The turning point !

The tenth anniversary of 9/11 has passed without incident.    The carnage promised by the terrorists didn't eventuate and perhaps one event that occurred on that day was the turning point where ordinary people became the front line in stopping terrorism in it's tracks !

Over decades the hijacking of passenger planes had become a common event.   Airlines and National governments implored passengers not to resist.  In the vast majority of cases the passengers emerged unhurt at some distant location and the matter was resolved either by someone getting released from a prison or an amount of money changing hands.

Flight 93 on that day was different.   The hijackers failed to confiscate mobile phones and their captives used them to learn of the suicide attacks on the twin towers and the Pentagon.   Ordinary, resigned people turned into freedom fighters - and as a result the careful plan to crash the plane into either the Capitol building or the White House failed.    The fact that all aboard died when flight 93 crashed in the open countryside was the turning point where ordinary men and women went to war to defeat terrorism.

The terrorists have since had victories.   The transport bombings in Madrid and London - and the nightclub bombings in Bali, but a huge number of attempts have failed, and many of these failures have been because ordinary people are alert - and ready to risk their own lives to intervene.

The other factor of change is in the attitude of Muslim people.    When 9/11 occurred the west was angry because the Muslim majority remained silent.   Their leaders failed to condemn the attacks and many thought Islam was complicit with terrorism.

In all probability most Muslims were confused.   They were assailed by bin Laden's propaganda from firebrand clerics - and it took them time to sort their own thoughts and come to a conclusion.
Terrorism now has two problems.   Ordinary Muslim people have made up their minds and terrorists have to fear their vigilance joining that of ordinary western citizens in reporting suspicious events.

No doubt the terrorists will continue to kill and main in the cities of the world, but such achievements will become harder to secretly plan and carry out, and a major event such as 9/11 is now way beyond their reach.

And all that started when the passengers on Flight 93 decided to get out of their seats - and at the cost of their own lives - fight to thwart a terrorist plan !