Obama says U.S. must renew fight against al Qaeda

Friday, September 11, 2009

Barack Obama</a> sought to rally Americans behind the war in Afghanistan on the eighth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States as opinion polls show faltering public support for the conflict.</p> <p>"Let us renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and plot against us still," Obama said on Friday at a somber ceremony attended by about 500 people under rain-filled skies at the Pentagon.</p> <p>"In pursuit of al Qaeda and its extremist allies we will never falter," he said, before laying a wreath at a memorial for those killed at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.</p> <p>On that day, American Airlines Flight 77 from Washington's Dulles International Airport smashed into the walls of the U.S. military headquarters, killing 125 people, along with the plane's 59 passengers and crew and the five hijackers.</p> <p>Al Qaeda hijackers took control of four passenger planes on September 11, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York and a third into the Pentagon. A fourth, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers and crew tried to retake control of the plane.</p> <p>In all, about 3,000 people were killed.</p> <p>In New York, relatives of those who died in the World Trade Center attack took turns reading the names of the victims, adding personal remarks of remembrance for their loved ones, while flutists and violinists played solemn music.</p> <p>The reading of the names took place in a small park across the street from the World Trade Center site, which is now a huge construction area where four skyscrapers and a national museum and memorial plaza are planned.</p> <p>GROWING DISQUIET</p> <p>But as Americans mark this year's anniversary there is growing disquiet over the eight-year-old war in Afghanistan, which the United States invaded in response to the September 11 attacks to root out al Qaeda and topple their <a href="/s/event-4131256/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5yZXV0ZXJzLmNvbS9uZXdzL2dsb2JhbA== coverage/afghanistanpakistan" mce_href="/s/event-4131256/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5yZXV0ZXJzLmNvbS9uZXdzL2ds obalcoverage/afghanistanpakistan">Taliban</a> backers.</p> <p>Opinion polls show waning public support for the war that George W. Bush launched as part of his global "war on terror" that came to define his presidency.</p> <p>Obama, who has ordered the dispatch of 21,000 more U.S. troops as part of a new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy targeting al Qaeda and its <a href="/s/event-4131256/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5yZXV0ZXJzLmNvbS9uZXdzL2dsb2JhbA== coverage/afghanistanpakistan" mce_href="/s/event-4131256/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5yZXV0ZXJzLmNvbS9uZXdzL2ds obalcoverage/afghanistanpakistan">Taliban</a> allies, has been trying to stiffen American support for a war that has been going badly for the United States and its NATO allies.</p> <p>In a speech to military veterans last month, Obama called it a "war of necessity" and said those behind the September 11 attacks were plotting to kill more Americans.</p> <p>The chief plotter of the September 11 attacks, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has never been found, and U.S. officials believe he is hiding in Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.</p> <p>A record 44 U.S. soldiers died in Afghanistan in July and last month's Afghan presidential election was dogged by allegations of widespread fraud that analysts say could contribute to more violence. <b><a href="/s/event-4131256/aHR0cDovL2phdmFzY3JpcHRnb1RvUGFnZSgyKTs= " mce_href="/s/event-4131256/aHR0cDovL2phdmFzY3JpcHRnb1RvUGFnZSgyKTs= ">Continued...</a></b></p> <a href="/s/event-4131256/aHR0cDovL2phdmFzY3JpcHRzaW5nbGVQYWdlVmlldygpOw== " mce_href="/s/event-4131256/aHR0cDovL2phdmFzY3JpcHRzaW5nbGVQYWdlVmll w();">View article on single page</a> function goToPage(num){ var url = document.location.href+""; var newurl = url.replace(/#sl_CommentsInputAnchor/,""); var newNum = 'pageNumber='+num var sep = (newurl.indexOf('?') >= 0) ? 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