– thoughts of a TFF eyewitness in Washington
Waking up yesterday to what seemed Hollywood images was unexpected, shocking, and also revealing of the vulnerability of the greatest super power in the world. I was just waking up from a weird dream about seeing a ufo in the sky and pointing it out to my father, when the phone rang and I was told the World Trade Center had been hit.
I turned on the TV and there it was, no it was not a ufo, it was not a random accident, a highjacked plane was crashing against one of the towers. Minutes later tower number two gets hit by another highjacked plane. At this point it was clear this was a terrorist act. On my way to work at the CNN building I could see a big cloud of smoke as I drove through North Capitol. Then the radio confirmed there was an explosion at the Pentagon’s heliport.
As soon as I got to the office, I turned on CNN and saw the first tower crumble to the floor, then the next one. They were gone. The two brothers were torn apart by the most carefully crafted act of terrorism. The explosion at the Pentagon had been a result of another hijacked plane…
Needless to say more, we all know the details and have seen the images. A little after 1:00pm DC was declared in state of emergency. The mayor advised all to stay indoors and leave the streets to the police, firemen and ambulances.
I soon started to receive emails from family and friends who were unable to reach me though the phone, as the lines were terribly busy. On my way back home I could see black helicopters flying very low and listen to sirens coming and going. Once home I could start getting in touch with my family and friends in Mexico, who were in panic and worried about my personal being, and the general situation in DC. No metro was available and federal and international offices were evacuated. Today people are trying to gradually get back to their lives, work, and routine.
However, key questions are still flying up in the air along with the debris.
– Who is behind this? What will be the US reponse?
The United States’ response to these attacks will certainly have an impact on the international community. For the fortress to endure, the reaction to this terrible, atrocious series of incidents will have to be sensible and very well thought, not to lead into the third big war.
This is perhaps the greatest test for peace and international accountability our eyes have seen. Heads of state around the world have condemned these terrorist acts and offered their sympathy and support to the U.S.
This is also time to offer alternatives that will not catalyze further disaster and fatal chaos.
At this stage there is no time to persuade the Empire of values that are not within its paradigm. It would be more effective to use our creativity and desire for peace to design alternatives that, based on liberal ideals of justice, can bring relief to the United States without triggering uncontrollable provocations of hatred and revenge.
May we find within ourselves the wisdom to work together for peace across boundaries, diversity of values, and conflicting national interests.
