Attention! Yo, Napolitano, McCain, and other Americans

Those responsible for the 9/11 hijackings did NOT enter the U.S. through Canada.

Seriously.

They didn't.

Read your own government's report about the 9/11 attacks, available for download from this archived site. Unfortunately, the report does not include an index. However, in pages about 200 to about 300, you can read multiple reports of pilot trainees and the muscle hijackers merrily to-ing and fro-ing into and around the U.S. on student and other visas.

They entered the U.S. more than once at Newark, San Diego, New York, Miami and Orlando, and at Dulles Airport in Virginia. And Czar Napolitano, take note in this report of the extensive flight training they received in Tucson--your back yard. Nowhere near Canada.

And may I just also point out that even if the 9/11 terrorists had visited Canada--which THEY DID NOT--Canada does not catapault people across the border into the U.S. Nobody, not normal folks nor terrorists. That is to say, U.S. immigration officials would have had the opportunity to prevent their entry into the U.S., just as they had the opportunity when the terrorists arrived at U.S. airports.

After all, that's what happened in 1999. A single terrorist, Ahmen Ressam, was caught crossing from British Columbia to Washington State with bomb-making materials in the trunk of his car, reaportedly heading toward LAX to create mayhem. He crossed by ferry and his was the last car off, which gave officials plenty of time to note how nervous he seemed. So U.S. officials did a thorough inspection and found the materials and took him into custody.

Scary? You bet. Worrisome? Oh yeah. Do immigration officials need to be more vigilant and share information better? Sure. But do you know why Ressam was a lone terrorist? Because, according to the 9/11 report (page 81), his colleagues COULD NOT RECEIVE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS TO ENTER CANADA.

Huh. So the 9/11 terrorists got into the U.S. easily. The confederates of the 1999 sole THWARTED terrorist could NOT get into Canada easily.

And still, somehow, high-ranking officials in the U.S.--on both sides of the aisle, I might point out--continue to imagine that Canada must be responsible for the 9/11 terrorists. It's a jaw-dropper.

Senator McCain, you could have been president. Turns out you were unqualified to lead the U.S. even before you chose Sarah Palin as your possible backup. Seriously, you were running on a platform of making America more safe?

Czar Napolitano, how are you qualified to hold your position? I have said before that the Border Czar position and anything related to NAFTA really are all about Mexico, not Canada. I was serious, sorta. But now I'm just appalled.

Holy smokes, people. This kind of ignorance, this high up in leadership circles, has GOT to stop.

And I thought Billy Bob Thornton was embarrassing. Turns out "ignorant and proud of it" is more embarrassing than "immature and celebrated for it." Wish I hadn't had to find THAT out.