Remember 9/11 with vigilance

With Sept. 11 approaching, it’s important for Americans to remember the terrorist attacks on that fateful day with somber reverence for the nearly 3,000 lives that were lost.

But it’s also important for Americans to realize that this hallowed date means something entirely different to other people around the world. To many Islamic extremists, particularly those in the Middle East, it is regarded as a day of victory against the Great Satan.

Last year, the anniversary was marked in Libya with an all-out attack on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, resulting in the death of a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. 

Since then, the incident has come to be regarded by many Americans as a scandal, first because of the shameful lack of security that was provided at the Benghazi compound, and secondly, because of the Obama administration’s orchestrated efforts to brush over the attack as a spontaneous demonstration over an obscure YouTube video that mocked the Islamic prophet. That charade was protracted in the weeks leading up to the presidential election.

With that attack in mind, there is no excuse for the U.S. not to be vigilant about protecting Americans in the future, particularly on Sept. 11. This year, the Middle East is a cauldron of potential for violence, largely because of U.S. threats to launch a punitive air strike against Syria because chemical weapons were recently used against civilians in that country, which is torn by civil war.

Those threats, in turn, have led to pledges of retaliation against the United States and its allies in the region, including Israel.

Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that a communication from Iran to militants in Iraq was intercepted, ordering an attack on the U.S. Embassy and other interests in Baghdad in the event of a strike on Syria.

The Journal also reported that Marines were being readied to assist in efforts to protect or evacuate diplomatic compounds in the region if necessary as tensions continue to mount. This coming week, the U.S. government needs to be doing everything in its power to protect Americans at home and abroad.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.