Ceremony Commemorating the Sixth Anniversary of 9/11
Remarks by Ambassador Warren W. Tichenor
at the United States Mission in Geneva

September 11, 2007

 

Good afternoon,

Friends, colleagues, honored guests.

It is written that to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heavens. 

Today, it is our time and our purpose to remember and renew.

To remember our loved ones and lives lost with this day of prayer and to renew our resolve to prevail over radicals and extremists to secure a future of peace and freedom for all of mankind.

Today marks the sixth anniversary of September 11, 2001, a day of unspeakable sadness a day very much like this one under a blue sky which will forever be emblazoned in the minds of every American and of free people around the world.

2,992 innocent civilians died in the terrorist attacks of that day, at the World Trade Center, in a field in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon in Washington.  The innocent victims of 9/11came from 90 nations, including Switzerland, and they held many faiths. We are here today to honor their memory.

I would like to express my personal gratitude, and the gratitude of the U.S. Mission community here in Geneva, to the men and women who provide us with protection on a daily basis.  I am honored to stand with our Marine Security Guard Detachment, with our local security guards, and with the Swiss Government, and to thank you all for your dedication, professionalism, and hard work.  Thank you for your service, and thank you for what you are doing for the United States of America.

The sixth anniversary of 9/11 is also a reminder of the continuing shared challenge we face as an international community.

We are all confronting terrorism because terrorism affects us all; terrorism knows no boundaries.  It has brought tragedy and terrible grief to innocent people both at home and across the world, from Indonesia to Morocco, Canada to Spain, from Jordan to England, India to Egypt, from Russia and Turkey to the Philippines, Lebanon and Tanzania, and of course in Iraq, Israel and across the greater Middle East.

Terrorists have shown no mercy for human life regardless of race, national origin or religion.

This anniversary is an appropriate occasion for the international community to reaffirm our condemnation of all acts of terror.  For no faith condones the intentional killing of innocent civilians, and no cause or grievance – no matter how legitimate – can ever justify it.

The fight against terrorism is a fight for values and principles that are universal.  For there is truly much more that unites us as citizens of the world than divides us.  All major religions teach that life is precious, and that taking innocent life, including your own, is wrong. 

As President Bush has said: “We will defeat the terrorists and their hateful ideology by spreading the hope of freedom across the world.”

But the war on terror is a different kind of war, involving both a battle of arms and a battle of ideas.

America is engaged in a great ideological struggle.  Not only are we fighting terrorists on the battlefield, but we are also promoting the precious gifts of human freedom, dignity and hope as alternatives to the terrorists’ dark vision of oppression, hate and totalitarian rule.

The United States is working with our friends and allies to defeat violent extremism as a threat to free and open societies, and to create a global environment that does not accept violent extremists or their supporters.

This enemy is dangerous, this enemy is determined, and this enemy will be defeated.

In short, through international cooperation, we are advancing freedom and human dignity through democracy and the spread of liberty as the antidote to the ideology of hatred and oppression.

Effective democracies uphold the basic human rights of all their citizens, including freedom of religion, speech, assembly, association, and an independent media.

A robust marketplace of ideas is essential to expose and discredit falsehoods and equally so to highlight the truth.

Democracy offers the rule of law, accountability, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
Democracy is the long-term answer to the ideology of hate and terrorism of today.

This is the battle of ideas, and together we will win it.

The United States is a living reminder that a great country bears great responsibilities. 
Together with our friends and allies, the United States is leading the world’s response
to the 21st Century’s first threat to peace and security in the world. 

Americans have always answered history’s call and I am very humbled and honored
to recognize today those members of the Mission community who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, and all who have worn the uniform of the U.S. military.
 
In these momentous times, the UN has a vital contribution to make to this effort, and, as the United Nations commemorates the 4th anniversary of the heinous terrorist attack on its headquarters in Baghdad, we support its important role in promoting security and a better life for the people of Iraq and of all the world.

If I may quote from President Bush’s Proclamation on this day, September 11, 2007:

We remember the innocent victims, and we pay tribute to the valiant firefighters, police officers, emergency personnel, and ordinary citizens who risked their lives so that others might live.

All Americans honor the selfless men and women of our Armed Forces, the dedicated members of our public safety, law enforcement, and intelligence communities, and the thousands of others who work hard each day to protect our country, secure our liberty, and prevent future attacks. 

The spirit of our people is the source of America’s strength, and 6 years ago, Americans came to the aid of neighbors in need. 

On this solemn occasion we rededicate ourselves to laying the foundation of peace with confidence in our mission and our free way of life.

And now, in memory of all the innocent victims of terrorism around the globe, let us observe a moment of silence.

Moment of Silence observed at 2:46 p.m. local time (8:46 a.m. daylight time, the hour at which American Airlines flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center)
 
Ladies and Gentlemen: 

Though much has been taken, much abides…that which we are we are, one equal temper of heroic hearts, momentarily weakened by time and fate, but stronger yet in will to strive, to seek, to find - and not to yield.

While this conflict was begun on the timing of others, it will conclude in a way, and at an hour chosen by the freedom-loving nations of the world.

And, today, as we renew our commitment to serve our fellow countrymen and our great country here at the U.S. Mission in Geneva, we can have faith in the final outcome, for we are secure in the knowledge that when our nation acts with strong resolve and clear purpose, America can achieve great things.

With vigilance, determination and courage, we will prevail and leave to our children and grandchildren, a more peaceful world.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As we honor today all those we have lost I leave you with this poem, written after September 11th by Alexandra de Borchgrave, entitled: Infinite Possibilities

 

Stretch my eyes beyond
The horizon’s blue line,

To infinite possibilities
Only my soul can define

Pour Thy love like water,
clear and pure,

Into a heart now eager
to achieve and endure

Release my spirit
Like foam on a wave

To rise and swirl,
Seeking a path to pave

Awaken new ideas for peace
in all lands

As I reach across the ocean
to sun-drenched sands

Carry my wish for union
with the surging tide

To the most distant corners
Where falcons ride

Hearten my efforts
to build bridges of gratitude

Bringing all creeds together
with boundless latitude.

 

May God bless the souls of the departed.   May he comfort our own and may he
continue to grant us wisdom and to guide and bless America. 

Thank you all for coming and God bless. 

 

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