Tag: 9/11

AOC and Mamdani take heat for apparently laughing as 9/11 victims’ names are read off

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are under fire from Republicans after the two socialists were captured on video apparently sharing a laugh as the names of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack were being read off. Mamdani attended the 25th anniversary ceremony in New York City on Friday, during which family members of the fallen read off the names of nearly 3,000 victims who were killed in the attack.

As the names were being read, Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez seemed to giggle with each other. See Options › Already a member? Log in The exchange quickly gained traction online and caught the ire of Republicans, who viewed the moment as being “disrespectful.” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) responded to the video, questioning how they could be laughing at such a serious event. “How the hell do you laugh while the names of those murdered on 9/11 are being read aloud?” The senator said. “Why would you do so?” Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) also responded and did not mince his words in condemning the two lawmakers.

“AOC and Jihadi Mamdani should not be anywhere near that hallowed ground,” Fine said. “They do not mourn this country — they mock it. Have some damn respect.” Mamdani has faced scrutiny surrounding his attendance at the ceremony due to past statements on U.S. foreign policy and his appointment of Ramzi Kassem to be the city’s chief counsel. Kassem represented Ahmed al Darbi, an al Qaeda associate who pleaded guilty to war crimes charges. The mayor has defended his attendance at the ceremony, saying he intends to keep the day focused on the victims of the terrorist attacks and the first responders who died trying to save people trapped in the buildings.

However, Mamdani, who is Muslim, posted a statement Thursday about attending a memorial mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to honor those lost in 9/11. In the post, Mamdani said he was remembering those “who died on 9/11,” which did not sit well with Republicans. Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) responded to Mamdani’s post with outrage. “DIED?? They were murdered by Islamic terrorists!!” Moore said. Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt also took to social media to sharply criticize Mamdani’s characterization of 9/11.

“No mention of terrorism,” he said. “We just… ‘bore witness to unimaginable suffering’. Like it was a natural disaster. Did a hurricane hit NYC on 9/11? What exactly happened on that day, Commie Mamdani? What’s with these ‘some people did something’ foreign muslim politicians always downplaying 9/11?” “At least Ilhan Omar acknowledged that people did it,” he continued. “Zohran can’t even do that. He is just a very nasty, spiteful animal. You saw it in that clip where he was yelling over the police like a rabid chihuahua. You see it in his dark, dead eyes when he drops his Manchurian smile.”

25 YEARS LATER, FOX REPORTER REMEMBERS TOLL OF 9/11: ‘LIKE AL QAEDA HAS INVADED OUR HOSPITAL ROOMS’ “This is the darkest anniversary of our nation’s defining tragedy because we all have to suffer the indignity of watching this piece of s*** try to erase our history bit by bit,” Pratt said. “He doesn’t hate the muslim terrorists like we do. It pains him to even address 9/11. You can tell. He doesn’t care. He, like Hasan Piker, thinks we deserved it. F*** off.”

Several other responses took issue with what they saw as Mamdani speaking about the attacks as if they were a “natural disaster” rather than the result of al Qaeda terrorists hijacking planes, killing nearly 3,000 people. Thousands of others have died or gotten sick from the poor air quality in New York City following the collapse of the Twin Towers.

Source: AOC and Mamdani take heat for apparently laughing as 9/11 victims’ names are read off

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

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Field of Flags marks 25 years since 9/11 at Kennesaw Mountain

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At the foot of Kennesaw Mountain, 2,977 American flags now stand as a reminder that every person killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks had a life and a story. People of all ages joined first responders and community groups to plant the flags at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Each flag represents one person killed in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. “It’s the feeling of giving back,” said Ernie Wagoner, president of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta. “Just look at the crowd we have here. We’ve got firemen, policemen. They just want to give back.”

The Kiwanis Club of Marietta first organized the Field of Flags in 2002. This year’s display is its sixth installation, according to the city of Marietta. The memorial is displayed every five years. Wagoner said more than 1,200 people signed up to help this year, with additional volunteers arriving without registering. “It brings the community together,” Wagoner said. For Melissa Tanner, volunteering was also an opportunity to teach her grandchildren about those who died and the first responders who risked their lives to save others. “I brought my grandchildren with me, and I wanted them to remember,” Tanner said. “I don’t want it to be sad. I want it to be a remembrance of those who gave their lives.” Roger Ball said the tribute offers younger generations a chance to understand the country’s history and learn from it. “The main thing is understand your history,” Ball said.

“Learn from it. How can we move forward and not let what happened to us happen again?” For Ball, planting the flags also brought together people who may not have otherwise met. “Anytime you have an opportunity like this to participate in an event where you are recognizing milestone events in America, it’s also unifying,” Ball said. The Field of Flags will remain on display through Sept. 19, according to the Kiwanis Club of Marietta.

Source: Field of Flags marks 25 years since 9/11 at Kennesaw Mountain – CBS Atlanta

Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.
Isaiah 43:4

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9/11 Never Forget; An Awesome Tribute

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the statue of liberty against the background of the new york city


Created by Steve A. I hear a song and that song evokes an emotion and that emotion in me helped in the creation of this tribute video. While I wish all of the images were high resolution….some images of that day were caught with low quality equipment and the images I chose all seemed to fit with how I was feeling. I witnessed the events of this day like many of us did and it changed me forever.

It will always feel fresh in my mind and feel like it happened yesterday. Having experienced such a tragic day….your outlook on so many world events changes. It is amazing how divided the world seems right now but how unified we all were after the events of 9/11

Source: 9-11 Sounds of Silence -Tribute by Steve A Disturbed (((MIRROR)))

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:14

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25 years after 9/11, Indiana man who survived World Trade Center attack still making sure America never forgets

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Lower Manhattan skyline with the original World Trade Center towers

Across the country on Friday, ceremonies will honor the thousands who lost their lives 25 years ago in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and among the survivors, a Dyer, Indiana, resident is on a mission. On Sept. 11, 2001, Don Bacso was working as an IT consultant for a Chicago-based company. When American Airlines Flight 11 hit the north tower of the World Trade Center between the 93th and 94th floor, Bacso was on the 57th floor.

“I was loading software into a computer when the first plane struck. It hit at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Standard Time,” he said. “It was unbelievable. It was terrifying. You could hear beams creaking in the walls.” Bacso said the scariest moment for him was when the World Trade Center started to sway. “I thought to myself, ‘Oh my God, I am in this building, and it’s trying to fall. Which way do I run?'” he said. He ran to the stairs like many others “People were having panic attacks, asthma attacks.

Every once in a while you would hear, ‘Injured coming down, move to the right,’ and that was the first time I saw how badly burned some people were as they brought them by us,” he said. It took about half an hour for Bacso to get down the stairs, find his way through the smoke and debris, walk to his hotel, and call his young family. “I said, ‘Just know that I’m okay. I’m fine and I will come home. I will get home,'” he said. When he looks back on that day, Bacso can’t believe it’s been 25 years. “It passed by so quickly. I look back on that day and everything that I saw. I mean, the destruction, the devastation, the pain, the suffering, all that; but I saw so much courage in that, too,” he said.

He’s talking about the medical personnel, firefighters, and police officers who went into the World Trade Center after the planes hit. “I’ve never seen anything like it. They were going in and we were coming down. People have said to me in the past that, ‘You’re a hero,'” he said. “No, the heroes were going up that day. I was going down.” More than 400 emergency responders died during 9/11, the vast majority of them firefighters. Bacso’s mission the last 25 years has been doing his part to make sure America never forgets by sharing his story of survival. “We can’t forget that day. We can’t forget the sacrifice and the loss of lives from that day, and the courage and patriotism,” he said.

Bacso plans to leave a suitcase with his clothes, shoes, and World Trade Center ID badge from that day, along with other mementos, to his sons. He wants them to carry on his mission to continue sharing his story. “All these things, the badges, you know, the articles, things like that, I’ve got to turn it over to my sons for their families,” he said. “A lot of people don’t understand how precious your life is until you experience something like that.” That’s what he plans to do as long as he can, so America won’t forget “If I can express to them when I go out and speak, and talk about life, and talk about how it affected my life, I feel like it’s a great benefit to them, and it benefits me too internally,” he said.

Source: 25 years after 9/11, Indiana man who survived World Trade Center attack still making sure America never forgets – CBS Chicago

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2

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Man who plants thousands of 9/11 memorial flags in West Sacramento will retire, hopes tradition lives on

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american flags on grass field

More than 2,000 miles from ground zero, thousands of flags were planted into West Sacramento soil to help sow the seeds of remembrance for the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center. It’s an annual tradition led by volunteer John Vinson, who first started a memorial at the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Locks Drive with just 14 flags in 2003.

Since then, the memorial has grown every year and now includes thousands of flags of all shapes and sizes, one to honor each of the 2,753 people who were killed when the Twin Towers collapsed, including flags for the 343 firefighters who died that day as they rushed in to try and save lives. “We have a flag for each one and the country they were from,” Vinson said. Friday marks 25 years since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

Wednesday morning, volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got to work placing each and every flag one by one. The flags stand at attention, waving at passersby along the busy stretch of Jefferson Boulevard. It is an invitation to slow down and reflect. “I think it’s just important people remember that and how precious life really is,” Vinson said. “A million tears have poured out here on this field.” Also erected on the site are two replica towers honoring the former World Trade Center. “I built these years and years ago,” Vinson said about the towers. “In fact, they’ve been touched up so many times the paint is probably thicker than the wood.”

They stand as a symbol of resolve. Vinson started the West Sacramento tradition 23 years ago and other volunteers have helped him keep the memorial growing every year since. He calls it his calling. Still, health and age have slowed Vinson down over the years. After this Friday, he will retire from the volunteer service and says he hopes to leave the tradition to be carried on by other volunteers. “That’s probably the main reason I did it one more time is because it was the 25th anniversary this year,” Vinson said.

It is entirely a volunteer effort to organize and place all of the flags and displays. Matthew Ferguson came out to help for the first time on Wednesday morning. At 23 years old, he was not alive during the 9/11 terror attacks but represents the next generation who do not remember, but recognize the events of that day all the same. “I’m very proud of my country, and I thought it’d be nice to volunteer today to help memorialize all the people who lost their lives,” said Ferguson.

Ferguson plans to join the United States Navy in the near future. Neighbors paused on Wednesday afternoon to soak it in as the display grew. Barbara Morris brought her young granddaughter and said when she sees the flags she thinks instantly of sacrifice. “It’s all the lives. All the lives lost and what they sacrificed for us,” Morris said. It has become a place to heal over the years for both those with direct connections to the 9/11 attacks and those without any. It’s been protected and preserved for decades.

“One of the things I’m really kind of strict about is I don’t let people talk about politics or religion here. I want to keep it real simple,” Vinson said. The site serves as a roadside reminder to never forget. The memorial will continue to grow over the next few days as volunteers add to it. It is expected to be finished by Friday, September 11. Anyone who wants to volunteer is welcome to come out and all are invited to stop by the site and pay their respects.

Source: Man who plants thousands of 9/11 memorial flags in West Sacramento will retire, hopes tradition lives on – CBS Sacramento

He who follows righteousness and mercy Finds life, righteousness, and honor.
Proverbs 21:21

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Boston Public Garden flags honor 2,977 lives lost in 9/11 attacks 25 years ago

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Volunteers and students came together Thursday evening in Boston’s Public Garden to plant nearly 3,000 flags, each one a tribute to the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. Behind each flag is a name, a family, and a life representing the 2,977 people killed in the terrorist attacks. Twenty-five years later, the sea of red, white and blue stands on the Public Garden as a reminder to never forget. Among the flags, one is honoring Mark Bavis, who was aboard one of the two hijacked planes that took off from Boston’s Logan Airport that morning.

Teaming up with the Massachusetts 9/11 fund, his brother Patrick has now made it his mission to make sure younger generations understand what happened that day and always remember. “It seemed like yesterday,” said Patrick Bavis. “The young kids are the future of this country, they got to understand that life isn’t fair and people get taken from you. For us in Boston, 206 victims were taken that day.” Helping put the display together were the Navy Junior ROTC at John D. O’Bryant School and Scouting America who were learning while remembering.

“I want to give them my respects as well as honor them because that’s a really big moment in our history even though it wasn’t the best one, it’s something we all want to pay attention to,” said ROTC student Karissa Jean-Michel. The impact of 9/11 heightens our appreciation for our first responders and service members like retired Air Force Gen. Jonathan Treacy, who commanded Otis Air National Guard Base fighter jets to respond to the attacks. “It’s a little surreal, 25 years have gone so very fast,” said Treacy.

“Those lessons that we’ve learned from 9/11 aren’t something that get passed on unless every generation has a sense for what happened, why it happened, the incredible impact of what happened and the loss of life.” And as long as the flags stand, they also symbolize the resolve of our country after one of its darkest days. “Nineteen terrorists took us to our knees that day, yeah they beat us that day, but the next day America came back, and I want the students today to understand that we can be strong together,” said Bavis.

The 9/11 commemoration events start at the State House on Friday at 8:30 a.m. with a reading of the names of the 219 victims with ties to Massachusetts, a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., and the presentation of the Madeline “Amy” Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery inside the House Chamber.

Source: Boston Public Garden flags honor 2,977 lives lost in 9/11 attacks 25 years ago – CBS Boston

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:20

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Flight 93 Memorial ceremonies today mark 25 years since 9/11

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american flags on the field

Today marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and observance ceremonies will be held at the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to remember the lives lost that day.

Nearly 3,000 people died and thousands more were injured as terrorists carried out coordinated attacks on the World Trade Center skyscrapers in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.  United Airlines Flight 93 was headed for the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., but the passengers and crew members fought back, leading to the plane crashing into an empty field in Somerset County. 

Remembrance ceremonies will begin at 8:30 a.m. near the Wall of Names. They are expected to run until 10:30 a.m. and will include a reflection on all the attacks from 25 years ago, the reading of the names of the Flight 93 passengers and crew, and the Bells of Remembrance will be rung in their honor.  

A memorial wall made of marble panels, featuring engraved names and a small bouquet of flowers placed at its base, along with a figurine.

SHANKSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 11: Flowers are placed at the Wall of Names during a ceremony commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the crash of Flight 93 during the September 11th terrorist attacks at the Flight 93 National Memorial on September 11, 2024 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  / Getty Images

The afternoon ceremony, scheduled from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., will feature remarks, keynote speakers, music and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Wall of Names. Then, on Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., there will be 40 candle lanterns brought to the Wall of Names as the sun goes down. Thousands of people are expected to attend today’s events at the Flight 93 National Memorial. 

Source: Flight 93 Memorial ceremonies today mark 25 years since 9/11 attacks – CBS Pittsburgh

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
Proverbs 11:3

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25 years after 9/11, Massachusetts to mark attacks with statewide moment of silence and “Tribute in Light”

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Massachusetts is marking 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks with a statewide moment of silence on Friday and special tributes that include illuminating Boston buildings in remembrance of the tragedy. Gov. Maura Healey said she is directing flags in the state to be lowered to half-staff. She’s also “calling on residents, schools, businesses and organizations to observe a statewide moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. on Friday, September 11, marking the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.” Reading of the names After the moment of silence, there will be a reading of the names on the State House front steps of the 206 people from Massachusetts who were killed in the attacks.  You can watch it live on CBS News Boston.      

The two planes that terrorists hijacked and flew into the World Trade Center, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, both took off from Logan Airport in Boston. Madeline Amy Sweeney Award Every year on 9/11, the Madeline “Amy” Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery is awarded inside the State House to a local resident. Last year’s recipients were Jesse Winocour and Jason Papa, two Everett Department of Public Works employees who rushed into a burning home to save 14 people from a fire. Sweeney was a flight attendant from Acton working on Flight 11. She contacted the airline’s ground crew with information about the hijackers just minutes before the plane crashed into the World Trade Center. Tribute in Light The State House will be lit up with red, white and blue colors on the evening of 9/11. 

Several other Boston landmarks will be lit up in “Memorial Blue” as part of a worldwide “Tribute in Light” that represents the clear blue sky over New York City on the morning of 9/11. Participating buildings include the JFK Presidential Library, the Prudential Tower, Fenway Park, South Station Tower, The Hub on Causeway, the Hynes Convention Center, State Street – One Congress and the old Hancock Building. A 9/11 tribute featuring twin light beams on the summit of Mount Washington may also be visible in parts of Massachusetts, organizers say.  Boston 9/11 events At 11 a.m., there will be a rededication of the 9/11 memorial at Boston’s Logan Airport.

A wreath-laying for families who lost loved ones in the attacks will be held at Boston Public Garden at 1 p.m. in the 9/11 Garden of Remembrance.  The American Red Cross is hosting its annual Day of Remembrance blood drive all day at Fenway Park.  At 3:30 p.m. in Ashburton Park at the State House, the annual Massachusetts Fallen Firefighters Memorial ceremony will honor the first responders who gave their lives trying to help others in the attacks. 

Source: 25 years after 9/11, Massachusetts to mark attacks with statewide moment of silence and “Tribute in Light” – CBS Boston

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
John 6:35

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How teachers are keeping the lessons of 9/11 alive for a new generation of students

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Empty elementary classroom with colorful learning displays and arranged desks

In West Des Moines, Iowa, roughly 1,100 miles from Ground Zero, history teacher Ann Krois is tackling one of the most defining moments of the past half-century. “Teaching students about 9/11 is critical,” Krois told CBS News. “I want them to understand what their previous generation experienced, that trauma, and how an event like that brought millions of people, not even just in the United States, but globally, together.”

Krois was in the third grade and had never even seen a skyscraper when terrorists turned four airplanes into weapons, killing almost 3,000 innocent people — a catastrophe that’s now history class for eleventh graders like Fitz Carpenter. “I actually learned some new stuff. I didn’t know how many people were evacuated on the boats,” Carpenter said. To develop her lesson plan, Krois joined a group of teachers from all over the country this summer at New York City’s 9/11 Memorial and Museum. It’s part of a program designed to teach teachers what happened at Ground Zero from those who were there.

That includes people like retired firefighter Bill Spade, the sole survivor of Staten Island’s elite Rescue 5. He was one of the last men to evacuate the north tower before it collapsed. “I can see the smoke coming from that first tower, that North Tower,” Spade said at one of the sessions for educators. “I hear the chief say, ‘We need four more rescues here and we have jumpers.'” In Alabama, Chris Theilacker carries a different perspective. Just age 25 on Sept. 11, 2001, the young Army officer deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan following the attacks. Today, he’s a high school teacher, passing along lessons of the global war on terror and of the resilience that followed. “It’s one of those watershed moments in U.S. history,” Theilacker said.

“It must be taught, the patriotic side of it, the messy side of it. It’s a great rallying moment for what we can achieve when we decide to work together.” Krois believes that every teacher in the U.S. should be required to talk about 9/11. “I know it’s hard to try to teach on September 11th to students, because, you know, some of them, it’s just their second week of school. But at some point, it definitely needs to be every state’s standard,” Krois said.

Source: How teachers are keeping the lessons of 9/11 alive for a new generation of students – CBS News

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Psalm 62:7

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25 years after Sept. 11 attacks, Taliban rules Afghanistan again, but now with $7 billion in U.S. firepower

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As Americans reflect this week on the 25 years that have passed since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, CBS News has returned to Afghanistan, where the war those attacks triggered ended five years ago with the Taliban’s stunning return to power.  When the last U.S. and allied soldiers left after a brutal two-decade war, the Taliban’s fighters seized billions of dollars worth of American-purchased military hardware.

President Trump, whose first administration negotiated the deal to end the war with the Taliban, has accused the Biden administration of “totally botching” the withdrawal. Five years later, the hardware of America’s longest-ever war is still easy to spot on the streets of Kabul. Taliban fighters patrol in armored vehicles once supplied to Afghan forces, wearing American tactical gear and carrying American weapons.

CBS News saw one Humvee in the Afghan capital still adorned with a faded Green Bay Packers decal — a remnant from its past operators.  President Trump has been fiercely critical of the former Biden administration, accusing his predecessor of allowing the U.S. military to abandon billions of dollars in military hardware. Mr. Trump has demanded that the Taliban hand it back. But the Taliban has proudly shown off its American-funded arsenal, even staging military parades through Kabul’s streets.

Pentagon figures released last year show some $7 billion in hardware and weaponry fell into the group’s hands when the Afghan National Army collapsed. Shortly after the 2021 withdrawal, CBS News filmed as “Badri 313,” an elite Taliban special forces battalion, patrolled in their American vehicles, American commando gear and with their American weapons. Asked about President Trump’s determination to reclaim the equipment, Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi told CBS News the hardware now belongs to “the state of Afghanistan, and we are not in the business of doing transactions and deals on the assets of the state of Afghanistan.”

When it was pointed out that American taxpayers purchased the equipment, Balkhi said: “The Americans did a lot of things. Americans killed a lot of people, destroyed the majority of the country. Should they not be paying for that first?” The Taliban waged a vicious insurgency during a war that killed more than 2,400 U.S. service members and tens of thousands of innocent Afghans.  But critics of the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S. withdrawal say it’s allowed the Taliban to transform from insurgents into a state military force armed with billions of dollars in American-funded firepower. 

They have used those weapons to impose a draconian interpretation of Islamic rule on Afghanistan’s people, almost completely depriving women and girls of the right to work and study, and restricting life for everyone in the country in ways that some analysts say are even harsher than during the group’s previous reign.  Biden has offered little public commentary on the Afghanistan withdrawal, but he said in September 2021, a month after the Taliban took back control, that he “was not going to extend this ‘forever war,’ and I was not extending a ‘forever exit.'”

“If anything, the developments of the past week reinforce that ending U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan now was the right decision,” said the then-president in August 2021, as the Taliban reasserted their rule 20 years after being ousted by the U.S.-led military campaign. “American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves.” In 2023, the Biden White House released a 12-page summary of a classified review of the Afghanistan exit that largely blamed the Trump administration for the deal it struck with the Taliban to withdraw U.S. forces from the country by May 2021. 

The so-called Doha Agreement brokered by the first Trump administration laid out a series of conditions for the Taliban to fulfill in order for U.S. forces to leave. Another report partially declassified and released by the State Department in 2023 faulted both the Trump and Biden administrations for “insufficient” planning surrounding the withdrawal.

Source: 25 years after Sept. 11 attacks, Taliban rules Afghanistan again, but now with $7 billion in U.S. firepower – CBS News

A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!
Proverbs 15:23

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Mount Washington 9/11 tribute to feature twin light beams visible from over 100 miles away

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A 9/11 tribute on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington will be visible from more than 100 miles away, organizers of “The Honor Summit” say. The installation will feature “two huge LED light beams” that project 3 miles into the sky from the top of the 6,288-foot peak. It is similar to the New York display that resembles the World Trade Center Twin Towers that were destroyed in the attacks 25 years ago.

The lights will be on from Sept. 9 through Sept. 12, giving people a chance to see them even if some days are cloudy.  “From the highest peak in the Northeast, two ascending pillars of light become a beacon of unity, resilience, and gratitude – four nights when the nation rises together to remember, honor, and reflect,” organizers said in a statement. The blue beams will be visible from within a 135-mile radius around the summit on a clear night, according to organizers.

Boston is just about 132 miles from the summit. Other cities within the radius include Concord, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine and Burlington, Vermont. The light beams will be visible within a 135-mile radius, organizers say. CBS Boston The Mount Washington Auto Road is taking people up the mountain in vans for a guided tour and a closer look at the lights. Tickets are currently sold out, but there is a waitlist. The public is not allowed to drive up the mountain on their own those nights.

The Honor Summit website has a list of viewing spots that include scenic overlooks and other public spaces where the lights may be visible, mostly in New Hampshire and Maine.  The Granite Springs Foundation, which is organizing the installation, says it’s a tribute to the “veterans, firefighters and first responders whose courage continues to guide the U.S.” Donations made in connection with the Honor Summit are going toward organizations that connect veterans with mental health resources. 

Source: Mount Washington 9/11 tribute to feature twin light beams visible from over 100 miles away – CBS Boston

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