We all know about Reagan's role in channeling money, intelligence, and weapons to the Taliban and al_Qaeda via the "Landlord Liberation Front" in Afghanistan--although that crime against peace actually began under Carter, and BEFORE Soviet troops entered the country. And bin Laden said the twin towers attack was in part a symbolic revenge for Israel's destruction of two residential apartments during its Reagan-backed war against Lebanon. But I think Reagan may share responsibility for creating the conditions that made 9/11 possible for another reason:
In 1981, Reagan fired more than 11,000 veteran members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Union, for seeking measures that would improve air traffic safety--after winning their endorsement in the 1980 election by saying their demands were justified. These professionals, who had experience in the 1970s when airplane hijackings were frequent, were replaced by a new cadre of people lacking that experience, and with a three-year training program it would take years to replace the institutional knowledge of the vast majority of air traffic controllers. , especially because the hours were getting longer and the wages were getting lower.
And they were working under nonunion conditions where they were more likely to be exhausted, sick, overworked, and demoralized. Perhaps these conditions cost a few precious minutes that could have saved thousands of lives?
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