07 December 2001
December 11 Ceremonies to Commemorate Terror Attacks on U.S.
(Bush to lead ceremony at White House) (770)
By Wendy S. Ross
Washington File White House Correspondent
Washington -- President Bush will lead a ceremony at the White House
the morning of December 11 to commemorate the terrorist attacks on the
United States three months earlier and to help ensure that the world
never forgets what happened.
At 8:46 a.m. (13:46 GMT) -- the time the first hijacked commercial
liner crashed into the World Trade Center in New York -- the U.S.
Marine Band will play the National Anthem and U.S. soldiers will raise
high the flags of the more than 80 countries that lost citizens in the
attacks. Families of some of the thousands of victims will take part
in the event, as will firefighters and police.
Similar remembrance ceremonies will be held at the Pentagon; the site
of the World Trade Center in New York, now known as Ground Zero; and a
site in rural Pennsylvania.
Minutes after the first plane crash, a second hijacked commercial
airliner also veered into the Trade Center, followed by the crash of a
third commercial airliner into the Pentagon in the nation's capital,
and then a fourth airliner crash in Pennsylvania.
The Pentagon ceremony -- to be led by Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld -- will take place at 9:38 am, the time that the third
hijacked airliner crashed into the Pentagon September 11. Attending
that event will be survivors of the attack, construction workers who
are rebuilding the part of the Pentagon destroyed by the attack, and
family members of the victims.
Ceremonies will also be held across the United States presided over by
state governors and city mayors, and President Bush has asked that
every U.S. embassy and consulate overseas hold similar ceremonies and
has urged other governments to do so as well.
In remarks at the White House December 5, Bush said the United States
is encouraging other nations to play their national anthems or
appropriate music on December 11 to send a "clear signal to the
terrorists" that the United States, its friends and allies, "won't
forget what took place" on that day. "We will bring them (the
terrorists) to justice. We'll bring them to justice in Afghanistan,
and we'll bring them to justice wherever they try to hide.
Civilization is at stake," the President said.
Greg Lagana, a White House official with the Coalition Information
Center (CIC), said the event is being held to remind people that the
fight against terrorism is ongoing.
The CIC was set up recently to help better coordinate information
about the war on terrorism. In addition to the White House office,
there are branch offices in London and in Islamabad.
"It's easy for a lot of people to think that once the Taliban and al
Qaeda are out of power that the struggle against terrorism is over,"
Lagana said.
President Bush "felt it's important for people to remember that this
is a long-term struggle. The reason he wants countries to play their
national anthems is because he wants a vocal response to the September
11 attack on mankind," Lagana said. "No, we won't be silent, we won't
forget," Lagana said.
The governments of some countries are planning commemorative events in
conjunction with the local U.S. embassy, but other countries are
holding separate events.
"In some countries the government is doing something fairly large and
elaborate, and in other countries they are doing things that are
simple and dignified," Lagana said.
Britain, he noted, is planning an event at Number 10 Downing Street,
the official residence of Prime Minister Tony Blair, that U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is traveling in the region, is
expected to attend.
The Czech Republic, he said, is holding its ceremony at the Thank-You
America Monument, which commemorates American liberation of Pilsen in
World War Two. The U.S. ambassador and the mayor of Pilsen will take
part, Lagana said.
In Tibilisi, Georgia, he said, Bolshoi prima ballerina Nina
Ananiashvili will perform in a December 11 commemorative event that
will be televised and will also include Georgia's president or his
representative, Lagana said.
In Riga, Latvia, he said, the prime minister and his cabinet will
break from their regularly scheduled cabinet meeting, as they did on
September 11, to commemorate the December 11 event at the Freedom
Monument in the center of the city.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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