As the United States reaches the 20th commemoration of the September 11th attacks, the Olympics of 2001 in the United States have returned to the forefront of the collective American remembrance.
Former Navy SEAL credited with killing Bin Laden provided perspective on the state of America right now and what may be the nation’s greatest threat.
During an interview with Fox News, Robert O’Neill, a former member of the elite SEAL Team Six, warned that despite the resurgence of Islamic terrorism, the country’s greatest vulnerability is due to divisions within the nation.
“My biggest concern is the division in this country,” O’Neill said. “Most people are good to each other. But the anger and the division get the ratings, and that’s what people hear. Many people know if they keep people divided, they can stay in power, and it’s wrong. We can disagree with each other but we’re on the same team when it all comes down to.”
O’Neill’s comments come at a time when the nation is mainly divided between the Republicans and Democrats and after months of civil unrest over the death of George Floyd and other African Americans in police training. Within this context, he feels that the tragedy of 9/11 must serve as a reminder of the values that unite Americans.
“There were people running out of the towers to live, and there were policemen and firemen running up to die. And we have those people there and it’s very, very important to realize that,” O’Neill said. “Those are the good guys and they’re out there. When the demons come, someone’s going to be there to defend you, and America should realize that.”
O’Neill was deployed with the SEALs twice following the 2001 attacks but was in Kosovo for a peacekeeping mission during the terrorist airstrikes. He has often related the experience to others, relating how when he and his colleagues saw the television of the attacks, they knew it was something more sinister than a problem with the plane.
“We were looking at it, at the North Tower, and guys were saying, ‘You know, a small plane? That’s a huge building, that’s a really big hole and that’s a clear day. This is weird.’ And we were all talking about it with some other SEALS and some intelligence people. And then the second plane hit the south tower and that’s when we all knew immediately – this is an attack.”
O’Neill also warned of the United States’ potential vulnerability to similar attacks in the future. He urged everyone to recognize the primary threat, as terrorists don’t care about race or ethnicity when pursuing their agenda. He said that it’s more important than ever for Americans to find shared values and common ground.
“One of my friends, Dakota Meyer, always says, ‘I don’t want another 9/11 but I’ll take another 9/12 because it united all of us,’” O’Neill said. “And not just Americans, but our way of life, because I think it was 84 countries lost people in the twin towers. People do need to realize that, you know, as opposed to yelling at each other on social media. There’s an enemy out there that wants to kill all of us. And it doesn’t matter, really doesn’t matter, what you look like – it’s your ideology. You don’t believe what they think you should believe and they’re going to kill you.”
The 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks is a time to remember the tragedy of the occasion and to reunite around shared patriotism and values in the face of a divided nation.