My life before Congress was still dedicated to public service, but it looked far different. For 23 years, I wasn’t in a suit and tie — I was targeting cells in Asia, war criminals in Bosnia, and radical terrorist groups in the Middle East as a commander with SEAL Team Six. On Sept. 11, 2001, I was leading Navy SEAL/BUDS training, selecting and perfecting the warriors who would go on to fight in the Global War on Terrorism and root out terrorists from the darkest corners of the globe. I...

[Want even more content from FPM? Sign up for FPM+ to unlock exclusive series, virtual town-halls with our authors, and more—now for just $3.99/month. Click here to sign up.] “I am studying airplanes!” Abd al Salam al Hilah told Osama bin Laden’s top Italian operative in the summer of 2000. “We are focusing on the air alone… It will leave them stunned… Remember, the danger at the airports. If it comes off, it will be reported in all the world’s papers.” Al-Hilah has now boarded another plane that takes him...