Berberanews.com:- U.S. President Barack Obama (Pic: Reuters)
On this 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we remember that 9/11 was not only an attack on the United States, it was an attack on the world and on the humanity and hopes that we share.
We remember that among the nearly 3,000 innocent people lost that day were hundreds of citizens from more than 90 nations, including 67 from the United Kingdom.
They were men and women, young and old, of many races and faiths. On this solemn anniversary we join with their families and nations in honouring their memory.
And we in the United States will never forget how the people of Britain stood with us in solidarity in candlelight vigils and among the seas of flowers placed at our embassy in London.
We are touched that the UK will honour the victims again today – including by breaking with protocol and flying the Union Flag at half-mast at its embassy and consulates in the United States.
In the weeks after 9/11, we acted as an international community. As part of a broad coalition, the US and the UK drove Al Qaeda from its training camps in Afghanistan, toppled the Taliban and gave the Afghan people a chance to live free from terror. However, the years that followed were difficult and the spirit of global partnership frayed.
As President, I’ve worked to renew the global cooperation we need to meet the full breadth of global challenges that we face. Through a new era of engagement, we’ve forged partnerships with nations and peoples based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
As an international community, we have shown terrorists are no match for the strength and resilience of our citizens. I’ve made it clear that the US is not and never will be at war with Islam. Rather, with allies and partners like the UK, we are united against Al Qaeda, which has attacked dozens of countries and killed tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children – the vast majority of them Muslims.
This week, we remember all the victims of Al Qaeda – including those killed in London on July 7, 2005 – and the courage and resilience with which their families and fellow citizens have persevered, from the Middle East to Europe, from Africa to Asia.
Working together, we have eliminated Osama Bin Laden and much of his leadership and put Al Qaeda on the path to defeat.
Meanwhile, people across the Middle East and North Africa are showing that the surest path to justice and dignity is the moral force of non-violence, not mindless terrorism. It is clear that violent extremists are being left behind and that the future belongs to those who want to build, not destroy.
All nations and people seeking a future of peace and prosperity have a partner in the United States. For even as we confront economic challenges at home, the US will continue to play a unique leadership role in the world.
As we remove the rest of our troops from Iraq and transfer responsibility in Afghanistan, we will support Iraqis and Afghans in their efforts to deliver security and opportunity for their people. In the Arab world and beyond, we will stand up for the dignity and universal rights of all human beings.
Around the world, we will continue the hard work of pursuing peace, promoting the development that lifts people from poverty, and advancing the food security, health and good governance that unleashes the potential of citizens and societies.
At the same time, we have recommitted ourselves to living our values at home. As a nation of immigrants, the US welcomes people from every country and culture.
These newest Americans, like all the innocent victims we lost 10 years ago, remind us that despite any differences of race or ethnicity, background or belief, we are all bound together by a common hope that we can make the world a better place for this and future generations. That must be the legacy of those we have lost.
Those who attacked us on 9/11 wanted to drive a wedge between the US and the world. They failed.
On this 10th anniversary, we are united with our friends in the UK and elsewhere remembering all those we have lost in this struggle.
In their memory, we reaffirm the spirit of partnership and mutual respect that we need to realise a world where all people live in dignity, freedom and peace.
SOurce: Sudany Mirror
