The September 11, 2001 attacks consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist suicide attacks by Islamic extremists upon the United States of America. That morning nineteen terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. Each team of hijackers included a trained pilot. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners (United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11) into the World Trade Center in New York City, one plane into each tower, resulting in the collapse of both buildings soon afterward and irreparable damage to nearby buildings. The hijackers crashed a third airliner (American Airlines Flight 77) into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. Passengers and members of the flight crew on the fourth aircraft (United Airlines Flight 93) attempted to retake control of their plane from the hijackers; that plane crashed into a field near the town of Shanksville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania. In addition to the 19 hijackers, 2,974 people died as an immediate result of the attacks.

We all suffered a huge loss that day with the death of 2,974 fellow Americans, and now we live with the knowledge that Osama bin Laden is still around and will attack us again at his first opportunity. I remember Bush saying, "He can run, but he can't hide," well obviously he can. Unfortunately Iraq had NOTHING to do with the 9/11 attacks, and the real villain and mastermind of the most unspeakable brutal attack that has ever taken place on America soil, still roams free.

Bush has said "The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people -- and it is unacceptable to me. Our troops in Iraq have fought bravely. They have done everything we have asked them to do. Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me." Unfortunately this statement is true, but, by the gist of the President's address to the nation last night, it was clear that he will not take responsibility and will pass this war on to our next president and let him or her try to clean up the mess he has made in Iraq.

The saddest part of this situation is that these wonderful men and women in uniform are just following orders, they are our children and grandchildren, our husbands and wives, our brothers and sisters, and they are getting killed and wounded because of the mistakes of this government. We can only pray for their safety and hope the government will protect them to the best of their ability while they defend America bravely!

Below are the statistics for military fatalities (names included on each months' page) and wounded thus far, and below that is an account of that dreadful day, September 11, 2001 on film.

September 11, 2001