This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Ten years ago America suffered the greatest enemy attack on our soil in our nation's history. Just as Dec. 7, 1941, became a "date which will live in infamy," so too Sept. 11, 2001, will remain for Americans a day of remembrance and resolve.
On that day, terrorists committed to destroying the liberty and equality that are hallmarks of our democracy murdered nearly 3,000 people — including three Utahns.
To his credit, President George W. Bush understood the nature of this enemy, and the importance of vanquishing it.
On Dec. 11, 2001, only three months after the attacks, he explained that "[o]ur enemies have made the mistake that America's enemies always make. They saw liberty and thought they saw weakness."
They underestimated America's resolve. From the moment of the attacks, Americans demonstrated the virtues of courageous citizenship — charging into burning buildings at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and fighting back above the skies of Shanksville, Pa. That resolve continues today as we pursue those who did us harm, and target those plotting to attack us again.
America has learned much in the last 10 years about the enemy that we face, and our national security response has evolved accordingly.
Over a year after the attack, Congress created an independent bipartisan commission to investigate and report on exactly what occurred that day and what might have prevented the 9/11 attacks.
The commission's report found that the failure to anticipate these attacks was due to a lack of imagination and a failure of our intelligence agencies to work together to connect the dots and prevent this attack.
We reformed our intelligence agencies and developed greater knowledge of the groups and individuals that seek to do us harm.
We updated our nation's intelligence operations. One of the most significant deficiencies highlighted by the 9/11 Commission was a lack of communication and coordination between our country's numerous security agencies. In response, Congress worked to make the intelligence community work more effectively, providing it with the resources it needed to monitor and pursue terrorist threats.
What had been a loosely connected and inflexible string of local, national and international individuals and organizations became more adaptable and more focused on one goal — preventing future terrorist attacks.
It was this collaboration between our intelligence community and our military that led to the capture or killing of hundreds of hardened terrorists, including Osama bin Laden.
And perhaps most importantly, we stopped treating terrorist organizations like common criminal enterprises, and instead began treating them as foreign enemies seeking to make war on the United States. Sept. 11 demonstrated that our response to terrorism could not be solely a law enforcement response.
Despite the significant steps taken over the last 10 years, we must not underestimate the intentions of al-Qaida and more importantly, its imitators, who — while significantly weakened — remain as committed as ever to launching mass terrorist attacks on civilian populations.
Furthermore, while significant intelligence community reform has taken place, it's not enough. Barriers continue to exist between domestic law enforcement and our intelligence agencies that must be torn down.
Lastly, and most importantly, we cannot fall victim to complacency, because that puts American lives at risk.
In the last 10 years, Americans were reminded that as a nation built on liberty, equality and the rule of law, we shine brightest during our darkest hours.
No doubt, the horrific attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, scarred our country. But I am confident that as citizens we have emerged stronger, and even more fully committed to our democratic ideals.
Orrin Hatch is the senior U.S. senator from the state of Utah.