Remember 9/11: Every.single.day

Fifteen years on from the biggest terrorist attack on US soil,  politicians and government officials are still using the tragedy for political brownie points.  As presidential candidate Hillary Clinton announces she'll be at Ground Zero today.  and Donald Trump says "me too, me too,,,,", Christine Todd Whitman, head of the EPA on 9/11 now issues a statement in which she says "sorry"?  What is she sorry for?  Oh, this: " ... that people are dying and if the EPA and I in any way contributed to that, I’m sorry. "


Her released statement is full of 'maybe' 'might have' when even on 9/11 it was obvious to those at the pile how dangerous the air was.  Read Jack Delaney here.  The cynic in me notices the coincidental timing on that  apology from Whitman, because you know she has had 15 years to get to that waffling.  Go away,  Whitman.  Nobody needs to hear from you.

Meanwhile, the President of the United States issues his annual acknowledgement of this horrific event:

WASHINGTON — Hailing the values and resilience that he says both define and sustains Americans, President Barack Obama on Saturday honored the nearly 3,000 souls that were lost in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, as well as the bravery of survivors and the emergency personnel who responded, and the work of scores of others who have labored since to keep the homeland safe.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama said that while so much has changed in the years since 9/11 it's important to remember what has stayed the same. "The core values that define us as Americans. The resilience that sustains us," he said on the eve of the 15th anniversary of one of the nation's darkest days....

Read more at Stars and Stripes here.

As other politicians line up to deliver pronouncements on this the 15th anniversary, 9/11 mom, Diane Fairben has this to say about Trump and Clinton plans to attend Ground Zero:

On Clinton:

Stay home, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU HILLARY...her presence alone will take away the focus of what it should be..

On Trump:

And Trump can stay home too. WTF ? I'....NO ONE, and NOTHING has the right to take any focus away from the families and survivors tomorrow

Keith and all the other heroes who lost their lives on what began as a  deceptively sunny day, are missed every.single.day.  I know many dads like Kenneth Fairben  miss their loved ones with every breath they take.

As every single family directly affected by the act of war on the US soil continues to quietly honor their loved ones, Obama promises/threatens to veto a bill just passed unanimously in Washington, which allows families to sue Saudi Arabia:

Congress on Friday sent President Obama a bill that would allow families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia over its alleged ties to terrorism, but advocates of the legislation worry it could be defeated by a presidential veto.

The House passed the legislation by voice vote, with leaders calling it a “moral imperative” to allow victims’ families to seek justice for the deaths of loved ones as the country marks the 15th anniversary of the attacks that brought down the World Trade Center towers and damaged the Pentagon.

But bill supporters are bracing for a veto fight with the White House, which argues the bill could harm the United States’ relationship with Saudi Arabia and establish a legal precedent that jeopardizes American officials overseas...

Read the rest of this here.

It seems that 9/11 families and colleagues have had to continue to fight every.single.day since 2001 waiting for justice.

Every single family of the loved ones listed here continues to daily mourn the loss of their heroes from 9/11.

These pictures courtesy of Tom Cooney, whose cousin, Hughie Lynch,  gave his life that day:

Squad 1 lost half of its members at the World Trade Center in the September 11th attacks. The Squad would be one of the most devastated FDNY units impacted by the collapse of the Twin Towers losing 12 members 

Capt. James Amato
Lt. Michael Esposito
Lt. Edward D'Atri
Lt. Michael Russo
FF Peter Carroll
FF David Fontana
FF Thomas Butler
FF Brian Bilcher
FF Matthew Garvey
FF Stephen Siller
FF Gary Box
FF Robert Cordice 

Hundreds of First Responders died on 9/11, and the survivors continue to die from the toxic legacy of their service on that day, and in the weeks, months and years since then.  The survivors and their families had to fight tooth and nail - in some cases to their very last breath -  to access health care they earned.   

Throughout the last few years I have written of the Zadroga Bill, named after James Zadroga, who did indeed fight to his last breath.  Go to this link and watch a video with him, and read some of the indisputable facts relating to the heroes we have all lost since 9/11.  The statistics are heart-wrenching. 

 (Aug. 2015) ... More than 1800 Have Passed From 9/11 Related Illnesses (updated 9/11 Roll of Honor & Remembrance AND NYCPBA The Chief, December 3, 2010; AND World Trade Center Fatalities Report 2011)

Meanwhile, President Obama continues to play politics. Remember this?

This is Obama on his second day in office, signing his first executive order in which he promises to close GITMO within one year. Really.

As we all know,he has not managed to kept that political promise; this despite his normalisation' of relationship with Cuba, and the open door policy he has implemented- with a group of faceless bureaucrats - of giving the GITMO 'detainees' their 'get out of jail free cards'.

This last August 15, the largest group yet of 'detainees' was released.  

The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of 15 detainees: Abd al-Muhsin Abd al-Rab Salih al-Busi, Abd al-Rahman Sulayman, Mohammed Nasir Yahi Khussrof Kazaz, Abdul Muhammad Ahmad Nassar al-Muhajari, Muhammad Ahmad Said al-Adahi, Abdel Qadir al-Mudafari, Mahmud Abd Al Aziz al-Mujahid, Saeed Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah Sarem Jarabh, Mohammed Kamin, Zahar Omar Hamis bin Hamdoun, Hamid al-Razak (aka Haji Hamidullah), Majid Mahmud Abdu Ahmed, Ayub Murshid Ali Salih, Obaidullah, and Bashir Nasir Ali al-Marwalah from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of the United Arab Emirates. 

As directed by the president's Jan. 22, 2009, executive order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of these cases. As a result of those reviews, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, 6 of the 15: al-Busi, Sulayman, Kazaz, al-Muhajari, al-Adahi, and al-Mudafari were unanimously approved for transfer by the six departments and agencies comprising the task force.

Periodic Review Boards consisting of representatives from the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and State; the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence determined continued law of war detention of 9 of the 15: al-Mujahid, Jarabh, Kamin, bin Hamdoun, al-Razak (aka Haji Hamidullah), Ahmed, Salih, Obaidullah, and al-Marwalah does not remain necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the security of the United States. As a result of those reviews, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, al-Mujahid, Jarabh, Kamin, bin Hamdoun, al-Razak (aka Haji Hamidullah), Ahmed, Salih, Obaidullah, and al-Marwalah were recommended for transfer by consensus of the six departments and agencies comprising the Periodic Review Board. The Periodic Review Board process was established by the president's March 7, 2011 Executive Order 13567. 

As directed by the president's Jan. 22, 2009, executive order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of these cases. ...

Since Obama has had his efforts to close GITMO  thwarted at every turn by Congress  (those damn uncooperative Republicans, you know)  he has wasted no time in doing an end run around due process, and has this 'committee' rubber stamping his efforts to clean out GITMO.    As of last count, with this group of 15 released, there remains 61 detainees in GITMO, including the 9/11 self-proclaimed terrorists.  

That paragraph beginning 'as directed...'is only a most recent addition to the DoD' s Transfer of Detainees announcements. .   Prior to this absolute acknowledgement that every detainee was released for political reasons, Obama and his faceless yes men touted the release as a moral imperative,or something.

 (Promising to return America to the "moral high ground" in the war on terrorism, President Obama issued three executive orders Thursday to demonstrate a clean break from the Bush administration, including one requiring that the Guantanamo Bay detention facility be closed within a year....)  

It seems that in January 2016, Obama and his merry band saw no need to cloak their actions in this moral high ground and that paragraph was missing entirely.  

On January 6th, this was part of the Detainee Transfer announcement:

The United States is grateful to the Government of Ghana for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The United States coordinated with the Government of Ghana to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures.

Today, 105 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.

How precious is that, that murderers who wish on us all, are '...humane treatment measures....even as it is documented that some of them(30%?) have returned to the battlefield to continue their plots to murder on us infidels.  Don't believe me? Check this out, from January about a GITMO release who vows to kill Americans.

Do any of us feel safer in the world today?  Should we take comfort from Obama pronouncements that the 'world is a safer place' now?  

This from 2014:

Hmmmmmm. Cue the rainbows and unicorns?  Not so much, and our First Responders, their colleagues, their loved ones, ALL recognise the Mouth In Chief's insincere bloviations for what they are:  crap.   Now more than ever, we need to be paying attention to what MIC is doing behind closed doors.

I believe it is our duty to stand with, honour and respect for all those who lost their lives, and their loved ones left behind, on 9/11/2001,.They deserve nothing less, not only on this, the anniversary, but 365 days of every year.



Related links:

15 Years Ago, The Queen Of England Broke The Rules To Support Americans After 9/11

Obama admin just quietly sent 10 GITMO detainees to an extremely dangerous place

Jack Delaney: I am a 9/11 survivor, NOT a Hero

15 years later, 9/11 responders might be sick and not even know it

Families of 9/11 still fighting to get back more than 3,500 personal items found in the World Trade Centre wreckage

9/11 victims see hope in their fight for right to sue terror nations

Guards, staff outnumber captives 33 to 1at GITMO

Tom Cotton: They can rot in Guantanamo Bay  (a particular fave of mine!)

DoD teams surveying US military sites for potential GITMO transfers, lawmakers vow fight


Israel Remembers 9/11


Remembering the 9/11 fallen and those who followed

It's high time the 9/11 five were brought to trial

9/11: Justice delayed...justice denied?

On September 11, 2001, the worst attack  on American soil - in history - took place.

"Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America, with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.


Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C., to help with local rescue efforts..."

 [copyright Jack Delaney]

"Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks..."

President Bush on September 11:

The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources for our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.

[...]

This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time.  

JUSTICE...  On September 20, 2001, President Bush gave the American response to this act of war, and the quest for justice began in earnest, as many nations stood with America as part of the Coalition of the Willing.

"...They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share their fate. ..."

As history has proved, the terrorists were not handed over to face justice,  even as they faced the might of the US Military and resources, alongside with the very willing Coalition partners who  continued to stand shoulder to shoulder with America, in the common goal of combating terrorism.

Today, as we mark twelve long years since that terrible day, self confessed terrorists and murderers. including Khalid Sheik Mohammad, are facing an American Military Tribunal as they have their every need (and then some) met on Guantanamo Bay.  Google KSM if you must, or put his name in the search engine here at top left, because I have written about him a few times.

The Military Commission in GITMO, in the slow steady march towards justice,  is in the stage of hearing defence motions by the murderer's lawyers...  The official site for schedules and transcripts is here.

The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources for our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice. 

And so began the most public aspect of the hunt to "find those responsible... " and render appropriate justice.



 On May 2, 2011 we all watched and listened as this news of our brave Troops' successful  mission hit the media:

Yes, a major coup for the good guys,  as yes, one of the very public faces of our murderous enemies was sent to face the ultimate justice.  (72 virgins?  I doubt it!!!)  Reaction was swift from those most directly affected by this most fitting end to one of the most public faces of our enemies in this Global War on Terror.  I was able to share with you, at the time, the responses from 9/11 families whose loved ones perished that day, First Responders who dug through the rubble and the chaos of that day - and the months ahead -  and the families of our Military, who answered the call of our nations to fight against this murderous ideology. For their words, put "ObL is dead" in the search engine at top left of this site.

 The Delaney crew at Ground Zero on the news of  ObL's death.


Even as this success was celebrated from Ground Zero and around the world, not many of us harboured the delusion that bin Laden's death heralded the end of the hunt for those responsible for the horrific loss of life on 9/11 (and in the years since.) The Global War on Terror continued.

Many lives have continued to be impacted, many lives have been lost, and still those who love them  wait for justice.  Some form of justice is being played out in GITMO, where the Military Tribunal continues to ensure that KSM, and conspirators,  is afforded every respect.  Not much of this is covered in the mainstream media, and you could (maybe) be forgiven for believing that these poor scmucks in GITMO are being terribly abused, and trampled on by the evil American Military.  This Aint Hell, a Veteran-run site, has twice had observers at GITMO,  documenting some of the events there, as the defendants' lawyers continue to raise absurd motions that are guaranteed to ensure that the wheels of justice grind exceedingly slowly..from complaints about the lack of olives in the murderers' food, to one of the defendant's lawyers wearing a burqa, and demanding that all other females in the courtroom do likewise - as a sign of respect to KSM and cohorts, doncha know - to AG Holder attempting to interfere with the process by having this all moved to civilian courts on US soil; despite all this, the Military Tribunal continues.  This Aint Hell has archives of their observations.  Go here and put "GITMO" in their search engine, and read their insights. Likewise, if you put "GITMO" in the top left of this site, you will find 9/11 family, the Fairbens,  reactions and thoughts on the circus that is GITMO.

As stated, the msm has apparently moved on from 9/11 and we see very few column inches or airtime devoted to what is happening in GITMO unless one of the newspapers decides to print an inmate's op/ed drivel.  Yep, that really happened recently as one of them hit the newspaper to complain about the injustice his faces every day down there..titled

The Gut-Wrenching Times Op-Ed a Gitmo Prisoner Dictated Over the Phone

and published in April 2013 as the self imposed hunger strike continued. The casual, unconnected reader could be forgiven (maybe) for swallowing the "we are the victims here" swill.   I wrote my own thoughts on the hunger strike: GITMO hunger strikers:  Let them eat...or NOT!!

Steven Crowder visited GITMO back in 2009 and filmed what he saw there of the terrible conditions (yes, that was Brat sarcasm!) these enemy combatants suffer on a daily basis







Justice.  As we face yet another anniversary of 9/11, I asked for the thoughts of those who face the INjustice on a daily basis of the murders of innocents of that infamous terrorist act.  Each of them graciously gave me permission to quote them verbatim, and that is exactly what I share with you here:


Ken Fairben, father of Keith Fairben, a Paramedic who gave his life on 9/11 as he worked selflessly to save civilians at the World Trade Center:

 I have been attending the Pre Trial hearings since they have begun...I observe the proceedings from Ft. Hamilton Brooklyn, New York, via closed circut t.v.   I can say that it is extremely frustrating watching the proceedings and the motions being filed by both sides.   Some of these motions are just down right foolish... I believe that Judge Pohl is doing an outstanding job and has shown great patients throughout...  These FIVE accused (have to be politically correct)  are being given so much latitude that I sometimes feel they are making a mockery of our judicial system...

These FIVE have been allowed to decide if they will attend court hearings each day.  They can REFUSE to come to court and remain in the detention area...My God,  can you see the average AMERICAN citizen in a jail deciding wheather or not he or she feels like going to court!!!!   I believe that our system is bending over backwards to accommodate these FIVE... We are sooo afraid of what the world will think of us if we just try them and sentence  them...The FIVE have every thing that they need, dietary needs,  legal assistance,  medical care,  etc...It just amazes me...


The "FIVE" belong right where they are.....The Military Tribunal is in place...each one of the defendants has  Learned Council (specializing in Capital Murder Cases) another intermitter Attorney plus an intermitter... They are confined in a safe and secure location...They have EVERYTHING that they could possibly want...Transporting them to and from hearings is simple, no logistic problems moving them...   Now just imagine bringing them into the United States?   Where would you house them?  Just think of the problem bringing them from their holding areas to the court.  Security for these FIVE would be momentous...and just think of what this cost would be to the citizens.    These FIVE are Military combatants,  they were the minds behind the murder of 3,000 innocent people that morning...NO, THEY BELONG RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE... THE PRESIDENT AND MR HOLDER SHOULD STAY OUT OF THE PROCESS AND LET JUSTICE BE DONE...These two only have a political agenda and it is NOT FOR THE GOOD OF AMERICA.

  I truly believe that there will be justice from this Tribunal if it is allowed to move forward without the President and Mr. Holder interfering...Yes, one day and i hope that I live long enough to see this come to a conclusion.  These FIVE will be judge fairly...I truly believe that.   THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CLOSURE and I am only speaking for myself....I do not speak on behalf of anyone else but myself...   Every individual has THEIR right to feel and express their feelings and each and everyone of them should be RESPECTED....


Much the same as Mousaui,    Life in prison (Super Max)   No chance for parole   No chance to be transferred to a foreign nation to serve their terms...and NO POLITICAL INTERFERENCE!

    I once again state...these statements are mine and mine alone...I respect each and every family members' feelings and wishes...    

 Just a few key points....  1.  These FIVE MUST remain in Git Mo.......2.  The Politicians MUST stop interfering with our judicial process.....3.  The FIVE  MUST NOT BE BROUGHT INTO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES...      4.   Mr. Obama and Mr. Holder MUST step away and not interfere in any way.....    These are my key points.........   The Prosecution and the Defense Attorneys are doing an outstanding job..They are all passionate on both sides... The Judge is most fair and impartial...Let him do what he has been trained for all his life...I have complete faith in his judgement....

                    Respectfully submitted,   Kenneth B. Fairben,   Father of  Keith G. Fairben, paramedic,  NY Presbyterian Hospital   Sept 11,2001

 
Diane Fairben, Keith's mom:

Frustrated, and disheartened ....however, as I said before, after having been to GITMO, and meeting both prosecution and defense teams, I am absolutely sure that the defendants are receiving the BEST defense.

HELL NO to the trials being held in civilian courts on US soil!  The trial is exactly where it should be.  Much of the evidence would not be allowed in a federal court.

In addition, the events of 9/11 were an act of war.  The fact that the Pentagon was a target, makes an even stronger case for that.  These 5 men were enemy combatants, captured on the battlefield.  The refusal of this administration to call this a war is, I believe,  one of the reasons they want this and other terrorist trials in civilian court.

 What I want to see as the outcome is that after they are convicted, they spend the rest of their lives at GITMO, without all the "nice" extras they have now, without being able to see anyone except the security forces, and let out only 1 hour a day.  A death sentence would result in endless appeals, and would not be carried out in my lifetime for sure.  Either way, they become martyrs in their minds, and the minds of the terrorist world.

Proud mom of Keith, 9/11/01, NYPH 8001

Jack Delaney, Keith's boss at the time,  answered the call on 9/11, and was one of the Emergency Medical Services 'peeps' who ran towards the madness of Ground Zero.[see also picture above]

 I am truly saddened by the trial delays.  I myself feel frustrated about how these animals are making a mockery of our judicial process.  I can not imagine how frustrating it is for the families of those who were murdered on that day.  Recently my frustration grew significantly stronger when I spoke with a family member who indicated that they hope they would live to see the conviction.  Why the hell are we dicking around with these murderers at the expense of our families.  The process certainly seems tilted in the wrong direction when our families are suffering through the BS and these murderers are laughing at our system.  Lets get serious and get the show on the road!!!

Holder is a loose cannon who Obama points and shoots.  Holder only wants to bring these trials back to US soil to assist Obama in attempting to close Gitmo (which will never happen).  If the trials did come to the states the cost and disruption to the american people would be astronomical.  On the other hand if the trials came to the US perhaps they could get a judge that would eliminate the associated BS and commence the actual trial in an expedited fashion.

(Jack's car - "squeezed lemons" - parked in front of towers)

Once we get past the mockery of our judicial system by the defendants, I truly believe that all defendants will be found guilty.  No matter what decision is made concerning the disposal of the defendants (garbage) there is nothing that could be done to them that would ever match the pain and suffering that has been experienced by so many.  The philosophy of an eye for an eye really doesn't apply in this horrendous situation.

Obviously I would want to see all found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole.  I do not want to see these men executed and made martyrs.  

I guess folks who read this will think I am angry....well....I am.  I want the process to minimize the pain and suffering for the families of those murdered as well as the rescuers,  many of whom are suffering from significant illness daily.  I only pray that this process will proceed expeditiously so we can put this one thing behind us.  

John Epsicopo was also at Ground Zero, working alongside Jack, Keith and many others as part of the Emergency First Responders.

NO, [I am not watching what's going on at GITMO]

It should be a military trial held off of US soil. It was an act of war. If he is tried in a civilian court on Us SOIL THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO GIVE HIM HIS RIGHTS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION F THAT.

   No outcome will render Justice. The outcome needs to send a message to his buddies that we are not playing. If you murder our people  you will LIVE thru hell for the rest of your life

No death penalty, because then they become a martyr Use their beliefs against them . Keep them alive have them live in their definition of sin.

John Episcopo,NREMTP
NY Presbyterian EMS
Special Operations Division

As we all know, since 9/11 many thousands of our young sons and daughters, men and women from around the world, have sworn the Military Oath and stepped up to serve in this ongoing Global War on Terror.  Some have given  the ultimate sacrifice.

Gold Star Mom, Mickey Bryant, had this to say...

   

HOLDER IS AN ASS.... THIS IS MILITARY BUSINESS AND THAT IS WHO SHOULD  BE TAKING CARE OF THIS MATTER.  IT SHOULD BE DONE RIGHT THERE AT GITMO.  AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE A LONG TIME AGO...  I FOR ONE AM TIRED OF PAYING FOR THEIR FOOD, BED, HOUSING AND THIER IN HOUSE RECRUITING AND ALL THIER PERSONAL AND RELIGIOUS WANTS

I DON'T BELIEVE THERE CAN BE TOTAL JUSTICE UNLESS THEY GET A DEATH PENALTY AND THAT IS  CARRIED OUT VERY QUICKLY.

Mickey Arnette Bryant Proud Mom of a US Soldier SSG Jason R Arnette

KIA 4/1/07 Baghdad now deployed to Heaven

Robert Stokely, Gold Star Dad of Mike Stokely:

I look at Justice in a bigger light over a larger period of time.   First, the Hanging of Saddam Hussein was Justice in my view given his hand in matters that led to my son and many others going to free a nation he brutalized even as a mass murderer.  SH was a threat to America and plotted to assassinate our President.   Although Mike didn't live long enough to see  him brought to Justice, I had the opportunity to go to Iraq with a man who was in on his capture and interrogation and I am satisfied Justice was served.  As to KSM, I am more detached where he is concerned.  9/11 was a day country music star from where I live in Coweta County, Alan Jackson asked "Where were you when the world stopped turning....."   While I was with my wife at her medical appointment when 9/11 happened, my son Mike was at AIT at FT Gordon and little did I know I was standing on the precipice of war my son would die in less than four years later.   For me, KSM is less the person I wanted to see brought to Justice as Bin Laden.  Justice has now been served now that he lies at the bottom of the ocean in an unknown watery tomb. 

As to bringing those thugs, whether KSM or others to the U.S. for trial and seeking Justice, that makes about as much sense as bringing cockroaches into your house to squash them.  GITMO has worked just fine and I simply don't understand why Holder and crowd wants to bring them in country. 

As to the outcome of the KSM trial and others like him, I think history has set the precedent.  Saddam's rope or Bin Laden's bullets to the head will work just fine for me.

Robert Stokely

proud dad SGT Mike Stokely

KIA 16 AUG 05 near Yusufiyah Iraq

USA E 108 CAV 48th BCT GAARNG

Northstar96sc,  Military mom, long-time tireless Troop supporter:

I believe the court process at GITMO, in my opinion to what I read is a joke. I am pretty sure the terrorists will die of old age before any justice will be carried out as they are not from here and do not wish to be spared. There is no excuse. I do not hear anyone saying they are innocent. They are  costing us money and making a mockery of of our court system.

This should be a military trial as they attacked our country and should be in a military court as a crime against the USA.

No there will not be justice as we cannot erase the day or charge our pound of flesh. The 9 11 attack cannot be undone and since the war started we have lost many more children of the United States in the war. We have a value of life and the terrorists do not value life. They want to keep the fight going and invade us from within which our current government is allowing it to happen as the USA is still allowing these people to come into our country and build here and live here.

 I would like to see the Muslim religion extinguished. I would love to bring our military home form A'Stan and let them kill one another.

 What about those in the Military who have 'been there, done that',  served in the Global War on Terror, come home to tell the tale to any who would listen?


Here's what one was willing to share on the record:

My take on things is that the tribunals were unnecessarily delayed for political reasons by Holder and Obama when they attempted to put this in a civilian court.


 The hard fought gains made in the first years of the war have been thrown away, not just squandered, but thrown away by the current crop of politicians, again, for political purposes and political correctness. They have released terrorists, enemy combatants. They have forced the Karzai govt to negotiations with the Taliban. They half-stepped "the Surge" and then pulled out before victory could be achieved.


After pulling defeat from the jaws of Victory in Iraq and then Afghanistan, they handed Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and now Syria to the enemy on a silver platter.


 They are ignoring international law (the Geneva Conventions) which states that combatants can be held until the end of hostilities, and only war criminals are tried in a court, because they want to make this a law enforcement and criminal situation. That means they want the military to act in a law enforcement role.


 What is my take? The politicians have again brought a defeat, despite the victories of our Troops.

Senior NCO/Veteran Iraq/Afghanistan 


As of today, the defense motions in GITMO continue on, and are not expected to be cleared for many months.   The actual trial begins after that, and will no doubt be followed by appeals.  This is in no way a criticism of the Military commission, and I commend them for their professional attention to ensuring that these enemy combatants will obviously be charged and sentenced by the very system they have sought to destroy.


Once the trial does get underway, it is anybody's guess how long before a guilty verdict is rendered by the Military Tribunal.  GUILTY is the only acceptable verdict, for all the Heroes we have lost, no matter how long it takes.  I have heard misgivings expressed by some,  that many of our 9/11 survivors will themselves be dead long before such verdict is executed. As we all watch the blatant manipulations of the Military Tribunal system by these  murderers, it is absolutely reasonable to wonder - as some have also shared with me - whether justice will ever be exacted for this heinous act of war. 

I have long believed - and voiced often -  that we certainly won't see justice during the current US administration.  That opinion has, of course, been reinforced by Holder's repeated efforts to interfere with the judicial process underway in GITMO. 

Having said that, I do fervently believe that justice will be rained upon KSM and the other guilty murderers.  The American values which KSM et al continue to abuse and manipulate  - to sneer at -  as they languish in luxury at GITMO, will be the very same values which will demand a price of retribution.

I don't think any of us are naive enough to believe that day of reckoning will bring back the cherished, loved ones lost on 9/11 and in the subsequent years of this Global War on Terror.  Wishing will never make that so. 

And the motions and the trials go on, and on, and on. However, I DO have absolute faith, and I hold fast to that faith,  that justice delayed does not mean justice denied.  Justice WILL be served upon the guilty.  They will be called to account.  I believe.

 

Why I write: I have promises to keep

When I told a friend I was considering writing on this topic, his response was "tell them Brat's story, who you are." Uh, no. Not so much. Why and what I write here is not about who I am. It is not about me. (Well, not often!) However, there is a short answer, and more than a few long answers, as to why I do what I do on this site. This column is part of a never-ending process I go through, examing why I write. Helps to keep me honest, and on mission. If you are not interested in a self indulgence from da Brat, here's a tip: Hit the 'Esc" button on your keyboard.

Christopher Hitchens, the world famous fabulous writer - and atheist - who died recently, once said:

Being a writer is what I am. Not what I do.

So it is for me. I have been a writer since I was little, never dreaming that writing would become who I am, not just a job, a paychecque. I first became fully aware of writer as my identity, not merely my occupation, when my then kindergarten-aged child introduced me to one of her classmate's mums: "This is my mum. She's a writer."

Yes, I am a writer, and yes, I am blessed to be able to write about people - and things - that matter to me, without a supervising editor assigning me stories that others consider newsworthy.

Before I ever became "qualified" as a journalist, with formal 'training' in what was once considered an honourable profession, I had written for a few msm outlets, on many different topics. I remember the first time I saw my byline in a major newspaper - and got paid for doing what has always come naturally for me: writing. I was hooked; hooked on telling other people's stories, and that is why I went back to journalism school, believing as I did, that I needed that bit of paper to validate what I love to do: use my writing, my heart, to share other people's stories. Uhuh. I like to say that they graduated me just so I wouldn't keep returning...Let's just say, I was not the most 'pliable' student, as the teachers failed miserably in moulding this argumentative student into a 'real' journalist. (Yep, I proudly claim the title of UNjournalist, one of the few labels given to me that I accept!)

But everything for a reason, and I was led on what - for some in the journalism business - would be considered an unconventional path. It IS an amazing path and I kept writing - I had to write - with no idea where my love of sharing others' stories would lead me.

Assoluta Tranquillita as a forum for my unashamedly pro-Military writing only came into existence because of a stubborn friend who insisted I needed to have my own site. At that time, I had been a contributor on a US Milblog - Tanker Bros - while they were deployed in Iraq. When I first discovered TB and became a casual reader of theirs, I had NO idea what a Milbog was, (really, I was totally clueless!) but when the Tanker Bros - yes, they are real people, real brothers - announced that they were going back to Iraq, I volunteered to be 'backroom support' for their blog while they were away serving their country. Fifteen months later, upon the Tanker Brothers return to America, I figured I was done writing about the Military. I had done my own 'deployment,' and was convinced the internet was already far too noisy a place, and did not need my less than knowledgable voice added to the crowd. I was more than willing to go back to my other writing. Honest! I had lots to write about, and no intention of joining the Milblog community in my own right, full-time. HA!

Apart from everything else, I really was (am) technically challenged and have no idea how to set up a site. That was to be my final 'gotcha' offered as to why I couldn't possibly start my own site. Topic closed, or so I thought! Not the end of the matter, however, as this stubborn friend (you know who you are) immediately offered to do the set up for me. She has the skills. Basically, she had me in a corner, and I finally agreed, albeit not so graciously!

Here we are these years later, and I must confess that some of that friend's words have been proven true. She had said: Trust me, you need your own space. And so it has come to be, as I write about our Troops and their families, and the amazing things they do, and the challenges they overcome, in a way that apparently only other Milbloggers see fit to consistently report. Rarely does the msm give column inches to the Every Day Heroes who selflessly do extraordinary deeds every.single.day in service to their respective countries.

THIS was my first column on this site on June 10, 2008:

"Silence is the mother of truth."






That column garnered a few comments, and a couple of them still resonate today. Both were from Military men. Go figure:

while I welcome your topic of silence, I look forward to you joining in by making some NOISE! While silence and statement both become means of grace at the right time, silence at the wrong time can become complicity - not confronting the untruth we discover in the world.

And there was this:

[...]

The words will come, and fill the silence.

And yes, the words DO come. Yes, I DO make noise from time to time.

I have found that I cannot remain silent and be complicit in the face of all that is going on in the world. I cannot ignore the truths I see, that the msm usually ignores, so I write. The words I often use? They sometimes come from the hearts of the many Military Families I have come to know and love: Blue Star, Silver Star, and yes, Gold Star Families. I am sometimes given permission to share their words, their views of the state of the world, which their loved ones serve/d, and for which, all too often, their loved ones have given the ultimate sacrifice: their lives, their futures.

So the short answer to the question I ask myself often? Because I made a promise. I made a promise to this Fallen Hero, and his family:

The Stokely Family

I write in honour of Fallen Hero SGT Patrick Tainsh and his family:



I write, because Fallen Heroes like SGT Eddie Jeffers volunteered to serve their country. Eddie was also a fantastic Warrior/Writer, and his insights, the wisdom in his words will live on forever.

Another Gold Star Mom who keeps me writing is Mickey, proud Mom of Fallen Hero SSG Jason Arnette.



The list of those who drive me on, keep me writing, is long.

I was privileged to share Fallen Hero SGT John Rode, as told through the words of his aunt Cat Brooks:

I never met any of these Heroes while they were here on Earth, but I have come to know them, as their loved ones have told me about them and given me permission to share their lives with my readers. These Heroes, and their families, are not just numbers. They are our best who loved life, who lived incredible lives of service.

Another Gold Star Family who propel me on is Deborah May and her kids, family of SSG Donald May. Yes, I am a member of Team May. Canadian Fallen Hero Cpl James Arnal's Mom Wendy is an extraordinary woman, who shared her story of going to Afghanistan to serve as a civilian for six months in the very place her son gave his all. Her example is always an inspiration to me.


(Cpl Arnal's mother Wendy and brother Andrew besides James' plaque in Afghanistan. This was taken on a prior visit to Afghanistan, before Wendy returned to work there.)

Wendy's words give us an appreciation of her son James, and on those days when I just want to crawl in a ball, and quit writing, I remind myself how extraordinary women like Wendy get up every single day, and keep pushing on, to honour their loved ones.

The Gold Star Families are a huge reason I write. Some will never know I have written about their loved ones, but others have become friends. They are all why I write.

Through my writing here, I have come to know of and love Heroes who wore a uniform other than Military as they served their country. The picture on my sidebar of Keith doesn't even come close to telling of the life of this 9/11 EMT who was one of those we lost that day, as he worked to save others. Keith's mom and dad, Diane and Ken, who I initially interviewed for a 9/11 tribute profile of Keith, have become dear friends to me, and although they don't know it, they do inspire me - often - as they continue their own service to America.

Regular readers have come to know many of these Heroes, these families through their own words. Little did I know when I wrote my first column 'Silence' here, of the people I would come to know, the unsung Heroes who unknowingly give me a metaphorical kick in the rear on those days when I think I'll just shut down this site, and go back to my other writing, which is gathering dust on the backburner. But a promise is a promise, and I keep writing here, through the grace and generosity of these families, and so many more, who open their hearts to me.

My promise was tested this last October, and I came closer than ever to quitting this site, totally unconvinced that whatever I do here makes any difference to our world.

On October 13, SSG Brian Cowdrey - beloved husband, father, son, brother - gave his life in service to America in the fight for freedom, so other families in a war zone miles from his home could know the taste of freedom long denied them by murderous terrorists.

Yes, I hurt every time we have lost a Hero, and my heart always aches for their families. Brian was a friend to many, and when he died, again I found myself asking "what is the point of what I do?" From where I sat, there was no point at all, and I seriously considered over many days silencing this site. Compared to the contribution Brian, all our Fallen Heroes, all our Troops serving right this minute in war zones, make every day in so many lives, I figured nobody would notice if I just shut down, since my work doesn't come close to the price our Heroes pay. I was finally ready to put down my pen, if you will.

As the days passed, I looked to my silence where, as I wrote in that first column, I find my truths, and I prayed - a lot.

I remembered this picture of Brian - one of my favourites of him as Healer, Life-Saver:

February 2010 during Operation Moshtarak - Brian providing aid to wounded Medic Casey Morrison. (Brian said on his FB page at the time he shared this picture: This photo was taken by an AP embed named Brenan Lindsley... if there was ever a guy who could capture those telling moments it was him! Thank you Brenan for sharing our story!!)

I remembered talking to Brian about his work. He spoke always with passion about his chosen field of service to America, even as he acknowledged to me that he didn't always know the outcome of those wounded who he evacuated from the battlefield.

As I was debating with myself what day I would shut down, I thought about that aspect of Brian's work. I watched as those he had worked alongside wrote of their love and respect for him, and how the work they continue honours him and his sacrifice every day.

I thought about the EMS 'peeps' I have come to know who, having survived 9/11, still put on their uniforms every single day, as they serve their communities.

I thought about the words of a Veteran whose wisdom shone through the answer he gave me when I asked him "How do you keep going in battle after the losses?" He did not know that day how much his perspective helped me refocus on my mission here.

His words that day, and the gentle support of those who, over the years have stood together with me as we honour our Fallen Heroes, as we support ALL our Military Families, gave me pause. Through the hours of solitude I sought on my beach (yes, my Church) I kept hearing "You made a promise." I thought of all those who trust me with their loved ones, and with their own hearts: The Blue Star, the Silver Star and the Gold Star Families.

These families do not have the option of quitting. That is not part of their reality. It was this truth that finally got through to me. I realised how selfish I am - how lucky I am - to be able to even think about stepping away from what I do here. I thought of our active duty Troops who, still fighting in the sandbox, even as they grieve the loss of a brother in arms, don't have the option of saying "I quit." I thought of the Gold Star Families and 9/11 families who, even on their worst days, get up and face the reality of life without their loved ones.

I also remembered the Eleanor Roosevelt WarTime Prayer:

Dear Lord, Lest I continue My complacent way, Help me to remember that somewhere, Somehow out there A man died for me today. As long as there be war, I then must Ask and answer Am I worth dying for?

As my longtime readers know, this is a question I have pondered many times over my years of writing about our Hero Warriors and their families. And yes, it seems I will always ask myself that question.

Most of all, I kept hearing: You made a promise.

What was that promise?

I remember very well a long while back telling my friend Robert, proud dad of Fallen Hero Mike Stokely:

As long as I breath, I promise you that Mike and all our Heroes will be remembered; they WILL be honoured.

Unlike our Veterans; unlike our active duty Troops, and their families; unlike our Fallen Heroes' Families who each must know that their service and sacrifice have changed our world for the better; unlike our 9/11 families, and all the EMS who saved so many lives on 9/11 as they faced the worst of humanity, I may never know if my small voice from the corner of nowhere, on this site, makes any difference at all. I cannot know. I may never know if what I do makes me worthy of the service and sacrifice of our Military.

I do know that I am still breathing, so I will keep writing here, still trying to be worthy. I fully intend that when my Day of Judgement comes, I will be able to stand before my God and say: I kept my promise.

As Robert Frost wrote so many years ago:

I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.

And so it is. And I write on.