freeSpeech: Rudolph Giuliani

Former NYC Mayor Reflects On The Sept. 11 Attacks

(CBS)  Over the past five years, not a single day has gone by without a vivid memory of the attacks of September 11, 2001.

I still feel all the things I felt on that day: Anger at the terrorists. Sadness for those who lost loved ones. Awe at the courage shown by both emergency workers and ordinary citizens. It may be tempting to allow these memories to fade. That is a natural response. But the attacks of five years ago cannot be consigned to history.

Remember, terrorism did not begin on September 11, 2001. The killing of innocent civilians by Islamic fanatics has been going on for more than thirty years. What was different about the attacks of five years ago is that September 11 marks the day that our nation broke the pattern of being only on defense. After September 11, we went on offense against the terrorists. We must remain on offense.

The people who consider democracy their enemy have not stopped fighting. They have launched attacks in Bali, Madrid, Beslan and London.

These attacks are about a radical form of Islam that views our very existence as a grave threat. This is a war with people who seek to eliminate our most precious freedoms. It is a fight over the preservation of the modern world. If we remain steadfast, if we do not surrender to frustration and remain committed to overcoming terrorism, then those who died on September 11 will not have died in vain.

What we learned is that free people have much greater strength than they realize. Ultimately, free people prevail over oppression.


Rudolph Giuliani is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Giuliani Partners LLC, which he founded in January 2002. Mr. Giuliani served two terms as the 107th Mayor of the City of New York. First elected in 1993 after a campaign focusing on quality of life, crime, business and education, he was re-elected in 1997 by a wide margin.

Prior to this, Mr. Giuliani served in a variety of law enforcement and legal positions. In 1983, Giuliani was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he spearheaded efforts against drug dealers, organized crime, government corruption, and white-collar criminals. From 1981 to 1983, Mr. Giuliani served as Associate Attorney General, the third highest position in the Department of Justice.