Saturday, September 10, 2011

My 9/11 Neighbors in Paris........an eye opener

I'm tired of feeling I need to hold back on the truth so people don't think the worst of me.   Honestly, lately, I couldn't care less what anybody thinks because too many of us have kept the truth back so we won't be considered racist or homophobes, etc. etc.  You know the drill, don't you.   If TRUTH hurts that much that we must hide it, deflect, and insult it in an attempt to make it untrue, America might as well fold up her flag and go home.

More on 9/11 in Paris: (see my post below for the first part of what's turning out to be a series of 9/11 memories from me)

Mr and Mrs. Z (that'd be me, of course) lived in Paris for four (heavenly) years.   We went through 9/11 while living at 6 Avenue Bugeaud in the 16th Arrondissement.   It was a nightmare to be so far away from America and an especially difficult nightmare to get all the grief and worry without any of the patriotism displayed in America shortly after the disaster.   I heard that, in America, flags were suddenly flying and people were going back to church and synagogues and love for our country was also otherwise on display;  I didn't get much of that in Paris; I saw patriotism only from the French women who sported American flag purses and bandanas in support of us and in spite of the feds telling us Americans to 'lay low for a while on the patriotic stuff'...........

Across the street from our apartment lived an Arab or Iranian family.  Windows in Paris are usually about 9' tall and unscreened,  with the obvious glass paned windows which open out instead of up, and lovely white metal louvered shutters which also open out and which have slits so you can have air and privacy at the same time.  The family across the street was conspicuous for the amount of time those metal blinds were shut tight.  I figured they didn't live there all the time because it was frequently dark for weeks but,  very often, I could see light through those slits even while the blinds were shut tight, disabling anyone from seeing in from across the street.   We were both on the fourth floors of our buildings and I could see windows all around that building open to the sunlight, glass paned windows thrown open for a breeze like mine were, etc., and, in contrast, I could see the odd closed windows, almost boarded up with light behind the louvers, which had always prompted my curiosity.  'Creepy,' I thought, to live in that apartment and not see out. What do they do in there?   Obviously, it was none of my business then nor is it now, but it was a very odd thing and I'd always been curious about them.

The day of 9/11 was, obviously, a nightmare for me and my husband.  We'd walked to the grocery store together that day......my mother'd left the day before, on 9/10, after her yearly two week stay with us (thank GOD she left that day and not on 9/11, because she'd have been delayed in Canada with all the others for days; remember how they'd kept people from entering America after 9/11?) and we needed lots of things.   Normally, I shopped on a more daily basis at the little fish and meat and vegetable/fruit stores in our area, loving the banter with the grocers, the freshness of the food, but, once a month or so, I'd walk to the big grocery store (called CASINO) and shop for heavier things like orange juice, milk, pastas, canned goods, wine, all those things that get heavy and I needed help.  I'd walk there, do the shopping, pay for it, and be told it would be at my apartment in two hours.  Deliveries were the norm at Casino and did I love that!  I'd buy an International Herald Tribune (mostly  for Calvin and Hobbes and the NY Times Crossword puzzle because the rest of it was the same idiotic bias of the NY TIMES, which owned the Herald with the Washington Post back then) and go to a favorite cafe and enjoy a hot, rich, lovely coffee served with cold water (the combo is deadly good) and soak in  the atmosphere of a French cafe which I love so much.

THIS day, Mr Z accompanied me and we walked home after shopping, passed my favorite flower shop (it's part of a chain called "Au Nom de La Rose" and sells only roses), with its rose petals strewn purposefully onto the sidewalk and the scent so beautiful, and I said "Imagine a world without roses!?"   We walked home and he went into his office and I went into the den and put the TV on................the first plane had just hit.    I called to him to come look, and the second plane hit.   Mr. Z said "It's terrorism."    I wasn't even sure what he meant, to tell you the truth.   Shortly after, the full impact hit us both. I knew that, very suddenly, I knew what a world without roses would be like.  And I have been right.  But, my story is about the neighbors across the street and I have digressed;

Those tightly closed louvered shutters across the street, directly across from our den, were open!  Lights in all the windows were coming on as the afternoon aged, and I could see the dark skinned Arab or Iranian folks inside greeting people.   Big hugs and smiles and congratulatory slapping on the back was occurring.   First, I thought it was a party, and I enjoyed watching the happiness!   Then I remembered what was happening on the TV in front of me, journalists talking about the horrible details coming to light every minute, and I began to wonder at people of any nationality having fun that day.......and then suspicion hit me and I shuddered and told myself to stop being suspicious, there must be a soccer game on because, as the guests were coming into the apartment, the hosts and others would point them to something at the windows and rejoicing.   My TV was against the window wall so while I watched it, I was facing their windows...... apparently, I realized it must be their TV that they were looking at, that theirs was in the same place and they could look out past the TV at my windows, too.   We were practically looking in at each other.  It crept into my mind that they were rejoicing ABOUT 9/11...could it be?  NO!  So, I went through every channel on French TV to see if there was an Arabic/Egyptian or Iranian soccer game they were rejoicing over.....surely that's what was going on to cause the glee!?

There was no soccer game.  There was no reason to rejoice anywhere on TV, just coverage of the World Trade Towers coming down.........hour after hour after hour.   On every channel.

And then I knew.  From the few times I'd happened to see our neighbors across the street, I'd learned that they were dark skinned people, some in Arab clothing, some in the very chic clothing one sees on Iranians, especially: I'd found the window thing odd because I like sunlight!, but it wasn't troubling, just a curiosity....But now I looked at these people in a very different way.......I saw they were thrilled, and they were thrilled over 9/11..  And they were pointing to their TV, glued to it as other guests kept arriving, showing their guests what was showing on the TV, huge grins, food being served, happy slaps on the backs.

Was this an anomaly?  Hopefully so.  Draw your own conclusions.  I did.  I don't remember seeing those windows wide open again.  It didn't matter, I could barely look out without thinking of that awful day and that awful reaction.  But, then I think of roses, anyway.......and try to concentrate on that.

z

49 comments:

net observer said...

"Was this an anomaly?"

That's the million-dollar question, isn't it, Z?

Even the few "hate-America types" I knew about didn't go around "high-fiving" each other on 9/11. Although I still sensed from them a subdued version of "Well, they had it coming."

But even they couldn't muster the audacity to actually celebrate 9/11, privately or publicly.

For me, it's the one thing about 9/11 that stood out more than anything else. To see virtually every kind of American in an instant state of fear, disbelief, etc. Every American -- regardless of ethnicity, religion, political persuasion; urban, suburban, north, south, the mainland, AK/HI; law-abiding, law-breaking, whatever -- were knocked off kilter, and at the same time, wanting to do whatever we could to help and save other Americans.

It was a veritable feeling of "we" are under attack -- for real -- all of us.

I don't recall any reported cases of looting in NYC on 9/11. I don't remember any stupid shock jocks calling CNN with one of their silly pranks. EVERYBDY was like, "Okay, we're scared. What's next?"

I remember Howard Stern's show transforming from its normal sophomoric foolishness into a tirade of virtual G-Gordon-Liddy-esque punditry. I didn't know those guys knew ANYTHING about foreign affairs 'til that day.

As a black man, I distinctly remember witnessing something I had never seen before in my then-36 years: A consistent theme of American flags flying in black neighborhoods.

Before 9/11, in my experience, there had always been a kind of ambivalence with African-Americans when it came patriotism. But that changed in a snap on 9/11/01, when those massive towers we were all familiar with imploded like a Hollywood CGI effect.

As we all know, it was anything but a movie.

Z said...

net, this is one of THE nicest pieces on 9/11 and America I've ever read. Thank you for this.
It's enlightening, moving, and so true.
xxx

sue said...

Z - My mother-in-law called on That Day because my husband was scheduled to fly to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, and she was concerned for his safety. Of course, the trip was cancelled.

But something she said during our conversation struck me, and I've thought about it from time to time in the last ten years.

She said, 'They can't do this to us.'

At the time, and since, my thought has been: They just did.

Anonymous said...

Remember how they'd kept people from entering America after 9/11?"

And how I wish it were still so today. Now...we're looking for those same "people" hoping to prevent another holocaust.

Yet "Big Sis" has the audacity to tell us we're safer than ever? While our borders are open sores and we allow those from the terrorist camps of the ME or Somalia to come here. Only to disappear and reappear with bloody intent.

We're insane now....brought upon us by the foolishness of PC and naivete of our elected "representatives".

Who are these fools that are determined to allow them to shoot back at us...again and again?

To capitulate to their intolerance of our way of life, our values, our laws and our future security is suicide.

Anonymous said...

"scheduled to fly to Washington, D.C."

As I was with 6 passengers...right into DCA with a planned arrival of about 10AM.

sue said...

IMP - My husband's brother was actully in D.C. at the time of the attack on the Pentagon, but he was never in real danger.

And as my husband left work that day, he was distracted by the sound of an aiplane above, and looked up (all fights had been grounded).

He saw Air Force One heading back East accompanied by fighter jets.

Z said...

Sue and Imp, it was just so disheartening to see what was obviously a joyful time in an America-hating household....almost surreal.

Watching the Shanksville ceremonies today made my post hit home: Here were such amazing people; good Americans sitting there hearing about the heroism of their loved ones; good Americans cheering for presidents from both sides of the aisle (amazingly hard applause for Bush)...

I thought Beiden's obvious allusion to his own terrible loss and how he has a special feeling for the people in that audience because of it was very touching and meaningful to the crowd...and all of us.

But all this, all those people who seemed to me to be wearing an awful lot of red/white/blue, as a matter of fact...did you notice?
All of THIS is what is despised by our enemies; that wholesome goodness of America honoring its fallen, presidents coming to pay homage and to encourage...

Yes, I KNOW they are taking advantage of our goodness (whose extreme has turned into a political correctness that islam is licking its chops over because it enables their plans so well) but we ARE that good and we have to know that there are people who despise that: OUR GOODNESS IS VIEWED AS NAIVE IN MANY CULTURES, FOLKS....This is something I WISH our State Department would maybe just PRETEND it finally understands? The enemy will take advantage and watch our media, like it is today, warn about the latest muslim terror plot (imagine, FOX had the nerve to say the FBI suspects an ARAB!?) and plot more and laugh at us like we're ants all going in circles to find that ONE CREEP who can set ONE dirty bomb off ANYWHERE with very little trouble, and kills thousands of us.

and, here we sit........what else can we do?

But, that Paris window sure bugged me. I have to admit I even tried to contact the FBI but couldn't find how to contact them from overseas, much as I scanned the alternatives via phone and internet, nothing was there even though they made it clear one has to contact them a different way IF we're not in country. Some FBI, huh? :-)

Z said...

by the way, i've seen the photos of Ground Zero now, what seem to be two big, deep squares with water falling into them. I find them awful and heartbreaking, but I know that's just me.
I guess I look at two holes as almost a confirmation that they got us; forever holes, whether there's water falling into them artfully or not. ugh.

Silverfiddle said...

Interesting story, Z. Your conclusion is well justified.

I was in an Air Force command post that day, and a long, long day it was..

I didn't get home until around 9:00 pm, but my little ones (preschoolers at the time) were still up.

They innocently asked me if I had seen what had happened. They asked me if I was sad. "No," I said, "just angry."

I still am.

Anonymous said...

"but he was never in real danger."

I'm assuming we could have been if we had been allowed to continue to DCA. But...we were ordered to return to MIA.

So we were only into the flight about 30 minutes.

Landed ( thought we had really screwed up because we weren't being told why we had to land...just that the airspace had been closed down which was incredible enough at the time! ) and stepped into the madness when we got into the FBO.

My partner was a former Naval Aviator and he was in tears. He knew what it was before I did. It was one hell of a day.

3 days later we had a trip to Jackson Hole where we picked up 5 very nervous people who didn't want to fly to Pa commercially. We shipped their baggage FedEx! They just wanted out of there and back home to Pittsburgh which was not far from where 93 went down.

Then to New York, Teterboro, where they routed us straight up the Hudson River with the burning towers on our right wingtip. Hell of a view being almost overhead the towers.

The hair on my neck stood up.

Rita said...

It's inspirational to know the rest of the world was saying "We are all Americans". But not being here, you missed the comfort in the midst of our greatest angst, that "they" did not win. Sure, they were successful in their destruction and in establishing a fear that will never go away, but they didn't squash the American spirit.

Sadly, you didn't get the comfort that we did with the feeling that we are all one, we are America. People like to complain about 43, but I will never forget the comfort of his words on that National Day of Prayer and him showing us that we cannot give into our fear when he went out to throw the first pitch of baseball. I remember thinking how I did not want him to be so exposed, but looking back that moment will be one of those that define my life. He wanted to show America that we needed to push through our fear or "they" would win.

Sadly, in only 10 short years, I believe our freedoms are under attack from within. We are told we shouldn't fly our flags or we might "offend" someone, that we cannot say a prayer at a memorial in the very city that was under attack.

Time to stand up to all those that want to radically change America.

Z said...

THanks, Silverfiddle....I can only imagine your long day... and yes, we're all very angry to this day.

I hope you find the time to read my Paris Church piece below, too.


Rita, wow, you really 'get it'...I got none of that 'feel good, feel American' thing; I couldn't believe the coverage of so many cars flying flags, etc! It was fabulous!
I so agree with you on the attacks from within now.
This morning, they showed tape of Bush's quick words to the children that morning of 9/11 when he had to leave .......no notes, no teleprompter, so eloquent, so calm and reassuring even while he told in very simple, plain words, what had happened..
I saw a video the other day of those children interviewed NOW, 10 years later; every single ONE of them admires Bush to this day; every single one said they learned a lot from his behavior.
Thank GOD we had a humble man in office who didn't use the moment as a grandstanding "MICKEY MOUSE TO THE RESCUE" moment which could have happened with...........let's just say 'others'.

Ticker said...

9/11/01 I had only been retired a few years after 34 years of service for my country in the military and as a civilian.
As I watched the first thought that ran through my mind was My God, How did this happen?
The second thought as I watched the second plane hit, was My God, Why?

I stood in total awe of what was happening for a moment and then the instinct that I had lived by for so many years hit me, the question of where do I take cover or do I just keep moving forward. I didn't seek cover but was filled with both fear and anger, an instinct that will keep one alive.

I didn't have to ask Who because I knew from working as a profiler for a period of time during and after the 444 day debacle in Iran.

Event after event had been shouting out a warning like a watchman on the wall, but it was ignored or thought impossible for such an event to happen.

Sitting and watching as the horrible scenes played out, the answer to my question of My God, Why came in form of a verse that had been infused in my spirit for many years.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

For a few days following it seemed that this Nation was in unity and calling upon the Almighty to heal their land. But it didn't last as long as many seem to remember for in a matter of only a few days hatred began to raise it's ugly head with political overtones and began tearing what was and could have been a turning point for the good in this Nation into blaming and hate.

The President was criticized for remaining calm in the face of terror and finishing his time with young children. He didn't run for the telephone booth to rip off his suit and re appear as super anything. But he was scorned for using common sense.

Then the blamer's came out full force with hate in their eyes, their voices and their souls and began the political hate games.

The moments from the verse began to vanish and instead of a healing a deeper divide was created and has lasted until this day . It was and is not among all the people but among a few who can turn victory for a nation into defeat.

As the tenth year hour approaches shortly I would hope and yes, pray that the remnants of hate among the people of this country be set aside, the vestiges of blame be set aside and that this country take the words that came to King Solomon to heart so that this land may truly be healed.

Life is short and too precious to allow political blame games to turn a nation into a "house of hate".

As 9/11 draws closer in these fleeting final hours this is my hope and my prayer. For only when healing is upon this land will the memory of those who lost their lives that day be truly memorialized and those surviving have real peace.

Z said...

Wow, Ticker, excellent thoughts, thanks.
You will LOVE my post tomorrow :-)
you're very much on the same track I'm on, as usual !

And yes, Mr. Bush was perfect that morning (See my comment above); he was always SOOOO much better without notes, without teleprompter; when he spoke from his heart and mind.

Pris said...

A couple of days after 9-11, was my bowling night. I was hesitant to even go, but my sister and brother in law, would be there on my team, so I went, and life went on.

Usually that was a jovial, noisy, high fiving place, and the league was made up of people from all walks of life, and different backgrounds.

We all always got along great, and just had a great time, kidding around and competing.

But this night was different. As I walked in, it was somber and quiet, I could sense both the sadness and shock. It was palpable.

Before we started bowling, the manager asked us for a moment of silence for those victims who died in the attack. We all bowed our heads, in silent prayer.

You could hear a pin drop, and I don't mean a bowling pin.

Afterwards I thanked the manager for that moment.
That night to me, was "out of many one". I was so heartened by it, I was glad I went after all.

My regret since then is, that it took such a terrible thing to make us realize, we're all Americans, and loving our country is a good thing.

If only we could recapture that feeling without a horror such as
9-11.

Z said...

By the way, the Yahoo title for the SHanksville ceremonies right now are CLINTON'S MIGHT GESTURE AT CEREMONIES.

REALLY? ANd Boehner's doing it with him and his name is in print about 1/billionth the size as CLINTON.

Also, Bush made one of the most amazing, compelling and moving speeches any of them made but......no mention :-)

Z said...

Here're CLinton's words:

“Since I am no longer in office, I can do unpopular things,” Clinton declared at the end of his remarks at Saturday’s dedication ceremony."


What UNPOPULAR THINGS...like helping the memorial? or embarrassing the Sec of Interior because they hadn't raised the money???? WHAT??


“I told the Secretary of the Interior, the head of your development program, that I was aghast to find out we still need to raise $10 million to finish this place. And Speaker Boehner and I have already volunteered to do a bipartisan event in Washington and let’s get this show on the road. Let’s roll.”

LET'S ROLL? No, Mr. Clinton.....they ROLLED and lost their LIVES, they rolled and KNEW THEY'D LOSE THEIR LIVES> You could pay that ten million (so could warren buffet, but the way...just sayin', since he pays such low INCOME TAX :-),.....why not? THAT'd BE ONE HELL OF A ROLL, pal. And CHUMP CHANGE for you and ol' Hill.

Z said...

Was just watching five minutes of CNN....it was compelling because there were closeups of peoples' faces talking about their 9/11 experiences.
There was Tom Brokaw, there was a father and brother of a NYFD victim (both dad and bro are firefighters), there was another NYFD who took directions from his lieutenant and then never saw him again; his lieutenant was his brother.
There was the Mgr of Cantor FItzgerald, all of whom had gone to work that day perished.......

and DAISY KHAN, the wife of the Imam who's trying to build a bigger/better mosque near Ground Zero. "It wasn't that AMERICA was hit! It was MY neighborhood, MY CITY!"


DAISY KHAN AMONG THE HEROES? WHAT?

And then THERE WAS CINDY SHEEHAN: "I knew when 9/11 happened that would cause my son's death. Then he was sent into the war and told to go to battle and he told his superior he didn't want to fight, that he was only a mechanic, but his superior said he had to go and he was dead in minutes."

Poor Casey Sheehan; his friends say he was a patriot who wanted to fight and here's his mother again saying quite the opposite.
I found this transcript taken back then in an anti-war ad:

"CINDY SHEERAN: The sergeant said, "Sheehan, you don't have to go," because my son was a mechanic. He was a Humvee mechanic. And Casey said, "Where my chief goes, I go." And he knew what had to be done."

So, back then, he admitted he was a hero who did what he had to do...today, she said he told his superior "I'm ONLY A MECHANIC, I DON"T WANT TO GO".
His friends said:

"Specialist Sheehan re-enlisted in the Army in 2004 knowing full well that he could be sent into a combat zone.Casey Sheehan's Sergeant asked for volunteers. Sheehan had just returned from Mass. After Sheehan volunteered once, the Sergeant asked Sheehan again if he wanted to go on the mission. According to many reports (and according to his own mother), Casey responded, "Where my Chief goes, I go."

While I can't bear even the thought of losing a child, is there no end to her shamefulness?

MY GOSH>

Anonymous said...

Ticker:
"Event after event had been shouting out a warning like a watchman on the wall, but it was ignored or thought impossible for such an event to happen."

I'd like to know in your opinion...who ignored these signs and warnings?

Rita said...

On that day, I worked for a company that was owned by a former New Yorker that considered Indiana his home. Until that day I did not know he came from a family of NYC firefighters.

Around noon or so, he called the staff together for one of his "desktop" talks. He told us about his family and friends and that he didn't yet know their fate. He told us that the loan originators were to call NO ONE to try to make a sale that day, but we all would continue to work.

Because if we didn't, if we called it a day, then the terrorist win. He inspired us all.

The IT guys had the TV broadcast on the wall of the conference room all that day.

On Friday, the National Day of Prayer, the company had one of our employees lead us in prayer before the official beginning of the service in DC.

I remember thinking that I was surprised that a company could still be allowed to have a prayer service on their premises. Guess there wasn't anyone working there that was an ACLU member.

Anonymous said...

"I remember thinking that I was surprised that a company could still be allowed to have a prayer service on their premises. Guess there wasn't anyone working there that was an ACLU member."


That's exactly why Rita...they have won. We're afraid to resist...afraid to fight back against what we know is wrong with America and how we've...devolved since 911.

That at a time like this...we have to worry about our Christian / Judeo heritage and strengths...while we allow and tolerate Muslim asses in the air at every street corner. Or accept the war cry of "Allah Akubar" as acceptable. Or "tolerate" a victory mosque at this sacred site....which is a cemetery and will always be one.

Anonymous said...

Obama...Comrade O...is agonizing over that fact that he just doesn't have enough bling bling to play with...as any narcissist would.

So...we have a juvenile, immature, petulant BOY...in the White House?


"Last spring Obama complained during a fundraiser, “The Oval Office, I always thought I was going to have really cool phones and stuff. .  .  . I’m like, c’mon guys, I’m the president of the United States. Where’s the fancy buttons and stuff and the big screen comes up? It doesn’t happen.”

I think all we have to do is get him some kool video games....and the asshole will go away?

At least Michele seems happy with her 40 handmaidens and her own 767?

Z said...

Imp, the left thinks ALLAH AKHBAR is honorable and SHALOM or EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO JESUS are deplorable.
Why else is this country on the skids so fast and furious?

Rita, I wish every company started with prayer; I don't care WHAT religion they are. They can leave specifics out; pray to God, pray for peace between employees, pray for success, pray for their clients. What a different world we would have.

I know a church where the council, with the pastor's lead, elected to lock an employee OUT. Yes, there were troubles, and yes, the employee needed REAL confrontatin, but IMagine? Think that a prayerful pastor could have done....how could that EVER be the best possible solution? Yet, even in a church where prayer was decidedly missing...

Z said...

I know Imp...and the msm doesn't even report this stuff. They've never talked about the abnormally ENORMOUS staff Michelle has, either...
I guess the media knows they can't say a thing or socialists won't get in office again.

Ticker said...

Imp, where do you want me to start? I have a list that runs for pages in my archives. Here is a few starting in 1970. You can read at the bottom of who evidently didn't pay a lot of attention.

March 28-29, 1970, Beirut, Lebanon. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) fired seven rockets at the U.S. Embassy, the American Insurance Company, Bank of America and the John F. Kennedy library.

May 30, 1972, Ben Gurion Airport, Israel. 26 Killed, 78 wounded, many were American citizens

September 5, 1972, Munich, Germany

March 2, 1973, Khartoum, Sudan. Cleo A. Noel, Jr., U.S. ambassador to Sudan , and George C. Moore, also a U.S. diplomat, were held hostage and then killed by terrorists at the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum.

September 8, 1974, Athens, Greece. TWA Flight 841, flying from Tel Aviv to New York, made a scheduled stop in Athens. Shortly after takeoff, it crashed into the Ionian Sea and all 88 passengers were killed, including 32-year-old Steven R. Lowe, husband Jeremiah Michel and wife, Kathrine Hadley Michel of Poughkeepsie, NY, Frederick and Margaret Hare of Bernardsville, NJ, Ralph H. Bosh of Madison, CT, Seldon and Etan Bard of Tuckahoe, NY, Dr. and Mrs. Frederick Stohlman of Newton, MA, Don H. Holiday of Mahwah, NJ, and Jon L. Chesire of Old Lyme, Ct; all of which were American citizens. An investigation of the crash conclusively established that it was caused by explosives set in the rear cargo department of the plane.

une 29, 1975, Beirut, Lebanon. The PFLP kidnapped the U.S. military attaché to Lebanon, Ernest Morgan, Fortunately he was released

January 1, 1977, Beirut, Lebanon. Frances E. Meloy, U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, and Robert O.Waring, the U.S. economic counselor, were kidnapped by PFLP members as they crossed a militia checkpoint separating the Christian from the Muslim parts of Beirut. They were later shot to death.

Ticker said...

November 4, 1979, Teheran, Iran. After President Carter agreed to admit the Shah of Iran into the U.S., Iranian radicals seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 66 American diplomats hostage. Thirteen hostages were soon freed, but the remaining 53 were held until their release on January 20, 1981.

July 19, 1982, Beirut, Lebanon. Hizballah members kidnapped David Dodge

March 16, 1983, Beirut, Lebanon. Five American Marines were wounded in a hand grenade attack while on patrol north of Beirut International Airport. The Islamic Jihad and Al-Amal, a Shi'ite militia, claimed responsibility for the attack.

April 18, 1983, Beirut, Lebanon. A truck-bomb detonated by a remote control exploded in front of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 employees, including the CIA's Middle East director, and wounding 120. Hizballah with financial backing from Iran, was responsible for the attack.

October 23, 1983, Beirut, Lebanon. A truck loaded with a bomb crashed into the lobby of the U.S. Marines headquarters in Beirut, killing 241 soldiers and wounding 81. The attack was carried out by Hizballah < with the help of Syrian intelligence and financed by Iran.

March 8, 1984, Beirut, Lebanon. Three Hizballah members kidnapped Reverend Benjamin T. Weir, He was released 16 months later.

September 20, 1984, Aukar, Lebanon. Islamic Jihad detonate a van full of explosives 30 feet in front of the U.S. Embassy annex severely damaging the building, killing two U.S. servicemen and seven Lebanese employees, as well as 5 to 15 non-employees. Twenty Americans were injured,

June 14, 1985, Between Athens and Rome. Two Hizballah members hijacked a TWA flight en route to Rome from Athens and forced the pilot to fly to Beirut. The terrorists, believed to belong to Hizballah asked for the release of members of the group Kuwait 17 and 700 Shi'ite prisoners held in Israeli and South Lebanese prisons. The eight crewmembers and 145 passengers were held for 17 days during which one of the hostages, Robert Stethem, a U.S. Navy diver, was murdered.

March 30, 1986, Athens, Greece. A bomb exploded on a TWA flight from Rome as it approached Athens airport. 4 Americans killed

December 21, 1988, Lockerbie, Scotland. Pan Am Flight 103 departing from Frankfurt to New York was blown up in midair,

October 11, 1989, Izmir, Turkey. An explosive charge went off outside a U.S. military PX

Ticker said...

February 26, 1993, New York, United States. A massive van bomb exploded in an underground parking garage below the World
Trade Center in New York City, killing six and wounding 1,042. Four Islamist activists were responsible for the attack. Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, the operation's alleged mastermind, escaped but was later arrested in Pakistan and extradited to the United States. Abd al-Hakim Murad, another suspected conspirator, was arrested by local authorities in the Philippines and handed over to the United States. The two, along with two other terrorists, were tried in the U.S. and sentenced to 240 years. Treated as a Police matter (FBI)

February 23, 1997, New York, United States. A Palestinian gunman opened fire on tourists at an observation deck atop the Empire State building in New York,

Here are a few Impertinent. Does it sound like anyone was paying a great deal of attention. The blame goes from the CIA, the State Dept, to the WH itself. All these attacks should have pointed up to what followed:
September 11, 2001, New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania, United States.

Evidently few paid attention to all the attacks on the US, in the US and against US military and civilians from 1970 forward.

Despite the profiling of Ahmadinejad during and after the 444 day hostage debacle few paid attention to what had been said about this man. Since he was basically (according to many) a mere Lt in the group of terrorist he was given little attention despite the evidence that he fit the profile of one who would do anything to rise to the top. They should have listened to that small 5 person team.

Z said...

Ticker, thanks for this incredible information.

The problem is these people know very well that they're not a COUNTRY we can knock out,they're rogues WORKING for their countries, maybe. Mostly, they're doing Allah's work and so jealous of America that they're enraged enough to try to destroy us. Remember, Arabs/Middle Easterners have a TOTALLY different code of ethics and they don't admire the things Americans admire (honor, truth, democracy...) My mother happens to have been raised in Cairo and, for YEARS, she's lamented that Americans just don't get that mentality and they'd BETTER and SOON.
SO, they're killing in their god's name and enjoying it....
And, if we fight back, our lefties horribly insult us, making us look even WEAKER to that part of the world as it appears our left's on their side.
WHAT TO DO?


By the way, Beakerkin said you had a link showing Ron Paul's antisemitic? Where is that?

Jan said...

Z..the other post about you and Mr. Z was very touching, and I can only imagine the apprehension you must have felt that day, in church, but the best part is that you went there in spite of it.

Like you, I wasn't even sure what a terrorist was at the time...how well, I know, now!

Have you noticed how certain journalists, or hosts of shows, keep calling it a tragedy, instead of what it really was?

It was a tragedy, yes, but it was, most of all, a horrifying, murderous, attack on our country, and its citizens...and they didn't pick and choose color, or creed. Their only concern was to bring us down, into the dust.

It is time that we stopped being so politically correct, and call them what they were, and are...Islamic terrorists...and stop worrying about hurting the feelings of others who happen to be of the same faith.

I know that not every Muslim is a terrorist, and rather than being offended, it is time they condemned the ones bringing reproach upon the ones who aren't.

It is time to start showing all of the horrible events of that day...including the heart wrenching scenes of the victims jumping out of windows. Everyone should be reminded of just how horrible it was, so that they will NEVER forget what happened, and who was responsible!

If they could have, they would have killed every single one of us that day, and would do it now, in a heartbeat, if they could.

You must have been stunned to see those particular neighbors in Paris that day...rejoicing, and celebrating the devastation caused by the terrorists. I know I was, when I saw the clips of the candy being handed out to children, in celebration.

Thanks for sharing those two experiences with us...and forgive me for going on, and on..

I just think that there are too many people who have their heads buried in the sand. They need to acknowledge the truth about what really happened, and like you, need to start telling it like it is!

As a result of that day, our nation has been changed, forever.

Rita said...

Imp: We disagree on one fact. They have not won. At least not yet. I still have an overwhelming confidence that true Americans will not give in so easily to having their freedoms ripped from their hands.

As I said in my blog, yes we are safer today, but our enemy is no longer flying planes into the world trade center. They are citizens who dance in the streets when our flag was burned but scream that we are not allowed to fly that flag because we might offend someone or say that we cannot say a prayer at a 9/11 memorial.

We have to continue our fight to defend our freedoms. The 40 people on flight 93 were our first soldiers to die fighting that enemy we didn't know we had. We cannot give up because too many Americans have been brainwashed to believe we should not have our basic freedoms if someone might be offended.

Z said...

Rita, absolutely...our enemy is WITHIN now, not from WITHOUT. Although we're not safe from without yet, either, of course.

We have to fight but I think the left has indoctrinated far too many young people now to have a strong future America...they now believe that PC is better than stalwart spirits and standing up for ourselves and self reliance in our homes, less gov't, etc.......and I think if we'd not succumbed to that stupid idea of reading the Mirandas to terrorists in the battlefield and not shooting at mosques from which OUR kids are being KILLEd, and if we'd just fought with more AMERICAN ASSUREDNESS, we could be much farther ahead. If the left hadn't insulted BUsh so much, and if they'd realized now what even Oprah Winfrey admitted after having interviewed him and read his book (I was surprised), that he had good reasons for going to war, etc...
But, the left won't allow it; God forbid someone be offended and feel badly.......God forbid AMERICA IS EXCEPTIONAL.
And we have a president who wasn't raised to feel that; with communist parents, confused parentage, muslim upbringing, whacko 'Christian' mentors, Frank Marshall as his biggest mentor, Bill Ayers as a hero.
My GOSH, it's like we elected a WEATHERMAN or the SDS or BLACK PANTHER to be president, when you think about it.
gad.


Jan,

Z said...

Jan, yes, it's a 'tragedy'...then they don't have to imply it was MAN MADE and (ALLAH FORBID) who that MAN was.......or what religion that man follows. ANd no, not all Muslims wanted that...but WHERE ARE THEY? Why are they seemingly doing nothing but rubbing it in our faces, like with that Ground Zero Mosque?
Did you see my comment way above? I should have made a post of it: CNN had first responder heroes and families of the dead and DAISY KHAN giving their feelings about 9/11. KHAN is the wife of that imam who's trying so hard to build a bigger/better mosque there! I thought "WHAT IS SHE DOING THERE?" I was so enjoying (and weeping at the same time) hearing about the INCREDIBLE bravery of so many people and hearing brothers talk about their dead fire fighting brothers, and then HER?
And then CINDY SHEEHAN???

MY GOSH.

And yes, it was sad to see those people rejoicing over 9/11 in that apt. across the street....
and I am SO THROUGH with hesitating to say they're ARABS or IRANIANS. I'm not holding back anymore: I'm no dope and I didn't have to guess about that, I could see it.
thanks for your terrific comment. xx

Rita said...

Screw Political Correctness. If the hijackers with blonde middle aged American women, I would have no problem with the TSA searching every inch of my body because I fit the profile.

Even not fitting the profile, I do not object to them going through my bags, getting xrayed, having dogs sniff my luggage. Why should I? I know that it's not some Big Brother suddenly taking over, it a necessity to assure our safety because some soulless slugs used those methods to change America.

I'm sick of political correctness. Give me someone that tells me the truth and I'll show you a man of greater character.

Jan said...

I did see your comment about Daisy Khan, and Cindy Sheehan, Z...and that appalled me, too.

I don't see how either of them could say anything with a straight face, honestly.

Cindy Sheehan, it seems, will do, or say anything for a little attention.

She should be very proud of her son, but I'm sure that he would hang his head in shame at his mother's shenanigans.

Z said...

Jan, imagine this young man,whose friends said he was brave and volunteered to fight, having his mother saying he didn't want to go, that he had tried using his job as a mechanic to get out of fighting in battle?
It's almost so terrible on her part that I'd prefer he WAS scared and trying to get out of the battle...who wouldn't be, anyway? WHat hero isn't scared, right?...I'd prefer that than to have a mother besmirching him by misinforming to support HER anti-war stance.

Rita said...

Cindy Sheehan needs to donning a burqu. And I don't make that statement lightly.

Karen K said...

I don't think it was an anomaly at all, Z-- we saw that many Muslims were doing the same thing, passing out candy and celebrating in Pakistan.

Let us never forget this tragedy-- or WHO was responsible!

Linked at my place, btw.

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

And yet, despite that, there we go in America, groping infants and children, pulling old men out of wheelchairs, making elderly women dying of cancer pull off their colostomy bags and searching it. Making sure we portray CAUCASOIDS as the terrorists in TSA training videos. We can't even admit to ourselves who the real enemy are because we, at our base, are FRIGHTENED to do so -- scared of confrontation, scared of labels which, truthfully, would be false.

So, I ask:

What have we truly, as a country, LEARNED?

And I submit: NOTHING.

So that means, essentially, that those 2,977 lives were baked, burned, turned to jelly and ground up with concrete FOR nothing.

BZ

Average American said...

"Was this an anomaly?"

No, just a group of "moderate Muslims" rejoicing over some news they had just received.

Anonymous said...

"Our enemy is WITHIN now, not from WITHOUT. "

I can take that two ways. We're not safe within because we still ALLOW enemies from without to freely take up residency WITHIN. Either under silly tourist / visitor visas or student visas or worse yet....religious studies.

Have we learned anything from 911?

Apparently not as Ticker so eloquently demonstrates. For 40 years we've had plenty of reason to DENY entry to this country to any citizen of a country that has supported, hosted, sponsored, committed attacks against US citizens, embassies or other interests.

Personally...I'm disgusted with the worst of the PC insanity that will ruin this country as sure as the sun will rise then set tomorrow.

Just as we don't need any more illegal cab drivers named..."rosa esmelda mercedes sanchez ramirez martinez de la croquetta cruz ortiz del toro santa maria bachata"...we don't need Muslims to tell us how "intolerant" we are through their many alphabet soup organizations of terrorism.

And I'm tired of the crap that not all muslims are terrorists.....yet all terrorists ( save two ...so stuff it bd and quack ), are muslims.

It doesn't take but a few to bring us to our knees. So...if "Big Sis" and anyone truly concerned with Homeland Security were the least bit truthful.....we wouldn't have a TSA harassing children or the infirm...would we?

Simply..we need to punish the entire group. So that they become so enraged that the sick bugs among them are expelled, vilified, captured, exposed and made to suffer for all...they might suffer as Muslims.

Either good Muslims are against terrorism and their terrorist friends family and relatives...or they're not..."good" muslims.

We sure as hell would do it if they were blonde, blue eyed Norwegians, wouldn't we?

I'd rather apologize way later to those who were "inconvenienced"...than explain to the mothers and fathers why their children were sacrificed and murdered by a cult....and their own government.

And again...we do NOTHING.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing your story.
They were also passing out candy in Gaza.
I don't remember anybody actually *celebrating* here in the US, but lots of people were saying that we had it coming, and they were saying it on the very day of the terrorist attack.

net observer said...

"Simply..we need to punish the entire group."

What exactly does that mean?

Z said...

Imp, how WOULD you punish the entire group?

net observer said...

"but lots of people were saying that we had it coming"

That's true, edge. But it's possible for someone to say something like that and not be happy about it at all.

Pat Buchanan often said, "They are over here because we are over there." While that may or may not be true, I think it's safe to say that Pat B comes from a different perspective than those who danced in the streets on 9/11.

Even Jerry Falwell hinted that 9/11 was somehow tied to America's embrace of homosexuality, which also suggests in his view that we "had it coming", too. Even though I think he was a total idiot for saying so, I would never accuse Falwell of feeling good about 9/11.

Or maybe think about it this way: Young, 100-lb. attractive females have every right to jog in bad neighborhoods, at night, every night, til the cows come home. But if the odds ever caught up with them in a tragic way, a lot of decent people would reluctantly say, "What the heck was she thinkin'?"

If we need oil that bad, let's concentrate on deals elsewhere, even if it costs more at the pump.

Anonymous said...

Impetinent,
How about stop rewarding entire group?

Net Observer,
Actually, where I live people are pretty unpatriotic.
Global economy does need oil, but most of our oil doesn't come from the Middle East.
And while we transfer a lot of money to wrong places, our need of oil doesn't cause global jihad. Not much money is needed to wage it, and we allow the agents of jihad come into our countries without much scrutiny.
They are over here because of their ideology, and because we let them come, not because we are drilling in Saudi Arabia.

MathewK said...

They handed out sweets when they heard of 9/11 so parties and back-slapping is expected. We're not stupid, we know when we're hated simply because of who we are.

We will not forget those who were murdered and those who did it, we stand with you America and we will not submit.

net observer said...

edge, you sound like you know a lot more about that part of the world than I do. So I have to defer to an extent.

Still, a clarification: When I refer to "oil", I am also suggesting that we wouldn't play nearly as much of a role in Mid-East politics if we didn't need/want any Mid-East oil. Do you disagree?

If we were far less involved in the politics of the region, with a much lesser presence, would we have the same problems we have now? Wouldn't there be some kind of a difference?

Anonymous said...

net observer,
Yes, we would probably have less presence in the region if not for oil. However, given how the Middle East is in the middle of everything, it's still strategically important. And the global economy *does* need oil, it's not a whim of ours.
What really bugs jihadis is that they are has beens. They once had a caliphate that covered a good part of the Old World, or pretty much all that mattered in the Old World, and now the US is the sole remaining superpower. Sure, us being there rubs it in, but they'd hate us anyway.

Bob said...

"Obviously, it was none of my business then nor is it now"

It could have been your business of they had been plotting against others.

The scene in the other apartment is indicative to how Muslims around the world, including those in the USA, feel about the United States. I remember reports of how Muslim students were celebrating in various student centers in the nation, and about Muslim celebrations in the street in many of the Muslim capital cities.

The message cannot have been clearer. We have enemies, and even so-called moderate Muslims hate our very founding principles.