Sympathetic friends on 911 now enemies

When the towers collapsed, the first call to President Bush was Russian president Vladimir Putin. He told Bush “In this struggle, we will stand together.” Besides words, Putin offered Russian intelligence, use of Russian airspace, even the setting up of US bases in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Chinese president Jiang Zemin also called Bush that day, offering intelligence, including setting up an FBI office in Beijing.

Iran, like Russia and China, sought better relations with America by aiding the effort to confront terrorism. Iranian president Mohammad Khatami ordered the arrest of hundreds al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters who had escaped to Iran. Iran also turned over the Afghan Northern Alliance, which Iran had largely created, to US control. It also offered the US use of Iranian air bases.

The US rebuffed much of the aid offered by Russia, China and Iran. Today, 21 years on, we’re in a proxy war with Russia over Ukraine, seeing the highest tensions with China over Taiwan in 50 years, and inching closer to ending negotiations for a new nuclear agreement with Iran that could lead to war.

Catastrophic war killing hundreds of thousands in Afghanistan and Iraq are not the only casualties of America’s failed, dysfunctional response to 911. Needless war or near war on 3 fronts this very somber 21st anniversary truly mar what should be reserved for remembering the 911 victims.