Divided world remembers 9/11 attacks

Adjust font size:

NEW YORK -- A divided world remembered the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on Monday, with allies in the war on terror renewing their resolve to fight fanaticism, but with militants pledging continued resistance.

U.S. President George W. Bush joined thousands gathering across America Sunday in tearful tributes, prayers and quiet reflection.

In New York, the president and first lady Laura Bush placed wreaths in pools of water where the World Trade Center's twin towers stood before two commercial airliners toppled them five years ago.

Other memorials were held in Washington, where another hijacked passenger plane slammed into the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a fourth jet crashed into a field. (Watch Bush, first lady honor those who died -- 1:59)

An estimated 2,973 people were killed in the attacks.

The death toll from the twin towers was estimated at 2,749, including the 87 passengers aboard American Airlines Flight 11 and the 60 on United Airlines Flight 175. Among the dead were 60 police officers and 343 firefighters who responded to the scene.

Al Qaeda statement

A lengthy video statement from Ayman al-Zawahiri, issued Sunday, calls on Muslims to step up their resistance to the United States and warns that "new events" are on the way.

"Your leaders are hiding from you the true extent of the disaster," the fugitive deputy to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden says in the video, which appeared on Islamist Web sites late Sunday.

"And the days are pregnant and giving birth to new events, with Allah's permission and guidance." (Full story)

Europe's top human rights watchdog on criticized global methods of fighting terrorism on Monday, saying the world had not been made any safer by interrogating suspects outside the framework of international law.

"I have no doubt that interrogating suspects using 'alternative procedures' in secret locations beyond the law -- an official U.S. government policy as of this week -- will not make Americans safer in the long run," said Rene van der Linden, chairman of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi warned that terrorism remains as big a threat as ever, while Australia's leader promised that the values of liberty and religious freedom would in the end emerge victorious.

Hardline lawmakers in Pakistan blamed the five-year U.S. counterattack for "destroying peace in the entire world."

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said the security crackdown that followed the September 11 attacks had failed to make the world safer, and that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq had created a new haven for attackers.

China issued no official statement on the anniversary. But government-linked scholars said the Iraq invasion has been a painful and ultimately unsuccessful diversion, while American foreign policies continue to alienate many in the Muslim world.

Moment of silence

Ceremonies scheduled to take place Monday in the U.S. include a moment of silence at ground zero at 8:46 a.m. (1246 GMT), the moment Flight 11 slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

About 200 people will then read the names of the victims, stopping only for the moments of silence at 9:03 a.m. (1303 GMT), when the South Tower was hit; 9:59 a.m. (1359 GMT), when the South Tower fell; and then at 10:29 (1529 GMT) a.m., when the North Tower collapsed.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney are expected to attend a morning ceremony at the Pentagon, where the U.S. President Bush and Mrs. Bush will a wreath.

Cheney told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that the United States has "stayed actively and aggressively involved in the hunt for (al Qaeda leader Osama) bin Laden from the very beginning," despite media reports that the task force assigned to find him has been disbanded and reports that the trail has gone cold.

"He continues to be a top priority today. That hasn't changed," Cheney said. "The president and I get periodic reports on our efforts in that regard. There's been no lessening of our interest or of our activity with that." (Watch why the White House says the nation is safer --1:22)

Now 49, the Saudi exile founded al Qaeda in 1988 as an association of Islamic militants who had battled the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

Bin Laden and his associates have released numerous videotapes since September 11, 2001, praising and encouraging attacks on Western interests and lamenting the loss of its leaders, many of whom have been killed or captured by U.S.-led troops.

A videotape aired Thursday by Al-Jazeera showed what was described as a meeting between bin Laden and Ramzi Binalshibh, a key plotter in the September 11 attacks, making preparations for the suicide hijackings.

Tools:
Save |
Print |
E-mail |
Most Popular |

Next story in U.S.

U.S.

What are E-mail Alerts? | Manage Alerts | Create Your Own

'Why are they treating us like animals? We are humans'

International envoy Kofi Annan arrived in Syria on Monday, even though rebel leaders say Annan's peace plan is already "dead" following a gruesome massacre ...