Ten years ago, I watched the bombing of Afghanistan begin from my hotel room in Bellagio, Italy. I’d just gotten back from eating dinner. I was stunned that it was actually starting and mesmerized by the images I was seeing on CNN International.
Back then the world was still supporting us as we’d just experienced a horrific terrorist attack.
The international community was joining in with a UN authorization to go after al Queda. The world wanted Osama bin Laden brought to justice.
We were years away from news about Guantanamo Bay, torturing our prisoners, eliminating the Great Writ of Habeaus Corpus and warrantless wiretapping of American citizens. The lies for invading Iraq were just a grand idea amongst the Bushies to finish Saddam Hussein. The NY Times and the Washington Post and CNN hadn’t yet collaborated with the Bush Administration to lie us into war. Nobody knew who Valerie Plame was.
I was in Italy because I’d arranged my trip in late August. While I couldn’t get refunds for most of my hotels, that was just an excuse. I really wanted to see Italy and not even Osama bin Laden was going to stop me. I told my Mom I was going to pretend to be German if I saw any terrorists.
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