9/11 Reaction Paper

My reaction to 9/11 was that it was a very horrific event. To borrow President Roosevelt’s words I believe that it is a day that will live in infamy. I do not know how someone could murder all those people. In my opinion Osama bin Laden and President George W. Bush were both responsible. The obvious reason for saying Osama bin Laden was responsible is because he set it up and had his men commence the attack. I believe George W. Bush was also responsible because I think that there was a way for him to prevent this and the loss of innocent life.

My first reason for blaming this ordeal partly on President Bush is that he was briefed by the CIA on August 6, 2001 that Osama bin Laden was planning to attack America by hijacking airplanes, but did not do anything about it. Another reason is that at least six private jets and nearly two dozen commercial planes, which were approved by the White House, carried the Saudis and the bin Ladens out of the U.S. after September 13th. In all, 142 Saudis, including 24 members of the bin Laden family, were allowed to leave the country, which shouldn’t have been allowed. Another reason is that President Bush made one of the first tasks for his Attorney General to tell the acting FBI director that he didn’t want to hear about terrorist threats. He also failed to have even one meeting to discuss the threat of terrorism with his head of counterterrorism Richard Clarke.(9/11 Fact Sheet)

Now after all that and the attacks he drops the search for Osama bin Laden and goes to Iraq. He starts a war about nuclear weapons because of mere impulses and finds none there. This wastes money, time, and many innocent lives. He may have even captured Osama bin Laden and brought him to justice if he didn’t waste his time on a wild goose chase.

I believe that the horror of September 11 will still be remembered for many generations to come, but that America will rebound from it. I also think that at some point Osama bin Laden will be caught and brought to justice when we get a more capable president.