President Joe Biden, on the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks orchestrated by Al-Qaeda, delivered a heartfelt plea for national unity among Americans, transcending the current political divisions. Solemn ceremonies took place in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, where the hijacked planes had struck, with bells ringing and the names of the nearly 3,000 victims being read aloud.
During his address at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska, upon returning from a trip to India and Vietnam, President Biden implored, “Let’s honor September 11 by renewing our faith in one another. We must never lose our sense of national unity, so let that be the common cause of our time.” Against the backdrop of a massive American flag, he emphasized that terrorism, whether driven by political or ideological motives, stands in stark contrast to the nation’s core values.
President Biden’s speech comes at a time when the United States faces increasing polarization, especially as he gears up for a potential election rematch next year against Republican former President Donald Trump. Trump has faced multiple indictments, including attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, with the memory of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack by his supporters still fresh in the public’s consciousness.
In New York, Vice President Kamala Harris, along with current and former mayors, joined the families of 9/11 victims at the memorial site of the World Trade Center twin towers, which were brought down by hijacked planes. Family members and young relatives, who were not alive at the time of the attack, read aloud the names of the more than 2,600 individuals who perished.
At the Pentagon in Washington, where a third aircraft was crashed by the attackers into the US military headquarters, a sailor rang a ship’s bell for each of the 184 lives lost. In western Pennsylvania, where a fourth hijacked plane was forced to crash, bells tolled for each of the 40 passengers and crew members who died.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, at the Pentagon ceremony, acknowledged the enduring pain of remembering this tragic day year after year.
He stated, “September 11 made America a nation at war, and hundreds of thousands stepped up to serve our country in uniform. I know that it aches to remember this milestone year after year… The men and women of the Department of Defense will always remember.”
Throughout New York City, in Congress, and elsewhere, a moment of silence was observed to commemorate the attack, which was masterminded by Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden was eventually located and killed by US Navy Seals nearly a decade later in a raid on his hideout in Pakistan.
In his address, President Biden also noted that he had authorized an airstrike in Afghanistan the previous year, sending Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s successor, to the “gates of hell.”
He concluded by emphasizing, “The soul of America is the fortitude we found in the fear of that terrible September day. The terrorists believed they could bring us to our knees, bend our will, break our resolve. But they were wrong, they were dead wrong.”
