Thoughts On 1/11: We mourn the Deaths
Ten years on from the day the 9/11 terrorist attacks changed so much for so many people, the world's leaders and millions of citizens are pausing to reflect.From Sydney to Atlanta, formal ceremonies have been observed to mourn the nearly 3,000 who perished from more than 90 countries. And, in a reminder that threats remain, authorities in Washington and New York are beefing up security in response to intelligence about possible plans for a car bomb attack.
In Manila, dozens of former shanty dwellers offered roses, balloons and prayers for another 9/11 victim, American citizen Marie Rose Abad. The neighborhood used to be a shantytown that reeked of garbage. But in 2004, Abad's Filipino-American husband built 50 brightly colored homes, fulfilling his late wife's wish to help impoverished Filipinos.In New Zealand, players from the American Eagles rugby team were among the first to mark the anniversary at a Sunday memorial service in the town of New Plymouth. The players, who are participating in the Rugby World Cup tournament, listened to a speech by US ambassador David Huebner, whose brother Rick survived the attacks on the World Trade Center.In Australia, Sydney resident Rae Tompsett said she's never felt angry over the murder of her son Stephen Tompsett, 39, a computer engineer who was on the 106th floor of the World Trade Centre's north tower when it was hit by a hijacked plane.And leaders in Pakistan, which has been a victim of al-Qaeda terrorism said they joined the people of the US in honouring the memory of those killed 10 years ago.
Whoever did it, there is no doubt that it was one of the most heinous attack on humanity, men and women, all civilians. There are official and un-official stories about the incident and we can not judge them. But we also mourn the death and want end of all terrorism. This has led to other actions by US in particular which led to hundreds of thousands of death and destruction. These actions were unjustified and only led to more suffering and also responsible for the collapse of US and world economy. US should never venture in such wars in future. Fight against terrorism should not mean occupation of countries.
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