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Ambassador Khalilzad speaks at a ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, in Baghdad, September 11, 2006. (©AP Images)
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Today marks the anniversary of a dark day. Five years ago today, al-Qaida terrorists killed nearly 3,000 innocent men, women, and children. The victims included citizens of more than 90 different countries, and adherents of many faiths. We mourn the lives lost and offer heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of those murdered. We honor the bravery of the fire fighters and policemen, the passengers aboard United Flight 93, and many others who provided examples of courage and determination on that terrible day. We will not forget.
The 9/11 attack was an act of war -- cowardly because it was undeclared, and because it targeted ordinary people, civilians going about their lives. It crystallized the threat posed by terrorism and the extremism that feeds it. The attack had a profound impact on the United States and on the world.
In the aftermath of that assault, it became clear that the source and the nexus of the terrorist threat lay in the broader Middle East, or rather, in the political and ideological turmoil the region was embroiled in. Shaping the future of this region is now one of the defining challenges of our time.
Recent history has demonstrated that pursuing stability by tolerating -- let alone supporting -- autocracy not only fails to generate safety, but contributes to the growth of extremism. Working together with nations around the world and moderate governments and democratic forces, we are working to promote democracy, prosperity and security in this region as we did in Europe and Asia in earlier eras.
Iraq stands at the center of this effort. Establishing a strong, stable, non-sectarian and successful democracy in Iraq is vital for the future of this region. It has not been easy, to be sure, but nothing important ever is. There is no alternative to a successful Iraq. Any other outcome will embolden al-Qaida and extremists and produce new tragedies and the repetition of old ones like 9/11.
The Iraqi people want to succeed. Democracy and modernity resonate with the Iraqi people. They understand the opportunities it holds for the betterment of their own lives and that of their families, communities, and nation. This is why more than twelve million Iraqis defied the threats of the terrorists and cast votes in the election for the Council of Representatives last December.
The terrorists are afraid of the success of democracy here. In the book The Future of Iraq and The Arabian Peninsula After The Fall of Baghdad, Yussuf al-Ayyeri, one of Osama Bin Laden’s closest associates, admitted that it was democracy which posed the greatest threat to his ambitions. Meanwhile, statements by Bin Laden himself illustrate his understanding that what we are doing here today in Iraq is a critical battle in the conflict that began five years ago.
The terrorist fear of democracy is not surprising. They cannot win the hearts and minds of the people of the region as they cannot solve the problems of this region. Their message offers only a civil war within Islam, a war between civilizations, and keeping the Muslim countries backwards and in the dark ages. Look at what they did, when together with the Taliban, al-Qaida ruled Afghanistan: they killed thousands of Afghans, women were imprisoned in their homes, girls were denied the right to an education, and children were forbidden simple pleasures such as flying kites. And look at what they are doing in Iraq: setting neighbors and believers against each other, creating rifts that devastate communities, sowing dissension, distrust and hatred, murdering innocent people.
We will stand with the Iraqis against the terrorists and in building a democratic Iraq until Iraq can stand on its own feet. Our nation’s effort in the aftermath of 9/11 has imposed burdens on many people -- especially those serving here in Iraq. On this day, I want to thank our men and women in uniform who are here, our diplomats, civil servants, and others -- and also those who love and miss you.
America is contributing its most precious resource -- our energetic, determined, and idealistic young men and women. You have demonstrated the spirit of sacrifice and heroism worthy of the heroes of 9/11. Our coalition partners and Iraqi allies have shown similar courage and resolve.
The war against terror will end one day. Historically, wars are remembered in monuments of stone, and this one likely will be no exception. But the real and valuable monuments are the living ones: the fifty million people liberated from tyranny since that day, and the efforts we expend to ensure that this outcome holds. A democratic and prosperous Iraq will stand as the ultimate testimony to the sacrifices made by the Americans and our Iraqi and other allies here.
Thank you, and May God bless the people of the United States and Iraq.
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