Every moment of that day is burned indelibly into our memories, I can remember every detail, the sites, the sounds, the  smells, it’s still feels like it all happened just yesterday.

Where were you when the world stopped turning?

What’s up with Arizona politicians?

Arizona Sen. John McCain made the dubious claim Friday that Sept. 11 hijackers entered the United States through Canada — just days after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona, said the same thing.

Napolitano retracted her claim on Thursday after Canadian officials chided her for the remark, calling it an unfortunate misconception. Napolitano admitted Thursday that she made a mistake — since the 9/11 Commission concluded that the hijackers entered the U.S. from overseas.

But when asked about the gaffe on FOX News Friday, McCain said: “Well, some of the 9/11 hijackers did come through Canada, as you know.”

This drew an instant retort from the Canadian embassy, which re-issued Canadian Ambassador Michael Wilson’s public comments from Tuesday, in which he said:

“Unfortunately, misconceptions arise on something as fundamental as where the 9/11 terrorists came from. As the 9/11 Commission reported in July 2004, all of the 9/11 terrorists arrived in the U.S. from outside North America. They flew to major U.S. airports. They entered the U.S. with documents issued to them by the U.S. government. No 9/11 terrorists came from Canada.”

Idiot, Senator you might want to review the 9-11 commission report… The 9/11 hijackers DID NOT enter this country through Canada. They entered the country directly from overseas with documents issued by the U.S. Government.

Got it? Good.

A diplomatic skirmish has broken out over suggestions by Janet Napolitano, the U. S. homeland security secretary, that terrorists have routinely entered the United States through Canada, including the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Napolitano’s remarks in a CBC interview earlier this week angered Canadian parliamentarians, who were in Washington on Tuesday to participate in a border conference attended by both the homeland security secretary and Ambassador Michael Wilson.

As the keynote speaker at the Border Trade Alliance meeting, Wilson said he was “frustrated” that the 9-11 myth has resurfaced once again, eight years after the terrorist attacks.

“Unfortunately, misconceptions arise on something as fundamental as where the 9-11 terrorists came from,” Wilson said.

“As the 9-11 commission reported in 2004, all of the 9-11 terrorists arrived in the United States from outside North America. They flew to major U. S. airports. They entered the U. S. with documents issued by the United States government and no 9-11 terrorists came from Canada.”

But Wilson later added that Napolitano’s handlers had reassured the Canadian Embassy that she simply misunderstood a question posed to her during the interview.

“Her comment from her people is that she misunderstood,” Wilson told a throng of Canadian media who descended upon the conference to hear what he had to say about the controversy.

“We’ve been in touch with her office a few times this morning and there’s no question in my mind she does not believe any terrorists came from Canada into the United States.”

Wilson also said he planned to sit down with Napolitano soon to discuss the issue face-to-face.

Can someone please explain to me how someone this incompetent got a job this important?

To our friends and allies in Canada, I’m Sorry. We’re all not as ill-informed as Sec. Napolitano we know the 9/11 hijackers entered this country directly from overseas not through Canada. We know that it was lax policing at our overseas consulates that opened the door to to them… and that is was poor interior enforcement in this country that enabled their stay.

Related

• Interview with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano – CBC
• U.S. security boss clarifies comments about border – CTV
• The border for dummies – The National Post
• Janet Napolitano screws up again – Michelle Malkin

It’s funny I used to think that the Twin Towers were some sort of cruel architectural joke played on the Manhattan skyline but now I miss them every bit as much as the friends and colleagues I lost that day.