Statement on the Anniversary of September 11
Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr.
Berlin, September 10, 2008
Each year since September 11, 2001, Americans join together to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on that terrible day and to honor all those who have responded in the face of terror. It is a measure of the profound friendship that joins our two countries that each year many Germans join with us to remember the pain and devastation of 9/11.
Our world changed on September 11, 2001. On that day, thousands of innocent lives were taken from us, including eleven German citizens. The passage of time does not erase the memories or the grief of those who lost loved ones, but the events of 9/11 have united us even more closely with the nations that have joined together to keep such attacks from happening again. Even as we continue to mourn those we lost, we remain determined to defy the terrorists' ideology of hate.
In the aftermath of the attack, Germans placed flowers and candles at the Embassy gate. Over 200,000 Berliners gathered at the Brandenburg gate to participate in the memorial service on September 14. Your support, which was deeply moving for Americans both here and in the U.S., was not new, but it did mark a new milestone in a friendship between two peoples whose shared history stretches back to the founding of our nation. Following that initial outpouring of support, Germany has taken an active role in the global struggle against terrorism. This is a difficult undertaking for all who are involved. I wish especially to acknowledge the sacrifice of German families who have lost loved ones in our joint effort to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. On this seventh anniversary of September 11, on behalf of my President and the American people, I wish only to thank you for your support.