Chasing a long story to its finality

This month we begin my 21st year as the moderator of "Face the Nation," and as I was looking over our broadcasts for the past ten years, I was struck by just how much time we have devoted to 9/11 and its aftermath.

From that Sunday when we heard these chilling words from the president, "We are at war," we have devoted more time to this story and its aftermath than any other single story.

We spent about 50% of our time on this one.

The Bush Administration told us early on what was coming: "We are coming, I think, to the end of the diplomatic phase, if you will," said Vice President Dick Cheney.

We saw a buildup of American forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, the ins and outs of policy, the things we did right and the things we did wrong.

We never found Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

But we found the Iraqi tyrant Saddam Hussein.

For most of that 10 years, Osama bin Laden alluded us.

"We don't know where he is," admitted Condoleezza Rice, "but we do know one thing: We know he is on the run."

Washington argued over policy. Sen. John McCain said, "We should be prepared to do whatever is necessary." And in the end, we did.

Through two administrations we pursued Osama bin Laden and finally last week we got him.

Does that mean the "war on terror" is over?

Most certainly not, but the terrorists of the world have been dealt a mortal blow, and they have learned again what is - and has always been - our core strength: We never give up.