12 Years Later.

[yachtsmanwilly]

I was working second shift on 9-11. I was still an early riser, like up around 0700. Turned on the boob tube (!) and ALL over the news was Michael Jordan coming out of retirement (about the 7th time mind you) I mean on EVERY CHANNEL ! I turned on the old movie channel (TMC) to watch one of those racist B&W movies with an all white cast when my pal called.
He hollers TURN ON THE NEWS! Like which one? ANY ONE! It was just after the first plane hit and there was UN IDENTIFIED smoke coming from the pentagon, with live DC news not even knowing about that plane. Watching the news in AWE, the second plane hit the WTC. I scrambled up to our breakfast place where the TV set is NEVER on. It was that day. We all watched the towers collapse. I can remember no air traffic for a week after that. I lived just about between O'hare and Midway airports in Chicago. It was disturbingly quiet. Got to work at 1500 to be searched by armed national guardsmen at all the power plants. My pal that had called me worked for Ma Bell and they were on lockdown as well.
In times of war those are considered civil defense installations, and guarded as such. What a fucked up day. ws

[rsmith]

NATO’s primary objective in Afghanistan is to enable the Afghan authorities to provide effective security across the country and ensure that the country can never again be a safe haven for terrorists. Since August 2003, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has been conducting security operations, while also training and developing the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Launched in 2011, the transition to full Afghan security responsibility is due to be completed at the end of 2014, when ISAF’s mission will end. NATO will then lead a follow-on mission to train, advise and assist the ANSF with the aim to continue supporting the development and sustainment of the Afghan security forces and institutions. Wider cooperation between NATO and Afghanistan will also continue within the framework of the NATO-Afghanistan Enduring Partnership, signed in 2010 at the Lisbon Summit. NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan carries forward the Alliance's political-military objectives there, liaising with the Afghan government, civil society, representatives of the international community and neighbouring countries.


My son says this ISAF is one major clusterfuck. He now wears a ISAF patch instead of US. Who would have thought after 911 we would still be in Afghanistan and have a Muslim president