It’s been five years since the terrorists have had a successful attack on America. As a result, it’s tempting to think that the war on terror has pretty much been won. Can’t it all just be over already?
No, it can’t. And now I understand why.
Over the last two nights my wife and I watched “The Path to 9/11”, a two-part mini-series on ABC. There has been a lot of controversy and finger-pointing surrounding the mini-series, so there’s no need for me to talk about that here. Rather, I want to focus on the bigger picture.
It was riveting, much better than I expected it to be. A tense, tightly woven tale with high production values. It did more than entertain me, it educated me. And I didn’t mind a bit. “The Path to 9/11” illustrated vividly the fanatical hatred the terrorists feel toward us, and how fiercely dedicated they are to destroying America. Their threat now feels more real to me than it ever did before.
It also helped me to understand that this is not a traditonal war. Al Queda is not a country, they do not have troops or borders. This enemy fights not in battlefields and beaches but in the underground, the black market, and the back alleys of the world. They are sly, they are sneaky, and they could care less about the Geneva Convention or any other so-called “rules” of war. I’d heard about the terrorists’ zeal for violence, but now I understand how real the threat truly is. And it won’t be going away any time soon. There is no negotiating with these people. They will stop at nothing short of destroying America as a world power.
This is not a battle of ideologies, this is a real war, and like all wars it is sometimes very bloody and very messy. I used to roll my eyes at hearing news about the war on terror. Now I see we need to roll up our sleeves. My eyes have been opened and my resolve has been strengthened.
I’ve heard rumors that “The Path for 9/11” will soon be avaiable as a free download on iTunes. No matter what your political leanings are, I highly recommend that you watch it. Even if you have to pay for the download, it will be well worth the money.