In a regrettable blunder, the United States Secret Service inadvertently paid tribute to the 19 terrorists responsible for the 9/11 attacks in a now-removed post on X.
The post, intended to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the horrific event, erroneously included the terrorists in the victim count. This misstep was swiftly rectified by the agency, which issued an apology and a corrected post.
According to The Post Millennial, the Secret Service's initial post read, "The flag hanging in our headquarters is a solemn reminder of 9/11 and our mission's purpose. A testament to freedom and sacrifice, it honors all 2,996 lives lost, including our own Master Special Officer Craig T. Miller & Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Friend." The figure of 2,996, however, erroneously included the 19 hijackers, inflating the actual number of victims, which stands at 2,977. These victims were tragically lost in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the plane crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
In a subsequent post on X, the Secret Service clarified, "This is a correction of an earlier version of this post. In the original post, we erroneously included the total number of deceased from the Sept 11 attacks, which included the hijackers. Our intent was to only honor the victims of that tragic day and we deeply apologize for the error."
This incident comes on the heels of the Biden-Harris administration's reversal of a contentious plea deal for the terrorists implicated in the September 11 attacks, who are currently detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This reversal was prompted by widespread public backlash, underscoring the enduring sensitivity surrounding the 9/11 tragedy and the importance of accurate and respectful remembrance.
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