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Remarks by U.S. Ambassador George L. Argyros at the Commemorative Service Sponsored by the Municipality of Madrid on the First Anniversary of the Terrorist Attacks on the U.S. Held in the Plaza de Colón,September 11, 2002 |
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Your Excellency Senor Alvarez del Manzano, distinguished guests, friends: We gather here today in Madrid to remember what many have justly called “an attack on civilization.” We mourn the senseless deaths of nearly 3000 people, including a Spanish woman, who woke up on September 11, 2001, went to work, and never returned home. We also honor those whose selfless acts on that tragic day saved so many lives. Through this solemn event, in the shadow of a brave Spanish hero and discoverer of the Americas, Christopher Columbus, to whom this magnificent plaza is dedicated, we reaffirm our respect for our fellow man and our determination to fight against terrorism, wherever it may threaten. The people of Spain know far too well that, although the United States was attacked on September 11, terrorism is not only an American problem. Terrorism is a cruel, everyday reality that threatens all of us -- but this is changing. The world’s revulsion over the tragic events of September 11 has been transformed into a mighty coalition of more than ninety countries, fighting in a just cause that cannot be deterred. We are bound by the belief that one terrorist anywhere is a threat to liberty everywhere, and we will remain committed to that ideal until we have rid the world of this scourge and built a better world for our children. Mr. Mayor, friends, the United States offers its gratitude to the people of Spain and to your leaders, for your many expressions of support and as a powerful ally in the war against terrorism. I am deeply honored and humbled to represent George Bush and our country here in Spain. The American people are grateful for the support and contributions given to us by Spain. You have stood by us this last year as you have done many times before. You are a great people with a rich heritage and an important American friend. May God continue to bless Spain and the United States.
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