AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS AND PUBLIC EVENTS

September 11: Five Year Later

Ambassador Ross Wilson Editorial In Sabah Newspaper

September 11, 2006

By Ross Wilson
Ambassador of the United States of America

Five years ago today, terrorists turned civilian airliners that were packed full of people into guided missiles and crashed them at high speed into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.  Over 3000 people died within minutes.  It was the second deadliest day in American history.  Among those who lost their lives were citizens of Turkey, Pakistan, India, Italy, Syria, Nigeria, China, Ghana, many other countries and, of course, the United States.

I was hosting a reception in Baku, where I was serving as ambassador.  When informed of the events in New York, one guest turned white as a sheet and left; his wife had been staying at a hotel in one of the World Trade Center towers.  Americans came together to deal with our pain, and the world came to our side in our time of need Thousands flocked to our embassy here to bring flowers and sent messages of condolence and sorrow.  Prime Minister Ecevit expressed this country’s sentiments well:  “We share the pain of the United States, our close friend and ally….  All of humanity should be in solidarity against terrorism.”

The prime minister’s deliberately chosen words, of course, reflected both pain over our loss and an appeal for help in defeating PKK and other terrorists responsible for the loss of some 30,000 lives over the previous decade or more.  Still to come were the November 2003 al-Qaida bombings in Istanbul that took 60 lives and injured over 700, mostly Turkish nationals.  Expressing solidarity with Turkey at that time, President Bush spoke of a sad day that reminds us all that we have a job to do – defeat terror.

These and other attacks clarified what Turkey had figured out years before:  that what these terrorists represent – whether they’re al-Qaida, or PKK, or any of a number of other groups – is evil; that they are a threat to our way of life and the civilization that brings prosperity, happiness and hope to billions of people on this earth; that because of this, the world must band together to stop them and to preserve our civilization, our tolerant and humane traditions of freedom and creativity; and that freedom-loving people must triumph.

But Turkey had learned another lesson:  that the defeat of terrorists is very difficult.  The Afghan ambassador recently talked with me and others here about the success of the United States, Turkey and other countries in driving al-Qaida out of his country, uprooting its Taliban sponsors, and restoring opportunity to millions of his countrymen who enjoyed little of it since before the Soviet invasion in 1979.  But we must acknowledge that problems remain in that country.  Elsewhere, we have not been able to do all we would like to defeat and eliminate the terrorists that aim to destroy our way of life – in Bali, London and Madrid, and at Sirnak, Batman, Kusadasi, Marmaris and elsewhere here.

We are horrified by the violence perpetrated by the PKK and its front groups, and we grieve for the victims.  We are committed to working with Turkey and its friends to defeat the terrorists.  It is U.S. policy – and my personal determination – that northern Iraq must not be a sanctuary from which terrorist groups can launch or organize attacks on allied Turkey.  The triumph of freedom-loving citizens of Turkey over this scourge is an essential step for furthering the benefits of democracy, prosperity and peace for all.

On this September 11, Americans will mourn their loss of five years ago and mourn all victims of terrorism.  We will seek ways to further our and the world’s common struggle against those who threaten our way of life.  And we will succeed.

Ross Wilson
Ambassador of the United States of America