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purchased flight deck videos for the Boeing 767 Model 300ER and the Airbus A320 Model
200 from the Ohio Pilot Store 。。。 In or about June 2001； in Norman； Oklahoma； Zacarias
Moussaoui made inquiries
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about starting a cropdusting company 。 。 。 On or about August 16； 2001； Zacarias
Moussaoui； possessed； among other things： two knives； a pair of binoculars； flight
manuals for the Boeing 747 Model 400； a flight simulator computer program； fighting
gloves and shin guards； a piece of paper referring to a handheld Global Positioning
System receiver and a camcorder； software that could be used to review pilot
procedures for the Boeing 747 Model 400； letters indicating that Moussaoui is a
marketing consultant inthe United States for Infocus Tech； a computer disk containing
information related to the aerial application of pesticides； and a hand…held aviation
radio。〃
A devout Mormon； who grew up in Latin America where his father was a UPI correspondent；
David Neeleman； by contrast； is one of those classic American entrepreneurs and a
man of enormous integrity。 He never went to college； but he has started two successful
airlines； Morris Air and JetBlue； and played an important role in shaping a third；
Southwest。 He is the godfather of ticketless air travel； now known as e…ticketing。
〃I am a total optimist。 I think my father is an optimist；〃 he said to me； trying to
explain where his innovative genes came from。 〃I grew up in a very happy home 。 。 。
JetBlue was created in my own mind before it was created on paper。〃 Using his
optimistic imagination and his ability also to quickly adopt all the latest technology
because he had no legacy system to worry about； Neeleman started a highly profitable
airline； creating jobs； low…cost travel； a unique onboard； satellite…supported
entertainment system； and one of the most people…friendly places to work you can
imagine。 He also started a catastrophe relief fund in his company to help employee
families who are faced with a sudden death or catastrophic illness of a loved one。
Neeleman donates 1 of his salary for every 1 any employee puts in the fund。 〃I think
it is important that people give a little；〃 said Neeleman。 〃I believe that there are
irrevocable laws of heaven that when you serve others you get this little buzz。〃 In
2003； Neeleman； already a wealthy man from his JetBlue stock； donated about 120；000
of his 200；000 salary to the JetBlue employee catastrophe fund。
In the waiting room outside his New York City office； there is a color photo of a
JetBlue Airbus flying over the World Trade Center。 Neeleman
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was in his office on 9/11 and watched the Twin Towers burn； while his own JetBlue
airliners were circling JFK in a holding pattern。 When I explained to him the
comparison/contrast I was going to make between him and bin Laden； he was both
uncomfortable and curious。 As I closed up my computer and prepared to leave following
our interview； he said he had one question for me： 〃Do you think Osama actually
believes there is a God up there who is happy with what he is doing？〃
I told him I just didn't know。 What I do know is this： There are two ways to flatten
the world。 One is to use your imagination to bring everyone up to the same level；
and the other is to use your imagination to bring everyone down to the same level。
David Neeleman used his optimistic imagination and the easily available technologies
of the flat world to lift people up。 He launched a surprising and successful new
airline； some profits of which he turns over to a catastrophe relief fund for his
employees。 Osama bin Laden and his disciples used their twisted imagination； and many
of the same tools； to launch a surprise attack； which brought two enormous symbols
of American power down to their level。 Worse； they raised their money and created
this massive human catastrophe under the guise of religion。
〃From the primordial swamps of globalization have emerged two genetic variants；〃
observed Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani…one is al…Qaeda and the other are companies like
Infosys or JetBlue。 〃Our focus therefore has to be how we can encourage more of the
good mutations and keep out the bad。〃
I could not agree more。 Indeed； that effort may be the most important thing we learn
to do in order to keep this planet in one piece。
I have no doubt that advances in technology…from iris scans to X…ray machines…will
help us to identify； expose； and capture those who are trying to use the easily
available tools of the flat world to destroy it。 But in the end； technology alone
cannot keep us safe。 We really do have to find ways to affect the imagination of those
who would use the tools of collaboration to destroy the world that has invented those
tools。 But how does one go about nurturing a more hopeful； life…affirming； and
tolerant
imagination in others？ Everyone has to ask himself or herself this question。 I ask
it as an American。 I stress this last point because I think itstarts first and foremost
by America setting an example。 Those of us who are fortunate to live in free and
progressive societies have to set an example。 We have to be the best global citizens
we can be。 We cannot retreat from the world。 We have to make sure that we get the
best of our own imaginations…and never let our imaginations get the best of us。
It is always hard to know when we have crossed the line between justified safety
measures and letting our imaginations get the best of us and thereby paralyzing
ourselves with precautions。 Iargued right after 9/11 thatthe reason our intelligence
did not pick up the 9/11 plotters was 〃a failure of imagination。〃 We just did not
have enough people within our intelligence community with a sick enough imagination
to match that of bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed。 We do need some people like
that within our intelligence services。 But we all don't need to go down that route。
We all don't need to become so gripped by imagining the worst in everyone around us
that we shrink into ourselves。
In 2003； my older daughter； Orly； was in her high school's symphonic orchestra。 They
spent all year practicing to take part in the national high school orchestra
competition in New Orleans that March。 When March rolled around； it appeared that
we were heading for war in Iraq； so the Montgomery County School Board canceled all
out…of…town trips by school groups…including the orchestra's attendance at New
Orleans… fearing an outbreak of terrorism。 I thought this was absolutely nuts。 Even
the evil imagination of 9/11 has its limits。 At some point you do have to ask yourself
whether Osama bin Laden and Ayman al…Zawahiri were really sitting around a cave in
Afghanistan； with Ayman saying to Osama； 〃Say； Osama； d'you remember that annual high
school orchestra competition in New Orleans？ Well； it's coming up again next week。
Let's really make a splash and go after it。〃
No； I don't think so。 Let's leave the cave dwelling to bin Laden。 We have to be the
masters of our imaginations； not the prisoners。 I had a friend in Beirut who used
to joke that every time she flew on an airplane she packed a bomb in her suitcase；
because the odds of two people car
rying a bomb on the same plane were so much higher。 Do whatever it takes； but get
out the door。
Apropos of that； let me share the 9/11 story that touched me most from the New York
Times series 〃Portraits of Grief；〃 the little biographies of those who were killed。
It was the story of Candace Lee Williams； the twenty…year…old business student at
Northeastern University； who had worked from January to June of 2001 as a work…study
intern at the Merrill Lynch office on the fourteenth floor of 1 World Trade Center。
Both Candace's mother and colleagues described her to The New York Times as a young
woman full of energy and ambition； who loved her internship。 Indeed； Candace's
colleagues at Merrill Lynch liked her so much they took her to dinner on her last
day of work； sent her home in a limousine； and later wrote Northeastern to say； 〃Send
us five more like Candace。〃 A few weeks after finishing midterm exams…she was on a
June…December academic schedule…Candace Lee Williams decided to meet her roommate
at her home in California。 Candace had recently made the dean's list。 〃They'd rented
a convertible preparing for the occasion； and Candace wanted her picture taken with
that Hollywood sign；〃 her mother； Sherri； told the Times。
Unfortunately； Candace took the American Airlines Flight 11 that departed from
Boston's Logan Airport on the morning of September 11； 2001； at 8：02 a。m。 The plane
was hijacked at 8：14 a。m。 by five men； including Mohammed Atta； who was in seat 8D。
With Atta at the controls； the Boeing 767…223ER was diverted to Manhattan and slammed
Candace Lee Williams right back into the very same World Trade Center tower…between
floors 94 and 98…where she had worked as an intern。
Airline records show that she was seated next to an eighty…year…old grandmother…two
people at opposites ends of life： one full of memories； one full of dreams。
What does this story say to me？ It says this：