Don't Forget the Lesson of 9/11

Op-Ed

Thirteen years have passed since that dark day in September when terrorists brought war to America. The pain we felt as we witnessed the horror on 9/11 has naturally started to fade as the pages of history become further filled. But, the lessons we learned that day are just as important now as they were then.

The 9/11 Commission's report about what happened that fateful Tuesday concluded that a failure of imagination about the nature of the threat we faced from al Qaeda--and the inertia that prevented us from diminishing that threat--led to the attacks in New York, Washington, and on Flight 93. We simply weren't able to connect the dots in time to stop the attacks and save the lives that were lost.

The United States subsequently killed Osama bin Laden and captured many of his top lieutenants. We disrupted the ability of al Qaeda to plan and carry out such attacks and degraded their overall capabilities. We also enhanced our own counterterrorism capabilities and closed loopholes that allowed terrorists to exploit our generosity and legal protections for their murderous purposes. We even created an agency dedicated to safeguarding our homeland security.

Unfortunately, a new generation of terrorists is just as committed to bringing war to our shores now as al Qaeda was then. The most serious threat comes from a violent extremist group called the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, commonly referred to as ISIS. This fanatical group is dedicated to creating an Islamic state governed by a strict law that rejects fundamental freedoms and calls for the extermination of non-believers.

But ISIS isn't content to wreak havoc solely in the Middle East. Terrorism experts believe the group, which just publicly beheaded two American journalists, wants to commit attacks on American soil--attacks that could cause greater loss of life than on 9/11. We can't let that happen.

Wednesday night, President Obama laid out his plan for addressing the ISIS threat. While many, including me, have disagreed with many of the President's foreign policy decisions, these differences must not stop us from attacking terrorists before they attack us. We will never allow evil to go unchallenged or stand in the way of administering the swift and severe justice that terrorists deserve.

Our nation is rightly war weary. However, our shared desire for peace can't blind us to the fact that ISIS is committed to bringing war to America like al Qaeda did in 2001. The decision to unleash America's military might must only be made to ensure the safety and security of our country and its citizens. We seek peace, but we maintain strength so we can always answer the bell in the fight for freedom.

We will never be able to extinguish the desire of evil-doers to commit their heinous and inhumane acts. But, the enduring lesson of 9/11 is that we must take the fight to terrorists before they bring it to us. We honor the memories of those who gave their lives on 9/11--and in service to our country since--by remembering that lesson.

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