It has been 24 years since the deadly attacks on the U.S. that unleashed a decade-long war against Al-Qaeda and the hunt for its leader. Those who fought that war and participated in that hunt should be remembered and honored for it. 
I had the privilege to play a small role in the endgame of that search as we delivered justice to the killer of so many innocents. It is also good to commemorate the Americans who fell in battles with Al Qaeda before we acknowledged that we were, in fact, at war with that terrorist organization. Those pre-9/11 clashes included the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center and the 1998 bombings of the American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. 
It was the Al Qaeda assault on the USS Cole in 2000, however, that is seen as a precursor to September 11, 2001.
In 1779, when a British officer demanded the surrender of the USS Bonhomme Richard, John Paul Jones — founder of the American Navy — famously retorted, “I have not yet begun to fight.” That retort has been the credo of American sailors ever since. And it epitomized the reaction of every crew member aboard the USS Cole to the attack on their ship.
Now, 25 years after the surprise attack, Big Media and DailyWire+ bring you &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTvFDubU86g">USS Cole: Al Qaeda&#8217;s Strike Before 9/11.</a>&#8221; The three-part documentary captures the crew&#8217;s courage, professionalism, and sacrifice during and after the assault on their ship.
<div id="attachment_981571" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/uss-cole-al-qaeda-s-strike-before-9-11-official-trailer"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981571" class="size-large wp-image-981571" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>DailyWire+</div>
The documentary also provides insights into the efforts of the skipper of the USS Cole, Commander Kirk S. Lippold, and other military professionals, who navigate the limitations placed on their abilities to respond to terror threats in the pre-9/11 era, which are at once fascinating and deeply unsettling. Finally, the show documents the comprehensive investigation and relentless pursuit of the perpetrators in the wake of the attack.
The Al Qaeda attack on the Cole occurred on October 12, 2000. The U.S. Navy destroyer was making a routine refueling stop at the Port of Aden, Yemen, when a small boat carrying concealed explosives approached the port side of the ship. The two men on board made friendly gestures to sailors on the Cole, and then detonated their lethal cargo. The resulting blast tore a 40-foot-wide hole in the hull near the galley, at a time when many crew members were lining up for lunch. The explosion killed 17 personnel on the ship and injured 40 others. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack, which had been coordinated by operatives who had trained in Afghanistan.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="USS COLE: Al Qaeda’s Strike Before 9/11 | Official Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eTvFDubU86g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
As shown in the Big Media production, the crew of the Cole responded to the attack with extraordinary bravery and professionalism, working to triage injured shipmates and to deal with the extensive damage to the vessel. Within minutes of the explosion, medical personnel were rescuing, treating, and evacuating the wounded, many of whom were trapped under collapsed bulkheads. Sailors, a number of whom were badly injured themselves, fought flooding and fires for more than 96 hours, working without adequate sleep or food, often in total darkness and with the threat of further explosions. They did this despite the loss of key leaders, demonstrating great technical skill and courage in extremely hazardous conditions. With the assistance of nearby British Royal Navy ships and medical aid from the French military, the crew members saved the lives of injured shipmates and kept their ship from sinking. Later transported back to the U.S. for repair, the Cole remains in service with the Navy today.
&#8220;USS Cole: Al Qaeda&#8217;s Strike Before 9/11&#8221; also recounts the FBI investigation into the attack on the Cole. The Bureau dispatched more than 100 agents, lab technicians, and counterterrorism personnel to Yemen. Working with local authorities, FBI officers conducted witness interviews and collected evidence that resulted in a determination that Al Qaeda was, indeed, responsible for the Cole attack. In fact, it was tied to an abortive attempt to bomb another Navy ship, the USS The Sullivans, in January 2000. By the end of 2000, two men suspected of masterminding the bombing were arrested. Both subsequently escaped from Yemeni jails but were later killed in separate American airstrikes.
Another planner of the attack, captured in 2002, was shipped to Guantanamo Bay, where he was charged with responsibility for the Cole bombing and other terror-related offenses. Additional investigations and prosecutions identified numerous unindicted Al Qaeda co-conspirators. U.S. authorities have continuously pursued the remaining suspects. 
The lessons learned from the ordeal of the USS Cole and the investigations resulted in significant changes to U.S. Navy force protection protocols and U.S. counterterrorism policy. The documentary raises a key question over whether one of the key factors that contributed to the successful terrorist bombing of the Cole — and to the 9/11 attack — was that we were paying attention to things that distracted us from the threat.
Before the first plane struck the World Trade Center, we, as a nation, had not yet begun to fight. But the men and women of the USS Cole already had. And it is right that we should honor and remember them for it. In its portrayal of their courage, heroism, and sacrifice, the Big Media telling of their story does just that.
* * *
Mark Kelton is the former CIA Chief of Counterintelligence.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>

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Before 9/11, There Was The USS Cole: New Documentary Recounts A Defining Attack

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Cheers erupted for President Donald Trump at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night, as he was in attendance for the game on the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The Yankees recognized the 9/11 anniversary before the game, and welcomed &#8220;back to Yankee Stadium the 45th and 47th president of the United States,&#8221; showing the native New Yorker on the Jumbotron as the crowd applauded.
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President Trump is announced to the crowd at Yankee Stadium. <a href="https://t.co/YQQbUsxOS6">pic.twitter.com/YQQbUsxOS6</a>
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/YESNetwork/status/1966287421529555147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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At another point during the night, many in the crowd began chanting, &#8220;Donald Trump! Donald Trump!&#8221; as the president waved from a suite.
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Happening Now—The👑of New York is so BACK! 🇺🇸🦅 <a href="https://t.co/WtP74uAB8w">pic.twitter.com/WtP74uAB8w</a>
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scavino47/status/1966317431217115388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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During the National Anthem, Trump was shown again on the screen to the cheers of many of the 41,000 fans in attendance.
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NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR OUR PRESIDENT IN NEW YORK CITY — GOD BLESS AMERICA! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/73w0ozUfJT">pic.twitter.com/73w0ozUfJT</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1966316878441116159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The fans were really nice,&#8221; Trump told Fox &amp; Friends on Friday morning during an interview in the studio. &#8220;You never know what you&#8217;re going to get in New York, but we got a tremendous applause because they love this country.&#8221;
The Yankees remembered 9/11 during remarks before the game, and the team&#8217;s scoreboard showed an American flag alongside the inscription, “September 11, 2001, We Shall Not Forget.”
Despite the warm welcome for Trump, his security remained intense. Fans were &#8220;strongly urged to arrive as early as possible&#8221; due to the heightened security, and the Secret Service encouraged fans to leave bags at home, according to the Associated Press. Trump watched the game from the Yankees owner&#8217;s family suite behind three panes of bulletproof glass, the Post reported.
Trump attended the game just one day after the assassination of his loyal supporter and influential conservative, Charlie Kirk. On Wednesday night, the Yankees observed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-yankees-honor-charlie-kirk-with-moment-of-silence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moment of silence</a> in honor of Kirk.
Trump spoke to the Yankees in their clubhouse before Thursday night&#8217;s game against the Detroit Tigers, telling them, &#8220;You&#8217;re gonna win,&#8221; The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/11/us-news/trump-cheered-on-at-yankee-stadium-by-fans-accurately-predicts-victory-youre-gonna-win/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter">reported</a>. The president&#8217;s prediction was correct as the Yankees, led by their star slugger Aaron Judge, beat the Tigers 9-3. In his first at-bat in the first inning, Judge launched a home run 413 feet to center field, and the Yankees&#8217; best player wasn&#8217;t finished, smacking another 434-foot home run ball to center field.
Judge&#8217;s incredible performance came after Trump praised him in the clubhouse before the game.
&#8220;You’re a fantastic player. … You’re an unbelievable player,&#8221; Trump told Judge, according to the Post.
Judge said that meeting Trump was “a surreal moment,” the Associated Press reported.
“He came in here, and he told us we were going to win, so I think that gave everybody the confidence in this room to go out there and do it,&#8221; Judge added. &#8220;I guess we’ve got to have him around more often.”
The Yankees also posed for a photo with Trump.
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The Yankees posed for a photo with Donald Trump during his clubhouse visit
(via <a href="https://twitter.com/DanScavino?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanScavino</a>) <a href="https://t.co/dfQKfG7RSt">pic.twitter.com/dfQKfG7RSt</a>
— Talkin&#8217; Yanks (@TalkinYanks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinYanks/status/1966284205459214443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Detroit Tigers v. New York Yankees

Cheers Erupt For Trump At Yankee Stadium On 9/11 Anniversary

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Executive

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New York City

New York Yankees

U.S.

The manhunt for Charlie Kirk&#8217;s assassin continues, as reports indicate the ammunition used was etched with pro-transgender and anti-fascist phrases. The legacy media faces intense backlash for its response to Charlie Kirk&#8217;s murder, with some commentators blaming the victim for his own assassination. On the 24th anniversary of 9/11, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth lays out a new, hard-hitting vision for the U.S. Military.
It’s Friday, September 12, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Manhunt Continues for Charlie Kirk’s Killer</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-971571" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH1.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The nationwide manhunt continues for the assassin who fatally shot Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, as new reports indicate the ammunition used in the attack was etched with pro-transgender and anti-fascist slogans.
Authorities have recovered the high-powered, bolt-action rifle allegedly used in the attack from a wooded area near the Utah Valley University campus. A law enforcement bulletin cited by The Wall Street Journal said the ammunition found with the rifle was etched with a number of pro-transgender and anti-fascist phrases. Kirk was an outspoken critic of transgender ideology and was discussing the topic at the moment he was shot.
The FBI has identified a new person of interest &#8212; a slender male in his 20s &#8212; and released two images to the public, offering a $100,000 reward for information on his whereabouts. As the killer remains at large, lawmakers across the country have canceled scheduled events over security fears. Later on Thursday, authorities released video showing the suspected assassin flee the scene, jumping off the building where he&#8217;s believed to have shot Kirk from with a hunting rifle.
<div id="attachment_971557" style="width: 307px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-971557" class="size-large wp-image-971557" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234187310-297x576.jpg" alt="" width="297" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234187310-297x576.jpg 297w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234187310-155x300.jpg 155w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234187310-768x1490.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234187310-792x1536.jpg 792w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234187310-1055x2048.jpg 1055w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234187310-scaled.jpg 1319w" sizes=" (max-width: 297px) 100vw, 297px" />(Photo by FBI Salt Lake City via Getty Images)</div>
President Trump announced that Kirk would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him a &#8220;giant of his generation.&#8221; On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, accompanied the Kirk family as Charlie’s casket was flown back to his home in Phoenix, Arizona, on Air Force 2.
<h2>Legacy Media Faces Backlash for Response to Kirk’s Murder</h2>
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Topline: The legacy media is facing widespread and intense criticism for its coverage of Charlie Kirk&#8217;s assassination, with some commentators implying the conservative activist was to blame for his own death.
Immediately after the fatal shooting, MSNBC contributor Matthew Dowd suggested on-air that Kirk&#8217;s &#8220;hate speech&#8221; often leads to &#8220;hateful actions,&#8221; and even speculated that the shot could have come from &#8220;a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration.&#8221; Following intense backlash, MSNBC issued an apology and fired Dowd. On CBS, host Nate Burleson suggested the assassination was a moment for the Republican Party to reflect on political violence. The New York Times initially smeared Kirk as a &#8220;provocateur&#8221; in its report on his assassination.
Critics are pointing to a long pattern of hostile and false coverage of Kirk by legacy media outlets and activist groups. The far-Left Southern Poverty Law Center recently added Kirk&#8217;s organization, Turning Point USA, to its &#8220;Hate Map&#8221; alongside KKK chapters. On the floor of the U.S. House, about a dozen Democrats erupted in protest when Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) requested a prayer for Kirk after a moment of silence, with one shouting, &#8220;Pass some gun laws!&#8221;
<h2>Hegseth Issues 9/11 Call to Action for U.S. Military</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-971569" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.12.25-SH3.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: On the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered a powerful address laying out the Trump administration&#8217;s hard-hitting vision for the U.S. Military.
&#8220;War is an enduring aspect of the human condition,&#8221; Hegseth said Thursday. &#8220;War must not become a mere tool for global social work, eager to risk American blood and treasure for utopian fever dreams. We should hit hard, wreak vengeance, and return home.”
Retired Marine Corps Major Chris Lovell told Morning Wire that the new mission clarity is having a positive effect on the armed forces. &#8220;We are in such a good place with the military,&#8221; Lovell said, crediting the administration with &#8220;getting rid of the DEI distractions, the woke distractions.&#8221; He said recruitment is now &#8220;fuller than ever&#8221; because the mission is clear.
Lovell reflected on the surge of patriotism following the 9/11 attacks, when nearly 200,000 young Americans enlisted. He said the military&#8217;s new mission under Trump and Hegseth is inspiring a similar sense of purpose. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to be lethal,&#8221; Lovell said. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to defend the interests of the United States of America. And we&#8217;re going to have leaders that support us and have our backs.&#8221;

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Morning Brief: Manhunt For Charlie Kirk’s Killer, Backlash To Media Coverage, 9/11 ‘Call To Action’

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While urging Americans to remember the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, top Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee are urging vigilance over threats facing the country due to “open-border policies” pushed during the Biden administration. 
The lawmakers are calling for a resolute commitment to border security after a massive surge in individuals on the terror watchlist crossing the border under former President Joe Biden. The lawmakers praised the Trump administration for its actions to lock down the border.
“As a lifelong New Yorker, &#8216;Never Forget&#8217; is more than a phrase of remembrance for me; it is a call to action,” committee Chair Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) told The Daily Wire. “Today, as we honor the nearly 3,000 innocent lives taken by al Qaeda terrorists on 9/11, we also reaffirm our commitment to DHS&#8217;s core counterterrorism mission. Our nation still faces heightened and evolving threats more than two decades after 9/11, particularly following four years of open-border policies.”
From the start of fiscal year 2021 to the end of Biden’s presidency, border patrol agents encountered around 400 individuals on the terror watchlist at the border. At least 2 million illegals who were known “gotaways” entered the country in that same period. From 2017-2020, only 14 individuals on the terror watchlist were apprehended at the border, <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/December-24-SS.pdf">according</a> to the committee. 
These threats have come from a variety of countries. It was previously <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2025/06/26/homeland-republicans-applaud-house-passage-of-rep-greenes-special-interest-alien-reporting-act/">reported</a> that Biden released into the country around 50% of the 1,504 Iranian nationals who were stopped at the border during his presidency. Over the summer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-arrests-tajikistan-born-russian-national-foreign-fugitive-suspected-being-member">arrested</a> a Tajikistani national suspected of being a member of al Qaeda. The man crossed the border and was released under Biden. 
Garbarino will be leading a visit of Homeland Security members to Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum on Thursday. He praised the work of federal, state, and local law enforcement to protect American communities. 
&#8220;These brave men and women deserve our continued support as they put their lives on the line every day. Alongside the Trump administration, the House Committee on Homeland Security is working to keep our borders secure for years to come — because border security is national security,&#8221; he said. 
Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger told The Daily Wire that the Biden administration’s “reckless open-border policies” led to “blinking red” danger to our security. 
“While President Trump’s Administration has taken strong, decisive action to identify and deport many of these individuals, an unsettling truth remains, we still don’t know how many terrorists may have slipped through the cracks under President Biden’s watch and are now living among us,” he said.

Former President Biden Speaks at ACRD Conference in Chicago

On 9/11, Republicans Warn About Lingering Danger From Biden’s ‘Open-Border Policies’

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In 2001, I was a young, brand-new private who had joined the Army to provide a better life for his family. I also had hopes of using the military to pay for my education. But when I woke up on the morning of September 11 at Fort Benning, Georgia, I did not immediately realize how my life was about to change.
After breakfast chow, we loaded our belongings onto a truck and then marched over to our basic training unit. We arrived around 0900. My uncles had warned me about the initial “shark attack” by the drill instructors once we arrived. The first week would be the hardest. I was already so nervous I could hardly connect to what was happening. Yes, we did get yelled at when we arrived, but it was not nearly as bad as I had been led to believe.
After we received our bags and platoon assignments, we were escorted to our bays and assigned bunks. Before they left, the drill sergeants asked if anyone had family in Washington, D.C. or New York City. Since none of us really knew each other, the bay was quiet. Then, a few soldiers did leave. One drill sergeant who stayed with us did not smoke us or push us to exhaustion, instead, he just kept saying over and over: “We are going to war.”
At first, I thought it was just infantry motivation, the kind of thing I had heard about from older family members who served. I hadn’t yet connected the dots.
It was not until lunch that the rumors really started to circulate. The soldiers who had been pulled aside earlier were allowed back in, and the “private network” immediately began spreading word: the Pentagon had been attacked, and the World Trade Center had fallen.
My first thought was that they were just trying to mess with us and get us ready for the next 22 weeks of OSUT (One Station Unit Training). But since the drills were not yelling at us like we expected, that thought began to subside.
After lunch we were marched back to the bays. Then, all four drill sergeants left, putting a brand-new soldier PG (Platoon Guide) in charge to keep us busy. A short while later, they rolled in one of those old box TVs and turned on the news. We sat there and watched everything unfold.
That night, they let us call our families. I remember my grandmother being terrified that I might go overseas in a week. We were instructed to reassure our families that we would not be going to war anytime soon. But like me, my family did not yet fully understand military life.
We were a motivated group of over 300 infantry soldiers. Only one soldier failed to graduate due to injury and not a single one went AWOL. At graduation, our drill sergeants told us that was something to be proud of.
Looking back, so much about that first week stuck with me. We were supposed to be bussed to our unit, but the contractor could not bring the buses onto post, so we marched. There were no “shark attacks,” instead the drill sergeants were glued to the news in the day room that morning. The very next day, they had us standing at a gate with “black rubber ducks” (rubber M-16 rifles), staged way behind the real soldiers, Humvees, and Bradleys, as part of a show of force.
The week of September 11, 2001, was the beginning of a journey I could never have imagined. Over the next 22 years of active duty service, I came to believe deeply that Americans are strong and that we live in one of the greatest countries in the world. I have visited the World Trade Center many times, both at the temporary memorial and the new one. I have stood at the Pentagon memorial and a few years ago I saw the 9/11 Boots of the Fallen memorial at the Pentagon before they were removed. Each visit reminded me of how much was lost and how much unity we found in the days that followed.
One of the most troubling truths is that it took something so horrific to bring America together. In the days following the attacks we leaned on each other and stood united. We remembered what it meant to be one people. Today, it often feels like we are further apart than we were before that tragic event. Maybe it is because of technology, or the way people can now speak without consequence, spreading lies and division.
Still, I choose to hold onto hope. Hope that we can find our way back to that same spirit of unity, where truth matters, where respect is given freely, and where we see the best in one another once again. The challenges ahead may be different, but so is our strength when we remember that we are stronger together.
* * *
Eric Arellano enlisted in the U.S. Army as an 11C Indirect Fire Infantryman, but reclassified as a 68P radiography tech after an injury sidelined him. He retired as a Sergeant First Class (E7) in 2023 after serving 22 years. Both of his sons and his son-in-law have also served in the military. Eric lives in Texas with his wife, Victoria.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Ft. Benning (GA) Recruits May Be Training For Iraq

The Morning America Was Attacked, I Became A Soldier

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U.S. Army

Today is September 11. And in our house, we’re going to talk about it.
Not because it’s easy. Not because I like reliving it. But because I don’t want my kids to grow up as part of a generation that doesn’t know what 9/11 was, how it changed America, and what Americans did the very next day. Too many of their peers were not alive when it happened. For them, 9/11 is a date in a history book, not a memory. That cannot be enough.
So, we talk about it. Because if you don’t understand 9/11, you can’t understand 9/12. And 9/12 may be the most important lesson I can pass on to them.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked by Islamic terrorists. Two were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City. One struck the Pentagon. Another, thanks to the courage of everyday Americans on United Flight 93, crashed into a Pennsylvania field before it could hit the U.S. Capitol. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed in just a few hours. They were moms and dads, office workers and firefighters, cops and soldiers, priests and business travelers — ordinary people who never came home.
I was in high school that morning. We watched the towers fall on classroom televisions. We were kids at the start of the day, but by the time the final bell rang, we were something else — patriots.
9/11 called an entire generation to grow up overnight. So many of my peers walked out of those classrooms and into recruiting stations. They became Marines, soldiers, cops, and first responders because the attack demanded it. The service members and veterans we thank today? So many of them answered the call that 9/11 put in their hearts.
But my kids’ generation didn’t live through that change. They don’t remember a time when you could walk straight to the gate at the airport, or enter a football game without passing through metal detectors. They don’t know what it was like to carry a bottle of water or a pocket knife in your bag without having it confiscated. To them, the TSA line is normal. Bag checks are normal. “Clear backpacks only” is normal. They don’t know those small freedoms that were taken from them on that day.
So yes, 9/11 gave us a wave of patriotism, but it also reshaped everyday American life. Both things matter. Both are worth remembering.
But here’s why I really want my kids to know the story: because of what happened the next day.
On September 12, America woke up a different nation. Flags went up on porches and front yards. Blood drives stretched around the block. Churches overflowed. Neighbors checked on neighbors. Members of Congress stood shoulder to shoulder on the Capitol steps and sang “God Bless America.”
On September 12, we remembered what it meant to be one nation, under God, indivisible. We were no longer just individuals living separate lives — we were a people united by grief, courage, and conviction. That unity didn’t erase the loss, but it gave us the strength to carry it.
That’s the America I want my kids to know. Not the horror of 9/11, but the spirit of 9/12. A spirit that says when evil strikes, we don’t crumble — we come together. We sacrifice. We pray. We rebuild.
And this is where I speak not just to my kids, but to every young American who wasn’t alive on that day: don’t miss the lesson of 9/12. A moment where we put country above party, neighbors above politics, faith above fear. Right now, too many young people know hashtags more than history, outrage more than patriotism, division more than devotion. We need to show them what unity looks like — not just in times of tragedy, but in the everyday life of a free people.
That’s why we remember. Forgetting dishonors the dead. Forgetting risks repeating history. Forgetting blinds us to what true courage and unity look like.
The heroes of 9/11 weren’t only those in uniform. They were firefighters who climbed the towers, passengers on Flight 93 who stormed the cockpit, cops who ran toward danger, priests who prayed with the dying, and ordinary citizens who found extraordinary strength. That’s the America my kids need to see. That’s the America worth passing on.
So how do we live like 9/11 still matters? We start at home. We teach our kids that freedom isn’t free, that evil exists and must be confronted, that courage is contagious, and that sacrifice is noble. We live it in our communities — by showing up, by serving, by choosing unity over division. And we live it in faith. After 9/11, churches were full because people knew God was bigger than the rubble, stronger than the fear, and the only true source of peace. That hasn’t changed. Our families still need Him. Our country still needs Him.
Why haven’t we had another 9/11? There are complicated answers — yes, our military and intelligence have grown stronger, yes, we built defenses. But the deeper reason is that the world saw what happens when America is attacked: we wake up, we fight back, and we do not forget. The terrorists wanted to break us. Instead, they revealed our strength. They underestimated the American spirit — the same spirit that stormed Normandy, landed on the moon, and rebuilt after Pearl Harbor.
That’s what I want my kids to understand. That remembering 9/11 isn’t about clinging to grief — it’s about carrying forward courage. It’s about being the kind of American who runs toward the fire, who checks on their neighbor, who raises the flag without shame.
Never forget. Not just the terror of 9/11, but the unity of 9/12. That’s the legacy worth passing on. That’s the America worth teaching to our children.
Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast “We The People.” Follow him on Instagram and X @GatesGarciaFL.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

9/11 Tribute

Why I’m Teaching My Kids About The Spirit Of 9/12

America

Gen Z

Patriotism

The terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, were a wake-up call for America, and I sincerely hope it is not one we as a nation have forgotten. There are still folks out there who hate our freedoms and our way of life.
We are no longer protected by oceans and geographical distance from potential enemies. We must always remember we are a nation at risk and be prepared for the next attack. I do believe in peace through strength.
I was the Assistant Division Commander for the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division on the 11th of September in 2001. I was in the middle of packing to head to the airport when my wife Sarah asked me to turn on the television. Those TV images are still etched in my mind today, even though the event occurred 24 years ago.
<div id="attachment_971107" style="width: 783px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-971107" class="size-large wp-image-971107" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1374462-773x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: (JAPAN OUT) (VIDEO CAPTURE) (Series 1/4) Hijacked United Airlines flight 175 flies towards the south tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 in New York City. The plane is one of four hijacked that morning and is the second plane to be flown into the World Trade Center buildings. (Photo by CNN via Getty Images)" width="773" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1374462-773x576.jpg 773w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1374462-300x224.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1374462-768x572.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1374462.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 773px) 100vw, 773px" />CNN via Getty Images</div>
In the past, I deployed to Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Kosovo. Since the attacks on 9/11 I deployed to Iraq three times in varying capacities. And clearly, I am not alone. All uniformed military have had shared similar experiences. As I reflect back on that time, we went from a nation enjoying peace and prosperity to a nation at war.
In order to maintain our freedoms we need a strong military. We cannot afford to let the Department of Defense become a bill payer for programs not directly tied to our national security. We need to ensure all branches of our military are a ready fighting force — well equipped, well trained, and prepared to rapidly respond to any threat at a moment’s notice.
We also must actively support our nation’s veterans and their families because they sacrificed much to ensure we have the freedoms we enjoy today. Less than 1% of our country’s population serve in uniform at any one time, but we all enjoy the freedoms provided by that select few. Unfortunately, 76% of our population acknowledges that they have no idea what our veterans are going through because they just don’t know any veterans. That is wrong and must be addressed.
I remain concerned about the future of our great nation and want to ensure our kids and grandkids enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy today. As Ronald Reagan reminded us, freedom is only one generation removed from extinction. Let’s use today to reflect on those freedoms and commit to do everything we can to maintain them for generations to come.
* * *
Rick Lynch was privileged to serve 35 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Lieutenant General. During his time in the Army he commanded at all levels, from a platoon of 30 soldiers to a corps of 65,000. His last job in the Army was commanding all U.S. Army installations, with a workforce of 120,000. He now is the President of R. Lynch Enterprises, focused on building concerned, caring, adaptive leaders across our nation. He is the author of &#8220;Adapt or Die,&#8221; &#8220;Work Hard, Pray Hard,&#8221; and &#8220;We&#8217;re Not Robots.&#8221;
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Correction: A previous version stated that the author had deployed to Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Kosovo after 9/11. Those conflicts took place before 9/11. The correction has been made.

World Trade Center Attacked

I Was An Army Commander On 9/11. I’m Still Concerned About America’s Readiness.

I Was An Army Commander On 9/11. I'm Still Concerned About America’s Readiness.

Radical Islamic Terror

U.S. Military

It’s difficult to believe that 24 years have passed since that fateful September morning in 2001 when a group of radical Islamic terrorists slammed planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a rural field in Pennsylvania, murdering 2,977 innocent people.
So much had changed in New York City in the years leading up to that day. The city had been rescued from the throes of an unprecedented period of violent crime and disorder, fueled by a crack epidemic that ran from the early 1980s into the early 1990s. But in the decade leading up to September 11, 2001, the Big Apple had blossomed into the safest big city in the world. Businesses were flourishing. Tourism was booming. There was an atmosphere of safety and law and order in the streets. New York City was once again the mecca of the western world. I saw it happen and it was a beautiful thing to watch.
Under the leadership of Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton the NYPD was transformed from a rudderless, leaderless, reactionary force of report takers with no direction into an organized army of crime fighters who identified and attacked high-crime areas with a zero-tolerance policy, targeting hardcore crooks and putting them behind bars where they belong. I was a proud member of that army. It took a lot of blood sweat and tears to reduce crime to levels no one would have imagined just eight years earlier.
The city was like a shiny, old, classic car. It had a few dents and even a few ugly rust spots but the engine was humming and millions of citizens, tourists and businesses were riding around with the top down enjoying the sweet music and the cool breeze blowing through their hair. And then, on 9/11, when those planes smashed into our city, it felt like a cinderblock crashing through the windshield of that classic car.
I was at home that morning, getting ready for work when the first tower was struck at 8:46 AM. I was a Detective Lieutenant in the NYPD’s Intelligence Division. My first thought was that the plane striking the North Tower was an accident. Then, 17 minutes later, the second plane struck and there was no doubt we were under attack. I grabbed my suit jacket and raced toward the city.
I met up with a few members of my team on the side of the highway. We piled into one car and headed for Manhattan. There was no conversation. We drove in silence, listening to the frenzied traffic on our portable radios and the haunting, gut-wrenching transmissions of our fellow officers already on the scene pleading for help, some coughing and wheezing in the rubble, perhaps taking their last breaths. It was heartbreaking.
<div id="attachment_971053" style="width: 857px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-971053" class="size-large wp-image-971053" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1376061-847x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK CITY - SEPTEMBER 11: (FILE PHOTO) (PUERTO RICO OUT) This is a view from West Broadway Avenue of the downtown Manhattan area of the World Trade Center towers after they were hit by two planes during a terrorist attack September 11, 2001 in New York City. (Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora via Getty Images) ***PUERTO RICO OUT ****" width="847" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1376061-847x576.jpg 847w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1376061-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1376061-768x522.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1376061.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 847px) 100vw, 847px" />Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora via Getty Images</div>
As we approached the Queens Midtown tunnel, we saw the North Tower crumble and disappear from the skyline. It was another cinderblock crashing through the windshield of our classic car. I was seething.
We raced down the FDR drive headed south toward the Trade Center where we came upon a ghostly parade of terrified people covered in grey dust running north in the opposite direction we were headed. One of the guys in the car with me mumbled, “I think we’re going the wrong way.” I turned to him and snapped, “No. We’re going the right way.”
We eventually came to a stop just south of the Brooklyn Bridge because the FDR Drive had become an apocalyptic parking lot jammed with abandoned cars. We set out on foot crossing over from the FDR Drive to the side streets where we flagged down an empty ambulance and asked the driver to take us as close to the Trade Center as possible. We climbed into the back and slammed the door shut. As we moved through the narrow streets of downtown, the small rectangular window in the back of the ambulance only grew darker and then the ambulance stopped. This was as far as the driver could take us.
When we spilled out onto Broadway, it was like landing on another planet. Dust was flying everywhere. There was a 6-inch layer of ash, papers and personal belongings blanketing the streets. There was a ceiling of toxic smoke hovering over downtown like a London fog. The carnage was all around us. But the thing I remember most were the shoes. Maybe because I knew they were once connected to people. I wondered if they had run out of them and escaped or if their owners were crushed and burning in the rubble. As we wandered aimlessly in a pack, toward what was once the North and South towers, it was hard to fathom what we were seeing. In some places there were 10 story sections of buildings leaning up against other buildings. Fire trucks and cars were crushed beneath the smoldering rubble. We came upon a turbine from one of the planes near the corner of Murray and Church Streets. Further down the block was a piece of the landing gear.
As we wound through the streets, we could hear and feel the rumble of explosions beneath our feet. I imagined it was gas tanks of buried cars exploding beneath the fiery rubble until we encountered a pack of dust-covered firemen wandering around like we were. They warned us the explosions were manhole covers being blown up into the air by the pressure and heat of the fires raging below us and urged us to stay on the sidewalks to avoid being killed. So, we heeded their advice, breathing in the dust, trudging through the debris looking for survivors or people in need of help but only the dead beneath the rubble remained.
<div id="attachment_971055" style="width: 841px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-971055" class="size-large wp-image-971055" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1201348346-831x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: The streets of downtown New York are covered in debris after both World Trade Towers collapsed from a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)" width="831" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1201348346-831x576.jpg 831w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1201348346-300x208.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1201348346-768x533.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1201348346.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 831px) 100vw, 831px" />Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images</div>
As the afternoon wore on, and communications began to settle down, we got more organized. We eventually helped set up a makeshift morgue in the lobby of a building a few blocks north of the smoldering Trade Center. I don’t recall how many bodies came in. It wasn’t more than a few. But the one I remember most was Father Mychal Judge, the Chaplain of the New York City Fire Department. Five brave, somber, exhausted firemen carried his limp body into the lobby. They knelt down and prayed over him. It was a very moving. He had been struck by debris in the Lobby of the North Tower when the South Tower had collapsed.
By the afternoon, we were deployed up to Greenwich Street, several blocks north of Building 7 where we helped set up a perimeter to keep unauthorized people out of the area. We had a clear view of the 47-story building 7 and the fire raging halfway up inside. At 5:20 PM the building began to tremble. The windows popped across it like bubble wrap. The mighty building shook one last time and then fell straight down into itself sending a cloud of dust tumbling in our direction. The worst of the cloud dissipated before it could reach us. Watching that building fall was the final gut punch. I was so angry and so sad. It was hard to wrap my head around everything we had seen and heard that day. It still is 24 years later.
Every year, when this tragic anniversary rolls around, we hear the common mantra “Never Forget.” And it is true, we should never forget. But for the other 364 days of the year, many of them, especially those on the left, wake up every day trying to find new ways to divide us.
That’s why I prefer the phrase, “Always Remember.”
Always remember the sense of patriotism and unity we felt in the days, weeks, months and years that followed this tragedy.
Always remember how people from all different walks of life, strangers, came together and rallied around each other in ways I had never seen in my lifetime.
Always remember the caravans of civilians and first responders from all over the country who poured into the city with trucks, saws, and heavy equipment or just their hands and hearts begging to help with the rescue and recovery operations.
But most importantly, always remember the heroes, first responders and civilians alike, many of whom lost their lives, rushing into those buildings to save their fellow human beings, never for a second considering the race, religion, creed or sexual orientation of those they were trying to save.
Hate lost that day. 24 years later, however, it’s making a comeback. But if we just take the time to remember those things that united us, hate doesn’t have a chance.
* * *
John Dove is a retired NYPD Detective Lieutenant and the former co-executive producer of “CSI-NY” starring Gary Sinise.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Septmber 11, 2001

I Was An NYPD Detective On 9/11. This Is What I Saw.

Always Remember: A Former NYPD Officer Reflects On 9/11, 24 Years Later

NYPD

Police

A Democrat running for Senate in Maine will host a fundraiser on September 11 at a Washington, D.C., bar that has allied with Hamas sympathizers.
Graham Platner, a 40-year-old Marine and Army veteran seeking to oust Republican Senator Susan Collins, scheduled a fundraiser at Exiles Bar in D.C. on 9/11. The location is an interesting choice for the anniversary of the deadly attack perpetrated by radical Islamic terrorists.
Exiles, located a little over a mile north of the White House, hosted an event last year with the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP), a group that <a href="https://timep.org/2024/06/27/displacement-is-the-point-contextualizing-israels-decades-of-violence-and-destruction-in-gaza-and-the-west-bank/">claims</a> that Israel started an &#8220;assault on Gaza&#8221; on October 7, 2023 — the day Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and killed around 1,200 people, taking hundreds more hostage.
&#8220;Israel’s most recent actions in Gaza seem to support the notion that the ultimate goal is to displace Palestinians and seize their land,&#8221; the group wrote in a June 2024 article. &#8220;Since October 7, many Israeli politicians and other powerful actors have made their territorial aspirations clear.&#8221;
TIMEP&#8217;s Executive Director, Mai El-Sadany, also recently <a href="https://x.com/maitelsadany/status/1933342241226924299">posted</a> on X that &#8220;Israel is making all of us less safe.&#8221;
During an April 18, 2024, event, Exiles Bar gifted 10% of some of its food and drink sales to TIMEP. The event was <a href="https://www.nenjp.org/calendar/2024/4/18/418-in-person-dc-530-pm-join-the-tahrir-institute-for-middle-east-policy-for-a-mena-social-night-at-exiles-bar-dc-timep">advertised</a> by the New England Network for Justice for Palestine as &#8220;an evening of food, drink, community, and solidarity.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to Exiles Bar, requesting comment on the event with a Hamas-sympathizing group.
Platner has a troubling record on Israel and the Middle East. While the Democrat has <a href="https://x.com/grahamformaine/status/1958275900958785616">accused</a> Israel of committing &#8220;genocide&#8221; in Gaza, there is no public record of him condemning Hamas.
Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, Platner argued in an op-ed that &#8220;one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,&#8221; the Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/democratic-maine-senate-candidate-graham-platner-compared-terrorists-to-freedom-fighters-in-post-9-11-op-ed/">reported</a> earlier this week. The op-ed was published in the Bangor Daily News.
The Daily Wire reached out to Platner&#8217;s campaign, seeking comment on his fundraiser at Exiles Bar and giving him an opportunity to address the 2002 op-ed.
Platner said in a recent <a href="https://zeteo.com/p/meet-the-disillusioned-veteran-who">interview</a> that he joined the Marines out of high school “mostly out of like a young man&#8217;s sense of duty and also a bit of a call to adventure.” He later enrolled at George Washington University, but after seeing that many of his friends were still deployed, he enlisted in the Army and deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011. Platner, however, said he &#8220;did not believe in the thing that I had taken part in.”
Platner launched his 2026 Senate campaign last month with a pledge to focus on universal health care, housing affordability, and ending foreign wars, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/iraq-afghanistan-veteran-launches-democratic-campaign-sen-susan-collin-rcna225703">reported</a>. Platner said that he hopes the Democratic Party will follow in the footsteps of leftists such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

Hamas

Dem Senate Candidate To Host 9/11 Fundraiser At D.C. Bar That Partnered With Terrorist Sympathizers

Democrats

Israel

Maine

Washington D.C.

The pilot who kicked roughly 50 Jewish children and teenagers visiting Spain off a flight from Valencia to Paris trained two of the 9/11 hijackers, including Mohamed Atta, the ringleader of the plot that lead to the deaths of 3,000 Americans.
Vueling Airlines confirmed that Ivan Chirivella was the pilot who removed the Jewish teenagers from a Wednesday flight. The children, who were attending summer camp, were on their way to Paris.
“Many of the children were wearing tzitzit and Star of David symbols, and their singing is said to have been consistent with customs of Jewish youth groups,” Israel National News <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/412246?fbclid=IwY2xjawLwfa5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHrrMqevEMAUzhfP5cMvqcmwtvBKnRhLwvFulCIgxc0KL2giShc5CSBEfNVQp_aem_dif0r6rGjJpUCTIXdNqSVg">reported</a>, adding, “Flight crew reportedly asked the children to stop singing. When they did not comply, local police were called. Officers instructed the group to place their cell phones on the ground to prevent the incident from being recorded.”
“Chirivella has previously made headlines after his realization that he taught Mohamed Atta and Marwan Al-Shehhi to fly at Jones Aviation prior to the attacks of 9/11.  A year before the World Trade Center attacks, Chirivella flew with the two future hijackers nearly every day for several months,” The Jewish Chronicle <a href="https://www.thejc.com/news/world/pilot-who-kicked-over-50-jewish-children-off-plane-reportedly-taught-9-11-terrorists-to-fly-dejiuf1t">reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Actualización &#8211; Comunicado de Vueling en relación con el desembarque por comportamiento conflictivo en el vuelo VY8166 <a href="https://t.co/ksAFHogFeW">pic.twitter.com/ksAFHogFeW</a>
&mdash; Vueling Airlines (@vueling) <a href="https://twitter.com/vueling/status/1948623690989547879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Iván Chirivella, originally from the Canary Islands and a Vueling pilot since 2006, operated the flight,&#8221; the airline shared. &#8220;Throughout his 19-year career with the airline, he has accumulated more than 12,500 flight hours, covering routes connecting to more than 30 countries. In addition to his role as captain, Iván Chirivella—like many pilots—also works as an instructor for aviation professionals at an independent flight school,” the airline posted.
A group leader was reportedly thrown to the ground, handcuffed and taken into custody when she protested the way police had intervened. “She was later released after signing a non-disclosure agreement, according to witnesses,” Israel National News noted.
A mother of one of the children told i24NEWS that flight staff threatened him for singing in Hebrew. &#8220;If you continue, we will call the police,&#8221; she said the staff told him.
The airline issued a statement saying that a “group of teenagers displayed disruptive and confrontational behavior,” adding, “The cabin crew was alerted that the group of teenagers was tampering with passenger safety equipment, posing a high risk to the aircraft, passengers, and crew. These actions included attempts to grab life jackets, tamper with overhead oxygen masks, and remove the high-pressure oxygen cylinder—conduct that potentially poses a serious hazard in the cabin.”
“As with any other incident involving safety, the captain was forced to request the intervention of the Civil Guard. After assessing the situation, the Civil Guard proceeded to disembark the group to safeguard the safety of the remaining passengers,” the airline stated.
But testimony came from at least one of the children that the airline was not telling the truth.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Breaking: One of the French Jewish teenagers thrown off a plane in Spain testifies about what happened and what was said to cause such a reaction. <a href="https://t.co/SfgUORxs6H">pic.twitter.com/SfgUORxs6H</a>
&mdash; Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) <a href="https://twitter.com/HenMazzig/status/1948782115643928719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In addition, a passenger on the flight who was a religious Christian seated in the eighth row said the children behaved politely and there was no reason for concern.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨✈️ EXCLUSIVE TESTIMONY FROM A PASSENGER ON VUELING FLIGHT VY8166 🇪🇸
50 French Jewish teenagers, aged 15, were expelled from a <a href="https://twitter.com/vueling?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vueling</a> flight… because one of them simply said the word “Limot” (meaning “the days” in Hebrew), attempting (unsuccessfully) to start a summer camp… <a href="https://t.co/cFCpI6wODk">pic.twitter.com/cFCpI6wODk</a>
&mdash; SwordOfSalomon (@SwordOfSalomon) <a href="https://twitter.com/SwordOfSalomon/status/1948384151222030596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

London Gatwick Airport

Pilot Of Spanish Plane That Expelled 50 Jewish Children Trained 9/11 Hijackers, Including Ringleader

Airlines

Jews

Spain

On Monday, while touring the Southern Border, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spoke about the potential of the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba (GTMO) housing violent illegal immigrants: “It’s the perfect place to provide for migrants who are traveling out of our country … but also hardened criminals.”
U.S. Marines were flown in to erect temporary tent facilities while discussions are currently ongoing with U.S. contractors to convert the base to be able to process and detain up to 30,000 illegals. Then, on Tuesday, the Trump administration deported the first batch of illegal immigrants from America to Guantanamo Bay.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The first flight of high-threat criminal illegals aliens has arrived at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. These criminals trampled over our previously wide open border to bring violence and mayhem to our communities. President Trump has taken swift action to expel them… <a href="https://t.co/Kml8WX3kIK">pic.twitter.com/Kml8WX3kIK</a>
&mdash; Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1887470604690882681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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This action is but the latest use of the controversial Caribbean military installation. Modern Americans know it as the austere home for middle eastern terrorists post September 11, 2001, but its history dates back to the turn of the previous century.
In 1898, in support of the island’s drive for independence, the U.S. invaded Cuba during our war with Spain. In 1901, the victorious Americans nominally recognized Cuban independence, although the U.S. still had a say in internal Cuban affairs; this agreement was formalized in the 1903 Treaty of Cuban-American Relations and then again in 1934. In return for our assistance and recognition, the U.S. extracted a permanent lease for Guantanamo Bay, and the naval base was subsequently constructed.
Guantanamo encompasses some 45 square miles of land and water, and is manned by 8,500 sailors and Marines. The bay is strategically located on Cuba’s southeastern coast. With a substantial harbor as well as two airfields, it offers our military an excellent staging area from which to patrol Caribbean waters as well as closely monitor activities in South America. GTMO also serves as an ideal winter training ground for the Atlantic Fleet. It is, in fact, the oldest overseas permanent U.S. military base.
When the communists under Fidel Castro came into power in 1959, Havana declared the base illegal and demanded that it be closed, the land returned to Cuba, and U.S. forces leave the island. These calls continue to be ignored to this day.
<div id="attachment_872737" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-872737" class="size-large wp-image-872737" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2162696407-864x576.jpg" alt="GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA - JUNE 25: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been reviewed by the U.S. Military prior to transmission.) The welcome sign at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay on June 25, 2023 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. At the prison within Naval Station Guantanamo Bay where media members are no longer allowed, 30 men still remain imprisoned while five separate war crime prosecutions involving some of the detainees proceed within Guantanamo's war court none have yet reached a trial date. (Photo by Elise Swain/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2162696407-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2162696407-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2162696407-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2162696407.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Elise Swain/Getty Images</div>
GTMO took on special significance after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. U.S. operations against Islamic extremist fighters in Afghanistan and elsewhere yielded prisoners and intelligence assets who needed a place to be imprisoned and interrogated. As the Bush administration declared that GTMO as a military base on foreign soil was outside the realm of usual jurisprudence, and that those captured on the battlefield were enemy combatants for whom Constitutional protections are inapplicable, GTMO was used as a de facto POW camp. The first detainees arrived in January 2002.
At first, the Bush administration kept the detentions a secret. Eventually, however, a FOIA request filed by the Associated Press compelled the Department of Defense to admit that it was holding, at its height, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/guantanamo-bay-detainees.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">780 prisoners</a> on the base. Among them were the most fanatical and dangerous individuals scooped up in the so-called “War On Terror” including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, widely regarded as the chief architect of the 9/11 attacks. As of January 2025, 15 prisoners remain in custody.
Given the nebulous nature of what rights prisoners at Guantanamo Bay do and do not have, the facility remains the subject of controversy. Civil libertarians declare the facility a violation of human rights, in which “enhanced interrogation” (some call “torture”) is carried out to extract intelligence. Defenders of the base and its methods offer that, as those in custody were picked up on the battlefield, yet are part of no nation or national armed force, they are nothing more than terrorists for whom Geneva Convention protocols do not apply.
But in the landmark case Boumediene v. Bush, in 2008 the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, declared that detainees did have the right to habeas corpus and other due process claims, underscoring tension between the government and civil libertarians. In writing for the majority, Justice Kennedy <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/washington/12cnd-gitmo.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>: “To hold that the political branches may switch the Constitution on or off at will would lead to a regime in which they, not this Court, say &#8216;what the law is&#8217;.” 
In that vein, Democrat Presidents Obama and Biden have over the years vowed to close the detention facilities as they considered them violations of international law and civil liberties. Indeed, Obama went so far as to call it a “sad chapter in American history” during the 2008 Presidential campaign. And yet, tellingly, once in office, he allowed the prison to continue albeit with occasional temporary restrictions for review purposes. One gets the feeling that, once he was actually in the Oval Office and the books were opened to him, Obama may have had his own cathartic Richard Pryor moment, wherein the comedian famously <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txp8B4ek_kk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">observed</a> how his naiveté was shattered when filming a movie set in an actual state penitentiary. “I talked to the brothers. I talked to ‘em, and thank God we got penitentiaries!”
No matter where on the spectrum one rests regarding GTMO’s necessity versus civil liberties, at the moment Guantanamo remains the only answer to what to do with the especially bad hombres once they are caught in our nets — be they in the Hindu Kush or the streets of El Paso. Like Mr. Pryor, whose eyes were opened when he saw the true nature of the men he once considered victims of an oppressive state, one must think that, its darker corners aside, Guantanamo is a necessary conditional solution when fighting evil incarnate. And it must also be considered for its deterrence aspect. One must now imagine any gangbanger wishing to cross illegally into the U.S. now, with the new sheriff in town, may cast his teardrop-tatted eyes towards GTMO and ask if that is really where he wishes to spend the rest of his days.
As with much of the whirlwind first few weeks of the Trump Presidency, there is a method to the madness. Eventually, 30,000 undesirables with no business moving within our borders will be off our streets and tossed into a prison that has seen some of the worst enemies of not just the U.S. Government but the American people pass through its barbed-wire gates.
A powerful message will be sent to those who seek to violate our national sovereignty that a prison cell in one of America’s most notorious prisons awaits should they test the resolve of this new President and those like SecDef Hegseth and others whom he has hand-picked to run this nation with him.
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Brad Schaeffer is a commodities fund manager, author, and columnist whose articles have appeared on the pages of The Daily Wire, The Wall Street Journal, NY Post, NY Daily News, National Review, The Hill, The Federalist, Zerohedge, and other outlets. He is the author of three <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07MQJBJSD?ccs_id=55112527-86f6-4c89-b82e-a96d6869abed" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07MQJBJSD?ccs_id%3D55112527-86f6-4c89-b82e-a96d6869abed&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1736518135479000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3K_WhJtiUZw7LF1PwSIHtH">books</a>. Follow him on <a href="https://bradschaeffer.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bradschaeffer.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1736518135479000&amp;usg=AOvVaw02hy-lB4UuAlHo7FfD_FIQ">Substack</a> and <a href="https://x.com/bschaeffer123" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://x.com/bschaeffer123&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1736518135479000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0P6pRoAqcBhUQ1W0qwN5rH">X/Twitter</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Why Guantanamo Bay Is ‘The Perfect Place’ For Violent Illegals

Why Guantanamo Bay Is 'The Perfect Place' For Violent Illegals

Cuba

Deportations

Guantanamo Bay

illegal immigrants

Pete Hegseth

President Trump

On Wednesday, GOP Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) reintroduced the Justice for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/9-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9/11</a> Act, originally introduced by Cotton and McConnell last August, to cancel any plea deals made between the Biden administration and the Guantanamo Bay inmates who planned the 9/11/2001 attacks. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) is introducing companion legislation in the House.
Three detainees at Guantanamo Bay, including alleged 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, had filed plea deals. Last week, a military appeals court ruled that the Pentagon could not reverse the deals reached by military prosecutors and defense attorneys.
The Act <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/11_plea_deal_bill_reintro.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a>:
<blockquote>
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 949h of title 10, United States Code, any plea agreement entered into by Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, or Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi for actions involving the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and its related judgment, shall not preclude the trial of such individual under chapter 47A of such title or any other provision of law for that terrorist attack. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, or Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi under chapter 47A of title 10, United States Code, or any other provision of law for the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, a sentence of death shall be available. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of any sentence imposed on Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, or Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, such individual shall be held at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in solitary confinement; provided no contact with foreign nationals; and provided no psychological treatment except that specifically authorized by medical authorities at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay; and shall not be transferred to the continental United States or any other country. 
</blockquote>
“Giving a plea deal to the terrorist masterminds behind 9/11 is disgraceful and an insult to the victims of the attacks, as well at those who served to avenge them,” Cotton <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-mcconnell-lawler-reintroduce-bill-to-stop-joe-biden-from-releasing-9/11-terrorists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>. “These monsters should have faced justice decades ago; instead, Joe Biden has set the stage to let them go free. My bill will stop this travesty and prevent the Biden administration from replenishing the ranks of our terrorist enemies any further on his way out the door.”
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“In the wake of terrorist savagery, our obligation is to deliver justice,” McConnell echoed. “However long it takes, those responsible for September 11 deserve nothing more, and the families of their victims deserve nothing less.”
“The court’s decision to uphold the plea deal for three 9/11 conspirators is alarming,” Moran added. “In addition to the plea deal, the Biden administration continues to use its final days in power to release some of the world&#8217;s most violent terrorists from Guantanamo Bay. These men should face trial for their crimes, and Congress must act quickly to pass this important legislation.”
“September 11th is a date that will forever be seared in our national memory, especially for New Yorkers,” Lawler stated. “For the Biden-Harris Administration to have offered a plea deal without the death penalty to the very people who planned the attacks that took the lives of almost 3,000 is a betrayal of our cops, firefighters, and 9/11 victims and their families. The Justice for 9/11 Act will nullify this horrendous plea deal and prevent any future ones from being offered to those who perpetrated this heinous attack.”
“A hearing is scheduled for later this week at Guantanomo Bay, where Mohammad and two other defendants could plead guilty in separate hearings, with the death penalty removed as a possible punishment,” Fox News <a href="//FE2DFBB2-BFEC-43AE-BAEC-9AFFDA6DD542/v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>, adding, “The administration announced on Monday 11 Yemeni detainees, including two alleged bodyguards for Usama bin Laden, would be resettled in Oman, after being held for two decades without charges.”

US-ATTACKS-WORLD TRADE-SMOKE

Cotton, McConnell Push Act To Bar Biden From Giving Convicted 9/11 Terrorists Plea Deals

Courts

Mitch McConnell

Plea deal

Tom Cotton

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