Author: Mike Ewens

The members of the 9/11 commission claim that their report attempts "to provide the most complete account . . . of the events of September 11, what happened and why." (xvii) I decided to buy a copy and see for myself how well they perform. Chapter One sets out to detail the events of 9/11 and the government’s reaction to it. Given that many already know most of the details of that day, I will merely highlight some of the interesting points and themes that emerge from the chapter.

Government Responsibility

It was refreshing to see government criticize itself. First on the FAA’s failure to communicate the existence of multiple hijackings:

"Several FAA air traffic control officials told us it was the air carriers’ responsibility to notify their planes of security problems. One senior FAA air traffic control manager said that it was simply not the FAA’s place to order the airlines what to tell their pilots. We believe such statements do not reflect an adequate appreciation of the FAA’s responsibility for the safety and security of civil aviation. " (page 11)

and
"Most federal agencies learned about the crash in New York from CNN." (page 35)
Symbols?
In describing Flight 93, which crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, the commission believes that the main motivation of Jarrah – the lead hijacker and pilot – "was to crash into symbols of the American Republic, the Capitol or the White House." (pg 14) Since when were those two building symbols of the American Republic? Perhaps instead, Jarrah wanted to hit at the central node of federal power. One suspects that this type of emotion saturated rhetoric will be found throughout the book.
Protect the State First, Citizens…Next
The report details the administration’s response after the attacks began:
"At 9:59, an Air Force lieutenant colonel working in the White House Military Office joined the conference and stated that he has just talked top Deputy National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley. The White House requested (1) the implementation of continuity of government measures, (2) fighter escorts for Air Force One and (3) a fighter combat patrol over Washington D.C." (page 38)
Before this conference, there was a White House teleconference:
"The first topic addressed in the White House video teleconference — at about 9:40—was the physical security of the President, the White House, and federal agencies. " (page 36) Continue reading “Notes on Chapter 1 of the 9/11 Report”

Regarding our main news story today, Panel: US Support for Israel Key to 9/11 , here is the relevant page in the 9/11 report [pdf].

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The war on Iraq claimed yet another life today, this time in a traffic accident in Balad, Iraq. CentCom reports:

One 13th Corps Support Command Soldier was killed and four injured as the result of a vehicle accident near Ramadi at approximately 1 a.m. July 7.

Yesterday, the Department of Defense released the name of a female soldier stationed in Afghanistan:

Spc. Julie R. Hickey, 20, of Galloway, Ohio, was evacuated from Bagram, Afghanistan, on June 30 and died in Landstuhl, Germany, on July 4 of complications from a non-combat related illness.

Such incidents rarely garner headlines in the mainstream media. These two deaths, however, bring the deaths totals in Iraq and Afghanistan to 872 and 129 respectively, and thus the total count to 1001. Once coupled with the official wounded count in Iraq of over 5000 or the unofficial count of 7,000-10,000, the human cost of these interventions demands we continue to ask those who supported or continue to support this war: at what cost?

Another grim milestone was reached on Sunday with the deaths of two more American soldiers in Iraq. Despite the recent American pullout, the deaths occurred in the city of Fallujah, bringing the death total above 800. UPI reports:

Two U.S. soldiers were killed and five others were wounded Sunday in a suicide attack near the city of Fallujah, in Western Iraq.

Iraqi sources said a suicide bomber drove a booby-trapped car into an American military column near Fallujah, 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Baghdad.

They said the attack was immediately followed by mortar fire directed at the same convoy, killing and injuring the soldiers.

As of Monday, the Department of Defense listed 797 American military deaths [pdf] in Iraq. Our count was in line with the military’s until a few weeks ago and the discrepency is still undetermined. We are, however, confident in our numbers.

UPI reports:

U.S. and coalition forces will leave Iraq if asked to do so by an interim Iraqi government, a State Department official told the House Thursday.

while a coalition sponsored poll reports:

Four out of five Iraqis report holding a negative view of the U.S. occupation authority and of coalition forces, according to a new poll conducted for the occupation authority. […] The findings appeared consistent with a poll taken about the same time by USA Today, CNN and Gallup, which found that 57 percent of Iraqis wanted foreign troops to leave immediately.

Thus, if the interim Iraqi government is truly representative, coalition troops should be leaving right about….NOW.