Remembering 9/11

Little did we know that September 11, 2001 was going to be a day like no other day in American history. Early risers had nothing to warn them of what was about to happen in the early morning hours of that Tuesday morning.

I was sleeping a little late that morning. My husband was in the computer room and had the television on watching Fox News. He immediately came and woke me up when the plane hit the first tower. I got up and went to the television. Our first impression was that it was an accident, but the next few minutes we found out it was a terrorist attack. When the second plane hit the second tower, it was just too surreal! The emotions were all over the range; this could not be happening in America. Yet, there we were watching live television, the towers crumbling, smoke filling the downtown area, and people running for their lives.

Our eyes stayed glued to the television for the entire day. We did not realize that the tragedy had just begun. We new the nation was under attack, but we didn't realize just how bad things were going to get before the end of the day. Nor, did we know how many lives would be lost. The people behind the attacks were dead set on destroying as much of the United States as they could. And, they never gave a thought to how many lives they were destroying. In fact, I am sure they did not care. Their satisfaction was born out of pure hatred for our way of life and the freedoms we have here in America.

One event after another began to happen. First the Twin Towers were hit and began crumbling, and then the Pentagon was hit by the third plane. The nation was expecting a hit on the White House as well. But the fourth plane was deterred by some very brave citizens that did not want to see others killed by these terrorists. They took matters into their own hands. They began to call relatives to let them know what was happening and they would not be coming home. They sacrificed their lives to save thousands of others that may have been killed had the plane been able to make it's way to it's destination in Washington, D.C. Instead, they caused the plane to go down in a field in Pennsylvania.

The death of all those thousands of people on that day left many grieving relatives behind - spouses, children, parents, friends. And it still has to be a terrible thing to remember, knowing those loved ones had no chance to survive such a terrible tragedy. Little did they know that morning, as they arrived for work, that their lives would be in jeopardy in just a matter of minutes. The passengers boarding those other two planes had no idea that they would not arrive at their respective destinations, and that their lives were hanging in the balance when they sat down in their seats.

As we go forward after this ninth year after this terrible tragedy, I pray that this country never has to undergo another day like that day in our history. But we have to be extremely cautious in the way we look at our every day actions, knowing that the enemy is right ready to hit us again. It doesn't matter that we have done nothing to cause the attacks other than being a freedom-loving country. May GOD keep us safe from more terrorists attacks.

Technorati Tags: 9-11 Tragedy, New York City, Pennsylvania, Twin Towers

Benazir Bhutto killed in attack

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in a suicide attack. Ms Bhutto - the first woman PM in an Islamic state - was leaving an election rally in Rawalpindi when a gunman shot her in the neck and set off a bomb. At least 16 other people died in the attack and several more were injured. President Pervez Musharraf condemned the killing and urged people to remain calm. Security forces were placed on a state of "red alert" nationwide.

Life in pictures
More pictures on Yahoo

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In Remembrance of 9-11

THE DAY AMERICA CRIED
by Barbara Sanders

Mornings are for waking up happy, going on with your business, and enjoying life. After all, the weekend is over; it's the beginning of a beautiful new day given to you by the Lord. But the morning of September 11, 2001 wasn't to be one of those mornings that were so simple. Nothing could have prepared us for the tragedy of the morning. If someone had said to me, the World Trade Center will be bombed today, I would have said you have to be kidding! And, I would have meant it. This is the land of freedoms - a family sometimes divided, but together in times of trials. Things like that just do not happen in our country. But, today would change my thought pattern - it does happen, and it did happen!

I was sleeping a little later that morning and my husband came in and told me that my daughter was on the phone. He also said, come in the computer room - the World Trade Center is on fire. I don't think that he actually knew it was a plane that had hit it at the time, or perhaps he did. My memory of that morning is like a haze. We sat there and looked in horror. Our fears were found to be true - it wasn't an accident. Another plane hit the south tower right before our eyes.

I look back now and realize, at the moment of the second plane hit on that tower, and the aftermath of the explosion, that we knew it was terrorism, but we didn't know who would have wanted to strike beautiful America, and right in the heart of downtown Manhattan. After all, these were buildings with multiple tenants from all over the world. Everyone was affected, not just America. Thousands of workers, and hundreds of rescue workers and policemen were lost, without a reason! The enemy came to our country, took our own planes, and unsuspecting people, and used them as bombs against us.

As we watched the men and women come out of that building, run down the streets, or being helped by others, we were horrified. Our hearts went out to them - tears stung our eyes. We didn't know any of them by person, but felt for them - the things that they had to undergo and the time it will take to heal. Our hearts went out to the many families that lost loved ones, and never will be able to put closure on that part of their lives, having no body to bury. The very thought made me angry. Like others, I suppose I would have gone after the person/persons responsible, if it were possible. Sure, the terrorists that did the acts were dead, but someone had set this act up, and someone will pay.

America's heartland has been scarred, and we cried tears. But, if the enemy thought that he would tear out our hearts, he has another thought coming. As someone said on television, we are family. Families bicker amongst themselves, but when attacked, families stick together. America is united more in Spirit and cause than I have ever seen in my lifetime. We will go after those responsible and AMERICA WILL RISE AGAIN!

©Barbara Sanders, September 16, 2001. All rights reserved.

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Bible distributors' throats slit

Three men who distribute bibles in Turkey were killed by 5 extremists. The men worked at Zirve Publishing House in the central city of Malatya. There was one German and two Turks.

Police detained four men, ages 19 to 20, and a fifth suspect was hospitalized with serious injuries after jumping out of a window to try to escape arrest, authorities said. All five were carrying a letter that read: “We five are brothers. We are going to our deaths,” according to the state-run Anatolia news agency.

Turkey is mainly a Muslim, but secular country. These men had been accused of proselytizing. The general manager of Zirve's says the employees were recently threatened.

Read the Daily Herald for the entire article.

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Children Die in Turkish bomb blast

A bomb was set off near a park in the turkish city of Diyarbakir today. It killed 7 people, wounding 14. Among the dead were 5 children.

The explosion happened next to a wall by the Kosuyolu Park in the Baglar district of the city. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Kurdistan Liberation Hawks (TAK), the militant group which claimed the previous attacks in late August, has threatened to turn Turkey into "hell".

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Remembering 9-11 Five years later

In Memory of 9-11 and all the victims of that horrible tragedy of terrorism:

• The Day America Cried
• September 11th Psalm from Life is a Buffet
  

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Houston police and the federal Transportation Security Administration at odds

....over who is to blame for letting a man with a middle eastern name, hollowed out shoes, and what appeared to be bomb components, board a plane last week at Hobby Airport.

The officer, who let him through, after checking him, says it is not the police's responsiblity for stopping suspicious people, but that of the TSA. Yet, they put this police officer on desk duty.

The report states that a man with a Middle Eastern name and a ticket for a Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta shook his head when screeners asked if he had a laptop computer in his baggage, but an X-ray machine operator detected a laptop.

A search of the man's baggage revealed a clock with a 9-volt battery taped to it and a copy of the Quran, the report said. A screener examined the man's shoes and determined that the "entire soles of both shoes were gutted out."

No explosive material was detected, the report states. A police officer was summoned and questioned the man, examined his identification, shoes and the clock, then cleared him for travel, according to the report.

A TSA screener disagreed with the officer, saying "the shoes had been tampered with and there were all the components of (a bomb) except the explosive itself," the report says.

The officer retorted, "I thought y'all were trained in this stuff," TSA officials reported.

Just how safe are our airports? How much has security improved since the September 11, 2001 incident? Have they gotten lax in their duties?

HT: Michelle Malkin

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Technorati Tags: Airport Security, TSA, Middle Eastern, Houston, Hobby Airport

Al-Zarqawi Autopsy Report released

An autopsy was performed on Al-Zarqawi and his spiritual advisor, Sheik Abdul-Rahman, in order to keep down misinformation and propaganda. It gives them a definitive answer as to the specific cause of death.

If you remember, there were reports that U.S. Soldiers were seen beating his body and 'blood came out of his nose'. But, the autopsy report states he died from lung injuries.

“Blast waves from the two bombs caused tearing, bruising of the lungs and bleeding,” he said. “There was no evidence of firearm injuries.”

U.S. troops arrived at 6:40 p.m. and found Iraqi police at the site. He said a coalition medic treated al-Zarqawi, who lapsed in and out of consciousness.

“At 7:04 p.m. on 7 June, Zarqawi was dead,” Caldwell said.

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