US commemorates 12 years since September 11 attacks
US PRESIDENT Barack Obama observed a moment of silence and laid a wreath yesterday on the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attacks — events that still weigh heavily on the US and over his tenure as commander-in-chief.
The attacks, in which hijacked aircraft were flown into New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington, triggered a global fight against al-Qaeda extremists and their affiliates that continues to this day.
“Let us have the strength to face the threats that endure, different though they may be from 12 years ago, so that as long as there are those who would strike our citizens, we will stand vigilant and defend our nation,” Mr Obama said after laying a wreath at the September 11 memorial at the Pentagon. “Let us have the wisdom to know that, while force is at times necessary, force alone cannot build the world we seek,” he said.
Before going to the Pentagon, the president observed a moment of silence on the South Lawn of the White House. With first lady Michelle Obama, VicePresident Joe Biden and his wife Jill by his side, he stood still for a moment at 8:46am, the moment the first aircraft hit the World Trade Center.
Just 12 hours earlier, Mr Obama had delivered a televised address to a warweary nation about the possible need for military action against Syria if diplomatic initiatives fail get Syrian leader Bashar alAssad to give up his chemical weapons.
At the Pentagon, the American president acknowledged the decade of conflict that has followed the September 11 attacks. He paid tribute to the four Americans, including the US ambassador, who were killed in an Islamist militant attack on a US diplomatic compound in Beng- hazi, Libya, on September 11 last year.
“We pray for all those who’ve stepped forward in those years of war, diplomats who serve in dangerous posts,” he said.