On this day

September 11th has become our generation's "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?" Everyone remembers where they were when the planes hit New York City, Washington DC and southern Pennsylvania.

My new friends and I were coming back from the AUC campus to the dorms via the shuttle bus. The day was typically hot for Cairo in late summer and our lips were still stained with fresh pomegranate juice. This was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon Cairo-time, so the pictures of the smoking towers were broadcasting for approximately 30 minutes. The students who were watching the news in the TV lounge were talking rapidly at us as we climbed off the bus. I can still recall the looks on people's faces as disbelief faded into sickening realization.

Well, there's a lot to be said about this day and the ensuing madness. Issues such as security, civil liberties, Muslims, oil and terrorism are debated in every shade of the political spectrum. There's really no point to bring up my point of view here; it can be found elsewhere.

There are, however, a few things I would like to say. First, I would like to know why my suitcase is so interesting to US airport security. It is absolutely ravaged every time I travel to or from the US. If the security-powers-that-be think I am a threat because I have Arabic stamps in my passport and CVS cosmetics in my baggage, I wish they'd use a little bit more of the tax payer's money to update my files. The nice folks from NSA, CIA or Homeland Security or whoever the hell is handling my case could simply ask me, "Are you planning to endanger the lives of others?" Then I could simply answer "No" and then I'd be declared no longer a threat and then they could stop harassing the poor textiles in my suitcase.

The second thing that disturbs me about this mess (and there's a lot, mind you) is the recent Senate report which reveals there was no connection between Al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein. (NPR, MSNBC) Based on this report, the US has proudly fucked up another country to get a bad guy, but we didn't get the bad guy. The person or persons responsible for the strikes on NYC, DC and PA is/are still at large.

Nice going, Dubbya. I feel secure now.