Terry Everett, September 4, 2006

Next Monday marks the fifth anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks against our homeland that resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans. These nightmarish events transformed the landscape of America’s greatest city and shook the nation to its foundation. It also launched America’s major offensive in the global war against terrorism – a battle with many fronts. Yet, five years out many still do not realize that America has been targeted by terrorists for nearly 30 years.

As the smoke was rising from the ruins of the World Trade Centers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, it was clear that America could no longer live in denial in the face of foreign terrorist threats. Years of warnings had largely gone unheeded and the nation and its innocent civilian population were now paying the price for that oversight. The radical terrorist enemy has for decades fixed our country in its sites and will not cease unless we confront it head-on.

As a people, we tend to be forgetful, but the terrorists are not. They have been steadily increasing the scope and size of their attacks against us since the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979. It was not long after the release of the 52 American embassy personnel held captive by radical Iranian students, that Arab terrorists struck us again. In 1982, Hezbollah, the same Shiite terror group that recently provoked the current battle with Israel in Lebanon, kidnapped thirty U.S. and other hostages. From that time onward, the terrorists have turned to more deadly tactics.

On April 18, 1983, Islamic Jihad terrorists blew up the U.S. embassy in Beirut killing 17 Americans. On October 23 of that same year, Shiite terrorists detonated a truck bomb at the U.S. military barracks in Beirut, taking the lives of 241 marines. They did not stop there. In December, Shiite terrorists struck the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City, killing five. The next year another bomb exploded outside the U.S. embassy annex in Beirut killing 24, among them, two U.S. military personnel.

Soon after, a series of terrorist incidents erupted involving the hijacking of planes, including the June 14, 1985 taking of TWA flight 847 by Hezbollah in which they killed a U.S. Navy diver. In October, the Italian cruise liner Achille Lauro was attacked by terrorists and an American tourist was killed. The next year saw terrorists exploding a bomb aboard TWA fight 840 killing four Americans.

In 1988, Pan-Am flight 103 exploded over Scotland killing 259 on the plane and 11 on the ground. Then, in February 1993, Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists exploded a bomb in the garage of the World Trade Center killing six and injuring over 1,000. In June of 1996, Iranian-backed terrorists detonated a truck bomb outside of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia killing 19 American military. In August 1998, terrorists exploded truck bombs outside the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killing 225 and injuring 4,500. In October of 2000, Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists struck the USS Cole in Yemen killing 17 sailors.

Then there were the 9/11 attacks which finally launched America’s global war on terrorism. The efforts thus far to take the battle to the terrorists and also increase vigilance here at home have resulted in no successful terror attacks in our country since 9/11. However, it is clear that the terrorists have attempted to attacks us since then and they continue to plot.

America’s global terrorist enemy would love nothing better than to see us lower our guard and retreat from our front-line positions, including in Iraq. History has shown us they are patient and persistent. We can never prevail against terrorists by turning away. We must fight to win.

Congressman Terry Everett, a Republican, represents Alabama's Second Congressional District, which includes the state capitol, Montgomery.