Biden, US leaders honor 9/11 victims on 21st anniversary [Video]

• President Joe Biden and other political leaders paid tribute to the 9/11 victims on the tragedy’s 21st anniversary.
• Biden urged Americans to continue their commitment to democracy and unity.
• Vice President Kamala Harris attended a memorial service at the site of the former World Trade Center, while first lady Jill Biden visited the memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

As Sunday marked the 21st anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack in the nation’s history, President Joe Biden and other political leaders paid tribute to the 9/11 victims.

The somber event started with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon and a reading of the names of all those killed in the attack on Sept. 11, 2001.

The president remarked that 9/11 may have changed the nation in countless ways, but it did not damage the American people’s character. He stated, “There’s nothing this nation cannot accomplish when we stand together.”

Biden added that the tragedy evoked “a true sense of national unity.” He urged Americans to commemorate the anniversary by renewing their commitment to democracy. He said, “It’s not enough to stand up for democracy once a year or every now and then. It’s something we have to do every single day.”

The attacks launched a global “war on terror” and significant changes in foreign policy and security.

The anniversary also comes a little more than a year after Biden ended the long and costly war launched in Afghanistan in response to the terror attacks. While the withdrawal of U.S. troops brought about other issues, Biden touted the administration’s efforts to continue its pursuit of those responsible for the 9/11 attacks even after Osama bin Laden’s death. Last month, the U.S. conducted a clandestine operation that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Al-Qaeda leader who helped plot the attacks.

Biden administration officials, lawmakers, and citizens attended memorial ceremonies and participated in moments of silence across the country.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband attended an annual memorial service at the site of the former World Trade Center, the two towers toppled by hijacked planes. First lady Jill Biden attended the event at the memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Another hijacked plane heading toward Washington, D.C., had plunged into the area after a fight erupted between passengers and their captors.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that 9/11 “changed the course of our history forever” and “tried to smash” American values. But “the American spirit they tried to break only grew stronger,” he declared. “Today, let us recommit once more: Never again.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland ensured Americans that federal law enforcement remains ever vigilant. He stated, “As we remember, we also rededicate ourselves to protecting the American people, and to doing so in a manner that is consistent with our values and with the rule of law.”

Source: USA Today