9/11 Aftermath: Time to Change Course

In the hours after the horrific crime of September 11, 2001, Americans rallied as one and the world stood at our side.

Now, all that has changed. Americans are divided. Allies are alienated. The Muslim world’s fury has increased. Osama bin Laden is still at large. Terrorist acts are up across the world. Afghanistan is a mess. And U.S. troops are mired in an occupation amid a growing civil war in Iraq. We are more isolated, less respected and less safe.

In response, the Bush administration chose not to change course, but to rouse fears—worried more about saving the president's face than serving the nation's security.

It is time to stop fanning fears to cover up failure. It is time to change course.