Friday, Sept. 5, 2003 | 4:35 a.m.
WEEKEND EDITION: Sept. 7, 2003
On Thursday it will have been two years since the 9-11 terrorist attacks, which killed more than 3,000 Americans on a single day. There haven't been any terrorist attacks in the United States after September 2001, but there still is an undercurrent of anxiety that many Americans have about this new era of warfare. In many respects we are just as vulnerable as we were on 9-11.
Anti-terrorism experts note we still have soft spots in the security of the nation's airports and seaports. For instance, because the Bush administration is worried about the cost, there still isn't a requirement that cargo on commercial jets be screened for explosives and weapons before its loaded. And large containers on ships entering seaports -- vessels that can easily hide a weapon of mass destruction -- aren't thoroughly inspected.
The White House hasn't pushed for enough federal funding for local law enforcement and public safety agencies -- those on the front lines in the war on terrorism -- to help them head off and respond to acts of terrorism. Even when funding has been made available, the federal government hasn't always made sure it's sent where it's needed most. In May the Homeland Security Department distributed $500 million in anti-terrorism funding to 30 cities but incomprehensibly didn't provide Las Vegas with any money. This despite the fact that Las Vegas is an international destination for tourists, is a city in which five of the 19 hijackers who conducted the 9-11 terrorist attacks had spent time, and was named as a potential target for terrorism in testimony provided during a federal trial in Detroit. Even Nevada state government initially did a poor job in allocatin g enough of the federal anti-terrorism grants to Las Vegas, a situation that has since been rectified.
Overseas, we've seen successes and setbacks in the war on terrorism. U.S. military forces routed the Taliban in Afghanistan, replacing it with a new regime. Then the United States, along with Britain, invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein's regime. But we still haven't captured Osama bin Laden, who was behind the 9-11 attacks, and Saddam. The situation in Iraq has gotten worse, even after President Bush declared that major combat had ended there.
The stepped-up guerrilla tactics in Iraq, including terrorist bombings, have undermined efforts to make Iraq a free and democratic nation. The attacks are part of the reason why the United States finally last week sought the assistance of the United Nations in peacekeeping. Afghanistan also is experiencing turmoil as the Taliban carry out attacks. We must redouble our commitment to Afghanistan, too, providing enough aid so it can be rebuilt. And then there are North Korea, a rogue nation that says it is intent on building a nuclear arsenal, and Iran, which, according to international atomic energy officials, may be secretly developing material to build nuclear weapons.
What all of these threats do show is that our nation can't go it alone, whether it's against a traditional military threat posed by a nation or an unconventional threat created by a terrorist organization. The Bush White House needs to do a better job diplomatically in getting other nations to join us in heading off terrorism, a situation that will create more stability in the long run. That doesn't mean turning a blind eye to terrorism or backing off a menace if the United Nations isn't willing to join a just cause. However, the Bush administration's sometimes bellicose statements do more harm than good.
Even though it's only been two years since the terrorist attacks, many Americans and government officials have become complacent. It is that attitude, however, that can result in another 9-11. Fighting a war on terrorism is incredibly complex. It will require sacrifices -- more money for homeland security and the military, for example, and less on tax cuts for the wealthy -- that so far this administration hasn't shown it's willing to ask of the American people.
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