Friday, June 25, 2004

A Resourceful and Connected Citizenry

Below I said:
"...while the US government's total communication breakdown with itself on 9/11, from the FAA to the military and back, was incomprehensible.... all it took were cell phone calls from the ground to the passengers of Flight 93 to alert them to the world situation.

Cell phones. They were enough to encourage the passengers to react - react swiftly, and resolutely - to take down Flight 93 themselves.

Not the combined communication power of the US Government. Cell phones."

Today in the Washington post, the point is reiterated: (Registration Required)
"Requiring less time than it took the White House to gather intelligence and issue an attack order (which was in fact not acted on), American citizens gathered information from national media and relayed that information to citizens aboard the flight, who organized themselves and effectively carried out a counterattack against the terrorists, foiling their plans. Armed with television and cell phones, quick-thinking, courageous citizens who were fed information by loved ones probably saved the White House or Congress from devastation."
It shows what people who care more for saving lives of their loved ones than political posturing and power grabs can do for the country...

On a side note, is it just me or is it strange in all the intelligence we've gathered and suspects we've interrogated since 9/11, we still haven't found out precisely which D.C. building was the target of Flight 93? Just odd...

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