All flights over London were cancelled Tuesday.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: President Bush addressed the nation Tuesday night, saying the US will "hunt down and punish" those responsible for the attack. The Democratic Front for the LIberation of Palestine has also been blamed for the attack. Both organizations have denied involvement.

All US government leaders are accounted for. Congress meets again Wednesday as a show of unity for the United States.

President Bush said Tuesday evening, in an address to the nation, that there will be retribution and "no distinction between" terrorists and "those who harbor them." 

Bush is in the White House, as is his wife. Top US officials are said to be on duty. Secretary of State Colin Powell abruptly ended his visit to Latin America and has returned to the US.

The US military is on the highest state of alrert.

All US borders are closed.

Military planes are securing the skies over both Washington DC and New York City.

All US military is on highest alert. US Navy ships

All US financial markets are closed until at least Thursday morning. Otherwise, the US financial system is fully functional. The federal reserve announced its recommitment to guarantee US funds in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

Theme parks, buildings and federal, state and local offices nationwide have been closed.

All streets near the White House are closed.

It may be weeks before the true death toll is known.

In Israel, Palestinians have been celebrating the attacks on America.

THE DEAD: Among those killed in the plane crashes: conservative author Barbara Olsen, 46, famous for being, in Hillary Clinton's phrase, "ground zero" of the "vast right wing conspiracy." And David Angell, executive producer of the TV series Frasier and his wife.

FINANCIAL MARKETS RESPOND: The price of oil surged on news of the attacks; security at refineries has been stepped up. The price of gasoline is not up sharply so far. At $32 a barrel, it won't increase gas prices much. But a war of any kind will make a difference.

Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill is on his way back from an Asian financial conference.

Nostradamus, 1654:

"In the year of the new century and nine months
From the sky will come the King of Terror
The sky will burn at 45 degrees
Fire approaches the great new city...

"There will be a great thunder (collapsing buildings)
Two brothers (World Trade Center) torn apart by Chaos, While the fortress (America) endures. The great leader will succumb. A third great war will begin when the big city (New York) is burning."

-- Joy, TX

Interesting to see how much New York and the rest of America had tied up in those two buildings (the World Trade Center). -- ToneR, AZ

This is apocalypse. -- Martovina, UT

There's got to be a way anyone's alive in the debris (of the World Trade Center) -- Moll, AZ

To Jolly, who worked in the TC, Please be alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -- Alga, PA

Congress should pass an emergency law freezing gas prices at $1.25 a gallon and should do so immediately. Let the greedy bastards that are profiting from this nation's misery suffer for a year or two. -- Viejo, TX

BOMBS AWAY -- JX, FL

Timothy McVeigh would be proud. -- Johnson, AL

Has it occurred to anyone that this whole thing could be a setup by the gubment to put us into a war and put lots of money into the pockets of oil companies? -- AxToGrind, NM

Buy gold. -- xx, FL

Buy stocks. -- MS

Buy oil stocks. -- JO, TX

By golly, buy bonds. -- MS

IN MEMORY OF BARBARA OLSEN, who gave us a lot. -- GS, OH

Author Barbara Olsen was aboard the plane that crashed into the Pentagon, reports say, but she wasn't supposed to be on that plane. She was set to go to Los Angeles, but took a different (fatal) flight in order to have breakfast with her husband, Solicitor General Ted Olson, on his birthday. Barbara Olson is the author of a new book about the final days of the Clinton administration, in bookstores shortly. It has become part of her legacy.  --  MS

8:50 am A second hijacked passenger jet hit the south World Trade Center tower.

9:50 am The White House  evacuated after a terrorist threat; President Bush was in Florida.

10:00 am The first World Trade Center tower collapsed.

10:10 am President Bush was airborne from Florida

10:15 am The Pentagon was hit by a hijacked passenger jetliner.

10:28 am The second World Trade Center tower collapsed.

10:30 am The FAA ordered all flights in the US grounded.

10:50 am All federal buildings locked down and memorials closed.

List of United and American planes that crashed