Thomas Mott Osborne: “In 1983, the United States embassy in Beirut was bombed. Sixty-three were killed; 120 were wounded. In 1983, the U.S.…”

“In 1983, the United States embassy in Beirut was bombed. Sixty-three were killed; 120 were wounded. In 1983, the U.S. Marine barracks were bombed in Beirut. Three hundred troops, nearly all United States troops, were killed. In 1988, Pan Am 103 was bombed; 259 were killed. In 1993, the World Trade Center was bombed. Six killed, 1,000 injured. In 1996, the Khobar Towers was bombed. Nineteen U.S. soldiers killed, 240 injured. In 1998, the U.S. embassy in Kenya was bombed; 361 were killed, 5,000 injured. And in 2000, the USS Cole was bombed in Yemen. Seventeen sailors were killed and 39 were injured. In those seven attacks, more than 1,000 people were killed. This was double our losses in Afghanistan and Iraq at the present time which total roughly 435. Yet during those seven attacks and after those seven attacks, there was very little response from the United States. As a result of those attacks, we withdrew from Lebanon in 1983 and from Somalia in 1993. I believe that this conveyed a very clear message to those who believe in terrorism. The message was this, that when attacked consistently over time, the United States will back down, will lose its will, and, of course, these attacks then led up to 9/11. Following the loss of more than 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001, we finally took a stand. The overwhelming majority of us in this body gave the President the authority to move aggressively against terrorism.”