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Horse Soldiers

Task Force Dagger

First to Go: Green Berets Remember Earliest Mission in Afghanistan
Operation Enduring Freedom, The First 49 Days
Green Berets Who Liberated Afghanistan from the Taliban Tell Their Stories in New Documentary
Interview with ODA 595

Legion of Brothers

PCR, The Critics of 9/11 Truth: Do They Have A Case?

Related:
Former Sen. Bob Graham calls for new 9/11 investigation

Meetup.com originated as a response to 9/11

An e-mail sent by meetup.com:

Fellow Meetuppers,

I don't write to our whole community often, but this week is
special because it's the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and many
people don't know that Meetup is a 9/11 baby.

Let me tell you the Meetup story. I was living a couple miles
from the Twin Towers, and I was the kind of person who thought
local community doesn't matter much if we've got the internet
and tv. The only time I thought about my neighbors was when I
hoped they wouldn't bother me.

When the towers fell, I found myself talking to more neighbors
in the days after 9/11 than ever before. People said hello to
neighbors (next-door and across the city) who they'd normally
ignore. People were looking after each other, helping each
other, and meeting up with each other. You know, being
neighborly.

A lot of people were thinking that maybe 9/11 could bring
people together in a lasting way. So the idea for Meetup was
born: Could we use the internet to get off the internet -- and
grow local communities?

We didn't know if it would work. Most people thought it was a
crazy idea -- especially because terrorism is designed to make
people distrust one another.

A small team came together, and we launched Meetup 9 months
after 9/11.

Today, almost 10 years and 10 million Meetuppers later, it's
working. Every day, thousands of Meetups happen. Moms Meetups,
Small Business Meetups, Fitness Meetups... a wild variety of
100,000 Meetup Groups with not much in common -- except one
thing.

Every Meetup starts with people simply saying hello to
neighbors. And what often happens next is still amazing to me.
They grow businesses and bands together, they teach and
motivate each other, they babysit each other's kids and find
other ways to work together. They have fun and find solace
together. They make friends and form powerful community. It's
powerful stuff.

It's a wonderful revolution in local community, and it's thanks
to everyone who shows up.

Meetups aren't about 9/11, but they may not be happening if it
weren't for 9/11.

9/11 didn't make us too scared to go outside or talk to
strangers. 9/11 didn't rip us apart. No, we're building new
community together!!!!

The towers fell, but we rise up. And we're just getting started
with these Meetups.

Scott Heiferman (on behalf of 80 people at Meetup HQ)
Co-Founder & CEO, Meetup
New York City
September 2011

A multiplication of friendships not quite approaching the level of intentional communities--what is the state of American civic friendship?

More Alternate Views on Commemorating 9/11

Lewis McCrary, Why We Should Forget 9/11

Tom Engelhardt, Let’s Cancel 9/11 (via TAC) - TomDispatch

Patrick Buchanan, What 9/11 Wrought: The Bush Legacy

In promotion of the proposition nation...

Zenit: Archbishop Dolan's Statement for 9/11 Anniversary
"A Time for Remembrance, Resolve and Renewal"

Not just intended for the archdiocese of New York, but all of the United States, since it was published by the USCCB?

We also remember how our nation responded to the terrifying events of that day -- we turned to prayer, and then turned to one another to offer help and support. Hands were folded in prayer and opened in service to those who had lost so much.

Why is mention of God postponed until the end, and then He is addressed in the form of a prayer?

We resolve today and always to reject hatred and resist terrorism. The greatest resource we have in these struggles is faith. Ten years ago our Conference of Bishops issued a Pastoral Message, Living with Faith and Hope after September 11, which drew on the rich resources of our Catholic faith to minister to our nation and world. The truth of that Pastoral Message still resonates today.

Faith, and not charity? Not even Catholic faith, perhaps, if this is intended as an ecumenical statement.

A decade later we remain resolved to reject extreme ideologies that perversely misuse religion to justify indefensible attacks on innocent civilians, to embrace persons of all religions, including our Muslim neighbors, and to welcome refugees seeking safety. We steadfastly refrain from blaming the many for the actions of a few and insist that security needs can be reconciled with our immigrant heritage without compromising either one. Gratefully mindful of the continuing sacrifices of the men and women in our armed forces, and their families, we also resolve to bring a responsible end to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

So the problem is the few, and not with Islam. There's no problem with Muslim immigration -- after all, we should embrace our "immigrant heritage" and obliterate the colonial heritage and culture.

This tenth anniversary of 9/11 can be a time of renewal. Ten years ago we came together across religious, political, social and ethnic lines to stand as one people to heal wounds and defend against terrorism. As we face today's challenges of people out of work, families struggling, and the continuing dangers of wars and terrorism, let us summon the 9/11 spirit of unity to confront our challenges. Let us pray that the lasting legacy of 9/11 is not fear, but rather hope for a world renewed.

In remembering the fateful events of September 11, 2001, may we resolve to put aside our differences and join together in the task of renewing our nation and world. Let us make our own the prayer of Pope Benedict XVI when he visited Ground Zero in New York in 2008:

One people united by... what? A human reaction to tragedy? That's an exaggeration of what unity really involves, don't you think? After all, how many were actually impacted by the attacks of 9/11? Calls to unity, when real divisions that cannot be surmounted exist are fanciful and ultimately not pastoral. But they sound good, right? Everyone wants to talk about building bridges without dealing with the nature of the divide.

There is no renewal without Christ. And Catholics need better direction from their bishops if they are going to be the leaven of the world. Temporal society can be elevated, but until the vital questions of culture and community are addressed properly, nothing will happen.

Is this the best our bishops can do? They have not assimilated the best of Anglo-American culture in order to defend it, nor have the learned from the Catholic intellectual tradition. Might it be that the appointment of "conservative" bishops will blind us to God's judgment upon us?

9/11

VFR: Why one should avoid the September 11th commemorations

Mr. Auster links to a piece by Edward Rothstein, Amid the Memorials, Ambiguity and Ambivalence. Mr. Rothstein poo-poos the idea of blowback and criticizes Americans for their attitude of self-blame, looking at polls which indicate that this has only increased in the years following 9/11.

Pepe Escobar, Fifty questions on 9/11 and More questions on 9/11

National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States and the report(pdf)

Will the skeptics and truthers ever find satisfaction in their lifetimes? Dr. Fleming writes:

The “fact” is, the “truth” is, we have published columns on this subject by Paul Craig Roberts, who has become a regular contributor to Chronicles. Whether he is right or wrong, I have no way of knowing. Even if I spent the rest of my life on this subject, I would probably never know enough to make a conclusive statement. And I don’t really care.

Let us suppose there was a conspiracy, involving either the Bush administration or Israel or both. What does this tell me about politicians in Washington and Tel Aviv? That they are willing to kill large numbers of people in order to gain and hold power and/or do what they want to do? What a revelation. 911 is a pretty small drop compared with the rivers of innocent blood that has been shed in recent decades. If Bush-Cheney did arrange this, it is small potatoes compared with the Iraqis and Afghans they have killed.