Straight Talk With Sam (Remembering)

Straight Talk

Remembering

Five years after September 11th, we no longer have the glowing embers of wreckage to remind us of the impacts and explosions. The twisted beams and mangled metal have been removed from Ground Zero and the Pentagon. But as the recent arrests in Great Britain illustrate, terrorists remain as committed as ever to launching another attack against us. It's not a question of "if," but rather "when." We might do well to recall that the terrorists waited seven years before attacking the World Trade Center for the second time - a time during which they planned and practiced as they lived among us, exploiting our liberties. And so, as we mark this somber anniversary of the attacks, we must recommit ourselves to the fight against terror.

While the horrors of that September day may have faded with time, the threat to our citizens, our country, our economic institutions, and out way of life is no less real today than it was five years ago. We must continue to remain engaged in the Global War on Terror to ensure that the terrorists no longer have the tools, resources or ability to attack us again. This includes bringing terrorists such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammad - one of the masterminds of 9/11 - to justice so that he will never plot against innocent citizens again. This also includes ensuring that our borders are no longer porous, but secure.

Remembering 9/11 also means supporting our men and women in uniform who hunt terrorists in all corners of the globe. For it is their sacrifices that help secure the freedoms we cherish and bring freedom to those who have been shackled by tyrannical and oppressive regimes. And it's their fighting spirit - captured so well by Todd Beamer's famous words "let's roll" on that fateful day - that continues to resonate in our hearts and minds on this anniversary.

http://www.house.gov/graves/straighttalk/2006issue37.htm