Agree or Not, At Least Say Thanks
By Bernard B. Kerik

Yesterday, I sat in New York City’s Central Park at a Memorial Day ceremony to honor the men and women who serve in our United States military today, who have served in the past and those who served and ultimately paid for our freedoms at the cost of their own lives. The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Admiral William J. Fallon, a 40 year veteran and Commander of the U.S. Central Command who oversees the battle in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Admiral Fallon spoke about the realities of this war, the threats we face today and the courage and bravery of the men and women in our armed forces. He urged citizens across the country to pay their respects to those fighting overseas, saying, “Their sacrifices have enabled us to enjoy the things that we, in many cases, sometimes take for granted”. It was an honor for me to be there to pay my respects to our fallen heroes. It was also quite humbling to be in the presence of Admiral Fallon and the many members of our armed forces, some of which recently returned from the Middle East with injuries that most of us could not imagine living with.

As proud as I was of our country and the members of our military, I was equally conflicted by the low turnout at the event and the noticeable absence of many of our elected public officials. After all, we were sitting less than five miles from the first battleground in this war in which more that 2,700 people died, and in the heart of a City that I am confident will be our enemy’s target once again. I thought of the tens of thousands of people that lined West Street on the morning of September 14th, 2001, when President Bush drove from Ground Zero to the Jacob Javits Center, with signs supporting the first responders, the troops and our Commander in Chief. Where were they on this day of remembrance? Memorial Day, a federal holiday that has been specifically earmarked to say thank you to the men and woman who gave their lives for the very freedom that we enjoy and hold dear. Could it be possible that we have forgotten the morning of September 11th, or has our patience waned over time? Could it be that we are blinded by the increasingly hostile political rhetoric of those opposing this war?

This past week, a Presidential candidate minimized the “war on terror” as nothing more than a “bumper sticker slogan”, for the Bush Administration. I was sickened that one would stoop that low. To agree or disagree with the President’s handling of the war is one thing, but to mislead or deceive the American people about the threats we face today for a political office is appalling. Analysts might say such deception is being perpetuated by the right, some might say it is by the left. In actuality, it makes no difference to me. As the arguments continue, the American people need truthful leadership that understands the reality of this war, and the extreme complexities of our enemy.

On the morning of 9/11, we were not in Afghanistan or Iraq, we were not hunting Osama Bin Laden and as this administration has openly admitted, we weren’t even on a “war footing” in relation to fighting global terror. Whether you agree or disagree with the reasons that we invaded Iraq, we removed a dictator who was no different than those currently in Darfur, the likes of which ninety per cent of the world concurs should be removed. The fact of the matter remains that the enemy we fight today in Iraq is Al Qaeda… the same enemy responsible for the 9/11 attacks. The Al Qaeda leadership in a global war against us today is the same leadership that existed on the morning of September 11th. 

There are many things today that remain the same as they were in 2001. There are, likewise, two very distinct changes that have occurred over time. Today our enemy knows with absolute certainty, that many of our leaders are week-kneed politicians, entrusted public servants who want to blindly withdraw and cut and run from this war. Secondly, the enemy has learned that the American people do not have the patience to fight the war that must be fought. My critics may say this is a biased opinion in support of the current administration. To the American people I say, it is imperative that we do not repeat the errors of our past and ignore the signals until terror strikes again.

You can ignore me, Admiral Fallon and others, but do not ignore the Al Qaeda leadership that is already chanting victory in Iraq anticipating our early departure. Pay attention to Adam Yehiye Gadahn, an American coward that also goes by the name Azzam al-Amriki, and who, as recent as today, in a seven minute video message threatened the United States with attacks that, in his words, "will make you forget all about the horrors of September 11th, Afghanistan and Iraq and Virginia Tech,". Threats, very similar to those made by Bin Laden in the late nineties, prior to the attacks of 9/11; threats we ignored.

I am convinced that we must fight this enemy abroad and at home, and must support true Muslims and those countries in the Gulf and Arab region that fight the same enemy. We must realize that they have no rules and no boundaries. Gadahn’s mention of Virginia Tech reminds me of the massacre at Beslan and the suicidal bombings in Iraq and Jordan, where innocent woman and children were slaughtered. If we retreat, withdraw, and/or do nothing proactive, the enemy will repeat the dreadful terror they inflicted on us in the past when we did not heed their warnings.

I agree with Admiral Fallon when he said, "In distant places, we have other Americans standing tall in difficult circumstances, trying to do the right thing for you, for our country, and all that it stands for." I also believe that those Americans are distinctly what stands between good and evil, and whether you agree or disagree with this war, every American owes a debt of gratitude to the fallen heroes that fought for our enjoyment of a better way of life and a democracy wherein we have the freedom, without fear of reproach, to agree or disagree.

At the very least, they should be given our thanks.

Back