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US marks first 9/11 commemoration out of the shadow of Afghan war
For the first time, the US commemorated the tragic day and events out of the shadow of the longest war in its history it had launched 20 years ago to hunt down the perpetrators of the attack - Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda - in Afghanistan.
The United States marked the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with the same solemnity as every year, starting with the bell ringing at 8.46am at the memorial in Lower Manhattan in New York, the time the first plane hit North Tower of the World Trade Center.
At 9.03am attendees stood again to observe a moment of silence when the South Tower was hit with a hijacked jet. At 9.37am, the attendees observed a moment of silence when the Pentagon was hit with a jet leading to the death of 184 people onboard and on the ground, and again at 10.03am when another hijacked jet with passengers crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. At 9.59am, the moment of silence was observed again when the South Tower fell and at 10.28 am when the North Tower started falling.
A moment of silence was observed to mark each of these tragedies.
For the first time though, the US commemorated the tragic day and events out of the shadow of the longest war in its history it had launched 20 years ago to hunt down the perpetrators of the attack - Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda - in Afghanistan.
US President Joe Biden, who ended the war last month amidst both criticism and applause, and First Lady Jill Biden were joined at the New York memorial service by former president Bill Clinton and ex-secretary of state Hillary Clinton and former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama.
The American president released a video message on Friday calling for “national unity”. Joe Biden said: “In the days that followed September 11, 2001, we saw heroism everywhere. We also saw something all too rare: national unity. Unity is what makes us who we are, America at its best. To me, that’s the central lesson of September 11th.”
Former president George W Bush, who was president at the time and who launched the Afghanistan war, and his wife Laura Bush attended the event in Pennsylvania, the site where Flight 93 had crashed as its passengers tried to wrest control of the plane from the terrorists, who, it is widely believed, had planned to slam it into either the US Capitol or the White House in Washington DC. Bush joined vice-president Kamala Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff.
“On this 20th anniversary, on this solemn day of remembrance, we must challenge ourselves to, yes, look back. For the sake of our children. For the sake of their children,” said Kamala Harris at the Shanksville event, adding, “And for that reason, we must also look forward. We must also look towards the future.”
Former president George W Bush spoke movingly of the united America he had led out of the 9/11 tragedy compared to the bitterly divided country now. “In the weeks and months following the 911 attacks I was proud to lead an amazing, resilient united people. When it comes to the unity of America, those days seem different from our own,” he said, adding, “Malign forces seem at work in our common life, which turn every disagreement into an argument. And, every argument into a clash of cultures.”
George W Bush did not name anyone, but there was a clear pointer in his speech was to the politics of former president Donald Trump, who was not at any of the three commemoration sites. But, he used the solemn occasion to hit out at his successor. In a video message, he slammed the “inept administration” of President Joe Biden over the way the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan happened. “The leader of our country was made to look like a fool and that can never be allowed to happen,”Donald Trump said.
The other former president, Barack Obama, recalled the courage and selflessness displayed by passengers of Flight 93 and first-responders. “Over the last 20 years, we’ve seen the same courage and selflessness on display again and again. We saw it a decade ago when, after years of persistence, our military brought justice to Osama bin Laden.
“And we’re seeing it today - in the doctors and nurses, bone tired, doing what they can to save lives; the service members, some of whom weren’t even born 20 years ago, putting themselves at risk to save Americans and help refugees find a better life; the first responders battling roaring fires and rising waters to bring families to safety. They represent what is best in America, and what can and should bring us together.”
