I
am deeply grateful to you for organizing today this event to remember the victims, from the United States and over 80 other countries, who perished in the three terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In commemorating these terrible events, you honor the innocent victims not only of these attacks, but also those who were injured and killed in this country, in England, Spain, Beslan, and elsewhere in the world where extremists have attempted to change policies through acts of terror.
I believe we will all agree that we will never forget the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The images, the sounds, and the emotions of that day rush back to us as though four years had not passed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, my colleagues who were working at the U.S. Consulate in Milan that day will never forget the candles, the flowers, the posters, the solemn Masses, and the sense that we were not alone. Italy’s abiding friendship with the United States was never more deeply felt or greatly appreciated than in the days following September 11, 2001. You made us feel that we were members of your family, and that our victims were also yours. In remembering those terrible days, you reminded us that the West is one, undivided.
It is important to collectively remember these victims. The outpouring of support, hope and friendship that followed the tragedies of September 11, 2001 made it possible for the world to unite in its opposition to the practice of terror. It provided our families and our nations the courage to face disaster, envision a better future, and move towards that vision. As Europe and the United States looked forward, we rededicated our alliance to the bedrock virtues we share, the values of liberty, freedom and the rule of law. These democratic virtues would be the basis on which we would fight violence and intolerance.
Four years have passed, and today, if one looks carefully, the seeds of democracy are beginning to sprout in land no one understood to be fertile. Afghanistan is preparing for elections later this month. Iraqis have drafted their own constitution, and are preparing for a plebiscite to ratify it. Following the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the possibility of a democratic Palestinian government, unimaginable even a year ago, seems to be just around the corner. Lebanon is recovering its sovereignty thanks to the bravery of the hundreds of thousands of marchers who risked their lives to urge a Syrian withdrawal. Egypt has just completed its first multi-party presidential election. Women have gained the right to vote in Kuwait. What could be a more fitting memorial to those who lost their lives than to see representative government spread around the world?
Two weeks ago, my country was attacked once again, this time by a force of nature. Hurricane Katrina destroyed a wide swath of the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and laid waste to the great city of New Orleans. While we were still reeling from the effects of this biblical storm, Italy and the world were already planning how they could aid our desperate victims. An Italian jet was one of the first to arrive in the affected area, providing power generators, water pumps, water purification systems, and medical materials. To date, roughly 105 countries and 11 international organizations have rushed aid to the Gulf Coast, including all our NATO allies and a handful of nations that know firsthand Americàs solidarity when crises have befallen them: Sri Lanka, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Ecuador. Private citizens from the wide world over have sent generous donations to the Red Cross and Caritas for use in sustaining the people of this region,
many of whom will be unable to return to work for a year or more. Together, the world will rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
Today, with humility and gratitude, and in representation of the American people, I stand before you to thank you. I thank you for standing by us on September 11, 2001, and in the dark days that followed. I thank you for your leadership role in rebuilding Afghanistan and Iraq. I thank you for your support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Your solidarity with our country will never be forgotten.
Our shared work, however, is not over. Guided by the inspiration of those who gave their lives that others might be free, we are all called to act together as agents of change, to build a better, more peaceful, more democratic world. In the name of the victims, whether they fell on September 11, 2001 in New York, Pennsylvania or Washington, or in any of the cowardly terrorist acts that have taken innocent lives around the world, we must unite to counter violence and intolerance with democratic values. Together, we will make the world a better place.
Thank you.
|
