Remembrance – Retaliation - Regret

It has been 8 years since the cowardly attacks from the air on 9-11-01. The confirmed death toll of innocent civilians from over 90 countries is 2,974 with another 24 presumed dead for a total 2,998 victims. This excludes the 19 suicidal assassins.

But the price paid was larger than the 3,000 lives, four airplanes and two buildings lost that day. The price has continued to rise and is still being paid to date. Tens and maybe hundreds of deaths have since then occurred amongst rescue workers and neighboring residents due to the toxins contained in the dust and smoke that followed for weeks. The effects on fetal development in mothers close to the disaster site are still being assessed today.

But the cost of lives does not end there. As a direct response, the US invaded Afghanistan to purge them of the Taliban that have been supporting the Al Qaeda terror network. Civilian deaths in Afghanistan are expected to total between 15,000 and 30,000. Whereas military deaths are approaching a total of 1,300.

"We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories ... And we'll find more weapons as time goes on. But for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 30, 2003

President Bush (43), while failing to ever provide evidence of Iraq’s involvement in 9-11, still ordered redemptive strikes against Iraq to retaliate for their alleged involvement, as well as preemptive strikes to protect the US against the stockpiles of WMD. The New England Medical Journal estimates the death toll to date of civilian Iraqi casualties from air strikes alone to approximate 3,000. The death toll of coalition military forces in Iraq is slowly approaching the mark of 5,000, with the US absorbing 4,300 of those.

This is only where the cost of human lives seems to conclude. The financial cost is a completely different matter. Picking out just a few large price items, we find:

• Iraq and Afghanistan War 2001 – 2009: $941 billion
• Department of Homeland Security Budget 2002 – 2009: $315 billion
• WTC Emergency Response, Rescue and Clean-up Mission and Losses: $137 billion
• For a total cost of $1.4 trillion to the American tax payer, federal government and the City of New York.

Personally, in view of the loss of between 30,000 and 45,000 lives and $1.4 trillion to date, I find it appalling that our former fearless leader George W. Bush had this to say with regard to finding the demented mind behind the 9-11 attacks and everything they have set into motion:

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 13, 2002

Just another one of those things that make you question just exactly what type of ass-clowns we elect to become our political leaders.