It was intended to end at 10. The only really relevent event was showing how Clinton's lack of response in Somalia led directly to Ben Laden deciding that America was a Paper Tiger and could be attacked with impunity.
That's quite an omission. I still think it was an excellent docudrama, however. Thanks for the info on the time. I was all confused; DirecTV said it was on until 11:00 and Yahoo said it wasn't on at all. I refuse to take the local paper since the dog became housetrained.
About the movie, it didn't really say anything we didn't already know. What it did was focus our attention back to a few things.
The Islamic terrorists are the enemy. They are savage. They are brutal. They want us dead. The movie didn't dance around the fact that they are Islamic. Even the music emphasized that.
It reminded us--or at least it reminded me--that not all Muslims want to kill us. There are some who are willing to risks their lives to protect their families and stop the terrorists.
I often forget that other Muslims are victims too. Terrorists don't just hate us; they hate everything that's not them--Jews, Christians, Kurds, Hindus, Pakistanis, Germans, Americans, Brits, Russians--and they even hate themselves.
Another thing the movie pointed out was that when it all boils down, the government can't protect us. We have to protect ourselves. By government, I'm talking about those political yoyos in Washington who pontificate from their high horses.
The heroes leading up to 9/11, as highlighted in the movie, were average Joe Americans, doing their jobs and trusting their guts.
The border guard who smelled something fishy and stopped the Seattle attack.
The immigrant customs agent who knew the terrorist hated America and sensed he was up to something. He defied the system and refused the guy entry, even though he would have to face the heat.
The guy who kept the VIN number he found at the first Trade Center bombing. He broke the rules to save some key evidence.
On 9/11 itself, we saw the best of America. The system failed. The heroes were individuals who when caught in the face of the unthinkable, listened to their guts and did the right thing.
If we learn anything, I hopes it's this--That yoyos in high places don't have a clue about the real world. You need to hire good people, train them well, and trust their judgment. Oversight and review, of course! But never ever make someone afraid to use common sense and do the right thing.