Homeland Security
In this edition
by LOU ZICKAR
With the Taliban once again in control of Afghanistan and America marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, The Ripon Forum examines “The Lessons of 9/11” and what has been learned — and not learned — from that tragic and fateful day.
A MEETING TO REMEMBER
by LOU ZICKAR
On September 11, 2001, 10 members of the U.S. House of Representatives joined Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for breakfast at the Pentagon. This is their story.
We Cannot Create a Safe Haven For Terrorists
by JIM INHOFE
President Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan allows, and even accelerates, the nation returning to the conditions that permitted the 9/11 terrorist attack to happen in the first place.
We Cannot Be Complacent in the Face of New Threats
by MICHAEL T. MCCAUL
Twenty years after the horrific attacks of September 11th, we are once again facing an Afghanistan that will serve as a refuge and training ground for terrorists.
We Cannot Change the Past, but We Must Learn From It
by JONI ERNST
The American people know that what happens over half a world away can have a direct impact on their safety. It happened on 9/11, and it can happen again.
We Must Always Honor Our Commitments to Our Allies and Friends
by ANN WAGNER
President Biden’s ill-advised, disorganized, and dishonorable flight from Afghanistan makes America less safe, and raises questions about our resolve and credibility around the world.
We Need to Be Unified Against All Threats, Both Foreign and Domestic
by MICHAEL CHERTOFF
America came together in the weeks and months following 9/11, and we need to do the same in the face of continuing threats overseas and increasing threats here at home.
From Unity After 9/11 to the Threat of Homegrown Terror Today
by JAVED ALI
The terrorist threat in America has evolved in a way that seemed unimaginable 20 years ago.
Preparing for the Next Biological Threat
by ANDY WEBER & NICOLE A. TERAN
Despite the threat, funding for some of our key biodefense initiatives overseas atrophied.
Ripon Profile of August Pfluger
The first-term Congressman from Texas’s 11th District discusses his service in the military, his new career on Capitol Hill, and how the attacks of September 11, 2001 affected both.
