September 11 - 3 Months on

September 11 - 3 Months on

3 Months to the day after the terrorist attrocities in the United States Secretary of State Colin Powell met with Prime Minister Tony Blair to remember the victims of the September 11 attacks and to discuss the war against terrorism.

The Prime Minister Tony Blair and Colin Powell attended a simple ceremony at 1.46pm in 10 Downing Street involving the playing of the two national anthems by seven musicians, aged 15-17, from the American School of London.

The event coincided with similar ceremonies taking place at Ground Zero in New York,at the White House and the Pentagon in Washington, at the crash site in Pennsylvania and in 86 other countries.

There was also a moment of reflection on the NASA space shuttle. In each ceremony, the country's national anthem was played to emphasise that this wasn't just an attack on the US but on the rest of the world as well.

The theme of the ceremonies was very simple: we must never forget September 11. We must remember the pain and lessons of that day. Many things have changed since then, especially in Afghanistan where there is now a real possibility of a better future. However, this does not mean we should forget the very real and continuing pain of the families of the victims, the pain of those who were involved in the rescue effort and the people who continue to work to try to pick up the pieces.

The events of September 11 have revealed a new kind of threat - the threat of mass terrorism - which respects no boundaries, either physically or in terms of respect for human life.

The Prime Minister's meeting with Colin Powell covered the three main aspects of the campaign against terrorism - the military effort within Afghanistan, the diplomatic efforts to build on the success of Bonn and give the interim administration as fair a wind as possible, and also the humanitarian side.

The Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and US Ambassador William Farish were also present at the meeting.

ENDS

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