Remarks by Ambassador Michael W. Michalak

September 11 – A Moment to Remember, A Day to Recommit
By Michael W. Michalak
United States Ambassador to Vietnam

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  On that saddest of days, in New York, Washington, and a quiet town in Pennsylvania citizens of more than 90 different countries were killed.  They were Christians, Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, believers and non-believers.  They were mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends, partners, and colleagues.  Among them were the very young, and the very old.  They were killed without a thought to the loss their deaths would mean to those left behind.   

That terrible day’s blow struck at the hearts of people around the world.  But while it filled our eyes with tears, it did not bring us to our knees in despair.  And today, six years later, we recommit – with valuable partners like Vietnam - to stand against the threat of hatred and terrorism, and to work towards a better world. 

In my first weeks in Vietnam as the new United States Ambassador, and during my many previous visits here, I have been deeply impressed by the people of this country and by the many areas in which our countries work together towards important mutual goals.  We share a common humanity.  While we speak different languages, the people of the United States and Vietnam share the desire to live in security and to pursue good educations, economic stability and greater opportunities for our families. 

As part of the international community, the United States and Vietnam face a shared challenge to confront those who would do us harm under the guise of ideological differences.  No faith condones the deliberate targeting and killing of innocent civilians, and no cause or grievance – even legitimate ones – can ever justify it.   But terrorists, like those responsible for September 11, have long targeted innocent people, and their acts of violence seek not only to kill, but to destroy jobs, disrupt trade and undermine economic development.

On September 11, 2002, President Bush reminded us that “Ours is the cause of human dignity; freedom guided by conscience and guarded by peace.”  Those words ring true today as we move forward together in friendship and partnership.   Let us each take a moment to remember those 2,948 men, women and children who died on September 11 six years ago, and let us together resolve to work ever harder for a peaceful world in which such acts can never occur again.