American Embassy London: September 11 Remembered:

September 11 Remembered
Remarks at the Commemorative Plaque Ceremony, Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade

Remarks by Liane R. Dorsey, Principal Officer
American Consulate General, Edinburgh

Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade Headquarters
September 11, 2002

It's been a year since September 11, 2001 when acts of terror killed thousands, shattered the New York City skyline, shook economies, changed the focus of global-strategic planning, and started a war. We will never forget the innocent victims and the brave heroes who died attempting to save them. We will never forget the survivors, the children, the devastated families and the grieving friends they left behind. And we will never forget that this was an attack against humanity with victims from more than 80 countries and many races and religions.

We are inspired by the courage and the selflessness of countless people in the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon and in the skies over Pennsylvania, who put the safety of others before that of themselves.

There was no silver lining to this dark cloud. Yet then, as now, as we shudder profoundly at the depths of evil that man can perpetrate on his fellow man, we find comfort and hope in the dedication, the bravery and the humanity of the firefighters, the police, the rescue workers and others who risked their lives (and sadly in many cases lost them) doing their duty and helping others.

As Abraham Lincoln said of those fallen at Gettysburg, "The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us; that from these honoured dead we take increased devotion to the cause from which they gave the last full measure of devotion."

Together as we mourn the loss of the September 11 heroes and commemorate their bravery, we stand strong as well, strong in our values, proud of our freedoms, united in our common humanity and committed to the fight against terrorism.

As my county's representative in Scotland, I would like again to thank the Scottish people for the support and solidarity they have shown to America and Americans since September 11. We were deeply moved by Parliament's memorial session on September 12 and the eloquent words of the former First Minister, the Presiding Officer and the party leaders; by the memorial event in George Square, led by the Lord Provost and Glasgow's religious leaders; and by the special service in St. Giles and the prayers for the suffering said by clerics of all faiths in their places of worship. Together this nation's firefighters stood a little more than a year ago at the Citizen Firefighter statue in Glasgow remembering those who died bravely in New York doing their duty. There have been fund-raising events, civic ceremonies, memorials and moments of silence, and countless letters, flowers, emails and condolence book messages from people from all walks of life offering sympathy, kind personal thoughts, prayers, solidarity and assistance to the suffering and the stranded. We had letters from those who had personal ties to Americans or experiences in the twin towers but also a letter from the Scottish grandmother who had never been to America and knew no Americans but wanted us to know she cared. And we had a letter from one of those who had been first on the scene of the Lockerbie tragedy and was faced with the memories of another horror while overwhelmed at the scale of this one. And there were also the words and pictures of Scottish children who saw the horrible images, felt the pain and reached out beautifully ... including one of the dearest, littlest correspondents who sent a picture of the towers with the hope that those concerned (those there) would "get better soon."

We continue to draw strength and comfort from the support of those who stand beside us. In the past year, the United States and the United Kingdom have accomplished so much together as each other's greatest allies - forging an international coalition against terror, liberating Afghanistan, unseating the Taliban and chasing Al-Qaeda, tightening aviation security, freezing the assets of terror, and funding Afghan relief and reconstruction.

One has only to look at recent newspapers to see stories of the latest thwarted terrorists and know that a challenge remains to us. But we know that despite whatever small differences we may have, when a fundamental threat appears to the values and freedoms we share, we stand together. And this is perhaps the most reassuring lesson from September 11.

Thank you. We are deeply moved by this fitting tribute to the firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 in New York City.