Ambassador Robertson's remarks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ceremony to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks

September 11, 2006, Ljubljana

September 11, 2001, exactly five years ago.  It was a clear cool morning on the East Coast of the United States.  None of us knew what was coming.  At 8:46, the first plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.  Then, at 9:03, a second one hit the South Tower.  Just a half hour later, at 9:38, in Washington, DC, a third plane plunged into the Pentagon. 

We all remember where we were that day when we first heard the news.  I was at the White House, beginning my second week of work at the National Security Council.  We quickly evacuated.  Who knows whether we, too, would have been targets had the fourth plane heading for Washington not been brought down by its heroic passengers?

That day nineteen terrorists killed more than three thousand innocent people from over 90 countries.  Almost every country represented here today lost citizens that morning.  Fortunately, our host country, Slovenia, was not one of them.  And I hope that Slovenia continues to have that sad distinction.

9/11 is not the only date we must remember.  There is October 12, 2002.  More than 400 innocent people killed and injured in the Bali bombing.  March 11, 2004, exactly 1 ½ years to the day after 9/11, the Madrid train bombings, with over 2000 innocent people killed and wounded.  July 7, 2005, the London bombings with over 800 innocent people killed and wounded.  July 23, 2005, almost 90 innocent people killed in Sharm al-Sheikh.  And of course there were thousands more innocent victims of terrorism before 9/11.  As an American ambassador, I cannot forget the hundreds of innocent people who died on August 7, 1998 when our embassies were bombed in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam.

Innocent people, women, children, men, old and young. 

We can discuss at great length the complexities of our war with terrorism, and what we must do to bring the scourge of terrorism to an end.  But let us be clear:  it is not Islam that kills innocents, but barbarism.  It is not courage that kills innocents, but cowardice.  And it is not love, unless it is a love of death, but an abominable hatred of others that kills innocents, a hatred stronger than the love for one’s own kind, for one’s own children.  For the sake of all our children, and their future, it must be stopped.

But for today, let us remember the innocent victims, the men, women and children, and pledge ourselves to do all we can to stop terrorism.  For the sake of our children.

Thank you.