Recordando el primer golpe contra al Qaeda
Hace diez anios antes de los SEALs estuvieron los hombres y mujeres del Vuelo 93.
Fue un final justo: el terrorista mas brutal que aspiraba a crear un califato que se extendiera desde Malacca hasta Gibraltar fue encontrado en una mansion, aislado y sin comunicaciones solo por intermedio de un mensajero. Fue la identidad del mesanjero - que pacientemente fue seguido por el servicio de inteligencia, profesionales, por un periodo cuatro anios que finalmente lograron que los Navy SEALs encontraran a Osama bin Laden.
El fundador de al Qaeda recibio lo que se le habia prometido: "Si no llevamos nuestros enemigos a la justicia, llevaremos la justicia donde ellos, pero se hara justicia" declaro el presdiente G. W Bush el 20 de Setiembre del 2001. Diez anios despues su sucesor, tomo la inteligente y valiente decision de poner a los militares americanos en tierra para enfrentar cara a cara a bin Laden, y fue capaz de anunciar que efectivamente se habia hecho justicia.
Eso nos hace recordar lo que, en retrospectiva, fue la primera victoria en la guerra contra el terrorismo. Al hacerlo, podemos reconocer una obligacion que cada americano pude realizar.
Diez anios antes de que los muy bien entrenados Navy SEALs atraparan a bin Laden, 40 personas ordinarias, comunes y corrientes fueron a combate. Ellos murieron el los campos de Somerset County, Pa sacrificando sus vidas para que otros americanos pudieran vivir. Ellos previnieron la destruccion del Capitol de US y de la Casa Blanca.
La saga del buelo 93 ha sido contada muchas veces y se ha conmemorado el acto con una pelicula. Viajando desde Newark a San Francisco, un puniado de hombres y mujeres mostraron extraordinario coraje bajo presion, tomando la cabina del piloto despues de que el avion fuera tomado por los terroristas.
Su valentia y sacrificio sera conmemorado en su memorial (Flicght 93) en Somerset County. El centro del parque nacional sera el lugar de impacto del avion. "Lugar Sagrado"
Y sacrado es. Yo visite este hermoso lugar, despues del ataque del 9/11, cuando el Presidente Bush y su esposa se reunieron con las familias de los pasajeros del avion. Parecia mentira que un sitio tan hermoso pudo haber sido es escenario de tanta destruccion. El avion toco tierra a una velocidad de 563 millas por hora, explotando en una lluvia de metal y llamas.
Cada pasajero y personal del avion sera conmemorado con 40 arboles en un anillo de 150 acres llamado "Field of Honor" cerca al lugar donde cayo el avion. Un centro para visitantes exhibira el legado del Vuelo 93.
Este es el unico memorial del 9/11 que es un parque nacional producto de una sociedad publica y privada. El gobierno federal y del estado han dado $31 millones, mientras las donaciones privadas recaudadas por 3 miembros del congreso han logrado reunir $23 millones hasta ahora.
Todavia faltan recaudar $15 millones para Setiembre, todos los americanos pueden hacer una donacion.
El Jueves pasado, el Presidente Obama visito el Pentagono y Ground Zero para rendir honor a los americanos que murieron en los ataques. Al hacerlo el ha cumplido con uno de los trabajos mas importantes del presidente: el rendir honor y mostrar gratitud, en el proceso curar las heridas que todavia quedan de un dia tan horrible. Yo hubiera querido que el Presidente Obama hubiera agregado una parada mas a su itinerario-el campo verde del centro sur de Pennsylvannia donde americanos ganaron la primera batalla contra al Qaeda.
Los pasajeros del Vuelo 93 no estaban entrenados en el arte de la geurra como los expertos del equipo 6 de SEAL. Los uniforms de los pilotos y azafatas no eran como los de los que volaron en la oscuridad en Abbottabad. Pero de una manera poderosa, los pasajeros del vuelo 93 eran tambien soldados.
A las 9:58 a.m. el 11 de Setiembre del 2001, Todd Beamer le pregunto al resto de pasajeros y azafatas, Estan listos? ok Vamos" y arremetieron contra la cabina del piloto. Ellos estuvieron listos para dar su vida y asi lo hicieron. Nada les va a devolver la vida, nada va a llenar el vacio dejado en los corazones de sus familiares. Pero America puede rendirles homenaje terminando el Flight 93 National Memorial.
Remembering the First Blow Against al Qaeda
Ten years before the SEALs there were the men and women of Flight 93
By KARL ROVE
It was a fitting end: The brutal terrorist who aspired to create an Islamic caliphate that stretched from the Straits of Malacca to Gibraltar was found hiding in a walled compound, isolated and reduced to communicating in fitful spurts by courier. It was the identity of a courier—patiently traced by intelligence professionals for four years—that eventually brought Navy SEALs to Osama bin Laden's doorstep.
The founder of al Qaeda received what he had been promised. "Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done," President George W. Bush said on Sept. 20, 2001. A decade later his successor, having made a wise and politically gutsy decision to put the U.S. military on the ground to confront bin Laden face to face, was able to announce that justice had indeed been done.
It is fitting today that we recall what was, in retrospect, the first victory in the war on terrorism. By doing so, we can recognize a 9/11 obligation that every American can help fulfill.
Ten years before highly trained Navy SEALs stormed bin Laden's compound, 40 ordinary people went into combat. They died in a field in Somerset County, Pa., having sacrificed their lives so other Americans might live. They likely prevented the destruction of the United States Capitol or the White House.
United Flight 93's saga has been told many times and even commemorated in a movie. Traveling from Newark to San Francisco, a handful of men and women showed extraordinary courage and grace under pressure, storming the cockpit of their plane after it had been hijacked.
Their bravery and sacrifice will be honored at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County. The center of the national park will be the plane's impact site, "Sacred Ground."
And sacred it is. I visited this lovely, gently sloping meadow shortly after the 9/11 attacks, when President and Mrs. Bush met with the families of those killed. It was hard to think of such a beautiful field being the scene of such destruction. The plane hit the ground at 563 miles per hour, exploding in a shower of metal and flame.
About Karl Rove
Karl Rove served as Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush from 2000–2007 and Deputy Chief of Staff from 2004–2007. At the White House he oversaw the Offices of Strategic Initiatives, Political Affairs, Public Liaison, and Intergovernmental Affairs and was Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, coordinating the White House policy-making process.
Before Karl became known as "The Architect" of President Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns, he was president of Karl Rove + Company, an Austin-based public affairs firm that worked for Republican candidates, nonpartisan causes, and nonprofit groups. His clients included over 75 Republican U.S. Senate, Congressional and gubernatorial candidates in 24 states, as well as the Moderate Party of Sweden.
Karl writes a weekly op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, is a Newsweek columnist and is the author of the book "Courage and Consequence" (Threshold Editions).
Email the author
atKarl@Rove.comor visit him on the web atRove.com. Or, you can send a Tweet to @karlrove.
Click here to order his book,Courage and Consequence.
.Each passenger and crew member will be memorialized in a grove of 40 trees that ring a 150-acre "Field of Honor" next to the crash site. A visitors center with exhibits and programming will explore the legacy of United Flight 93.
This is the only 9/11 memorial that is a national park and a private-public partnership. The federal and state governments have given $31 million, while a fundraising effort spearheaded by Outback Steakhouse chairman Chris Sullivan, Gen. Tommy Franks and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge has raised $23 million so far from private donors.
Nearly $15 million remains to be raised before the memorial's dedication this September. Every American can help by going to
www.honorflight93.org and making a contribution.
Last Thursday, President Barack Obama visited the Pentagon and Ground Zero to honor the Americans who died in the attacks. In doing so he was fulfilling one of a president's most important roles: to pay his respects to those worthy of our honor and gratitude and, in the process, to bind up some of the remaining wounds from that awful day. I only wish Mr. Obama had added one more stop to his itinerary—the green field in south central Pennsylvania where Americans struck the first blow against al Qaeda.
The passengers on Flight 93 were not trained in the art of war like the skilled operators of SEAL Team 6. The uniforms of the pilots and attendants were not like those of the chopper crews who dropped from the dark sky above Abbottabad. But in a powerful way, the people on Flight 93 too were warriors.
At 9:58 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, Todd Beamer asked his fellow passengers and crew, "Are you guys ready? Okay. Let's roll!" They then stormed the cockpit. They were ready to give their lives and did. Nothing will bring them back or fill the void left in the hearts of their families. But America can honor them by finishing the job on the Flight 93 National Memorial.
Mr. Rove is the former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush.
Publicado: Mié May 11, 2011 8:11 pm
