These are my thoughts from the Nuze on 9/11/01.
TERRORIST ATTACK!!!
Foreign enemies have finally brought warfare to American soil. Both of the World Trade Towers in New York City have been destroyed, as has World Trade Building No. 7. The Pentagon in Washington DC has been attacked. Another attack was attempted on Camp David. Four, possibly five commercial airliners have been hijacked -- their passengers and crews killed. It's an all-out terrorist attack on freedom, on liberty and on the United States and all of its citizens .. with 10,000 possibly dead.
Boortz returns to the air at 9:00 a.m.
By now I'm sure you know the story. America, liberty and freedom have been attacked. Both of the World Trade Towers have been destroyed. Thousands of lives have been lost. Some estimates put the dead in New York City at 10,000 souls. Direct attacks against the American government have been staged. There was an attack on Camp David which failed, an attack on the Pentagon which succeeded.
For now Americans are, or should be United. No matter who you voted for in 2001, George W. Bush is now YOUR president and he needs your prayers. The decisions that will be made in the coming hours, days and weeks are horrendous beyond your comprehension. U.S. Air Force fighter planes are now circling New York City and Washington DC. US Navy warships are on their way to New York and the National Guard has been called forth to help in rescue attempts.
This is an attack on freedom, liberty and on all of America and all Americans. It's also an attack on tall civilized nations throughout the world. The questions are almost too numerous. Who did it, of course, and how does America retaliate? What actions can be taken to prevent similar attacks on other targets in New York and other cities?
I was in Texas when JFK was assassinated. Within hours people were attacking those they felt to be responsible -- people who weren't responsible at all. It's time for Americans to absorb as much information as possible, to pray, and to reflect. Then it will be time for us to support our leaders in the actions they take to address these attacks, and to make sure they never happen again.
We'll see you on the air at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Updates anytime.
The WSB newsroom in action:
Scott Slade is delivering constant updates on the terrorist attacks.
Forefront to rear, News Director Chris Camp directs the staff while Veronica Waters and Mike Kavanaugh (R.I.P) prepare the latest reports.
Random talking points on the terrorist attacks ...
We will need a unified response. An international response. There are civilized nations - and there are nations that are not civilized, nations that have no place in the international community. These nations need to be isolated - and, if they continue to present a threat, removed.
Its time for America to show strength. Part of true strength is a thoughtful but forceful response to this terrorist action. The response should be defined and strong -- forceful enough to make any other potential terrorists, or those who would harbor them, think very strongly about the consequences of their actions. Two simple steps. First, get it right. Second, respond.
Any nation who supported, protected or harbored the people who are responsible for the attacks on America - those nations must be dealt with strongly.
This was a well-organized and initiated attack. It went flawlessly. Not one set of hijackers failed to reach their goal of seizing American airliners. It is not the act of any small, poorly funded terrorist group.
One of the principal protectors of terrorists - of Osama Bin Laden and his ilk - would be Afghanistan. If the Taliban is behind this. If Afghanistan is complicit. If Osama Ben Laden, protected by Afghanistan, is responsible --- then the government of Afghanistan must be dealt with..
Budgets for American intelligence services have been decimated over recent years, starting with Carter. One has to wonder, if those budgets had not been savaged, would this have happened?
Virtually all of the hijacked airplanes were coast to coast flights. Why? Because they had full loads of fuel, that's why. Flying bombs.
I have spoken many times of the pitiful level of competence of those people who man our airport security checks. Don't we now know for an absolute certainty that our system of screening passengers and their luggage is completely inadequate? When it comes to protecting me on a commercial flight, I don't want to depend on people who's only viable second career choice would be cooking French fries. We have seen a total and complete utter failure of the security system protecting our nation's airports.
Did you know that American Airlines was recently fined by the FAA? The reason? Poor passenger screening.
Manhattan is littered with women's shoes. Why? Women trying to flee the scene of the terrorist attacks were abandoning their high heels.
Barbara Olson was reported to be on the hijacked airliner which crashed into the Pentagon. Barbara Olson is the wife of Solicitor General Ted Olson. She's also the woman who wrote the book "Hell to Pay," a rather unflattering portrayal of Hillary Clinton.
Heard today on MSNBC ... Andrea Mitchell saying that "It would be a challenge for a less articulate president to rally the country." Now that quote isn't exact ... but the "less articulate president" was there. It is time for the nation's leftist media to abandon this "Bush is a dummy" campaign.
We've all see those videos of Palestinians dancing in the streets. Ugly? Yeah, it's ugly. But put it in perspective. Those are kids, teenagers. They have no real concept of what America is, who Americans are or what has happened here. For some of the older ones you saw on television --- if you were to put them on an airplane and fly them to New York to see the bodies, the burned, the injured ... they would be horrified. Horrified not only at what they saw, but at their very own demonstrations of glee. Those aren't the people we need to blame. In a sense they're victims too.
You have to ask ... would this tragedy have happened today if America had shown the resolve to rid the world of Saddam Hussein in 1991? Shows of weakness or timidity invite actions of this type. Bullies love to pick on big guys who won't fight back.
I wonder of the hideous cowards who launched this attack on innocent American civilians have any idea just what they have done and the almost certain consequences of their actions. Were they fooled by the apparent dissention in American political life? If so, that will turn out to have been a fatal error. Someone is soon to learn that you don't screw with Americans or America. We may argue among ourselves -- but we are perfectly capable of binding together to respond with dangerous resolve against terrorists who attack us on our own soil.
There were other items today on Nealz Nuze -- though they hardly seem important at the moment. Here they are if you want to have a look.