Obama invokes 9/11 attacks in call for service
Updated: 2011-08-27 19:01
(Agencies)
|
|||||||||||
A quilt marking the attack on the Pentagon near Washington on September 11, 2001 features images of those who died after American Airlines flight 77 hit the building, in this picture taken June 28, 2011. [Photo/Agencies] |
In remarks acknowledging the "great challenges" that confront the US economy, and could hurt his reelection chances next year, Obama also sought to rise above the partisan political rancor that has divided Washington all summer.
"As we mark this solemn anniversary, let's summon that spirit once more. And let's show that the sense of common purpose that we need in America doesn't have to be a fleeting moment; it can be a lasting virtue," Obama said in his weekly radio address.
With US unemployment stuck above 9 percent, Democrat Obama is fighting for more measures to boost growth and hiring but has been thwarted so far by Republicans in Congress, who control the US House of Representatives.
He will unveil a package of employment-creating measures in a major jobs speech after the September 5 Labor Day holiday which White House aides say will contain a number of new proposals.
Obama and his wife Michelle will mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks by visiting Ground Zero in New York, the Pentagon, and the site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the fourth hijacked airline crashed after its passengers .
"But even if you can't be in New York, Pennsylvania or Virginia, every American can be part of this anniversary. Once again, 9/11 will be a National Day of Service and Remembrance," Obama said.
The attacks, blamed on Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda extremist network, killed nearly 3,000 people in September 2001. Bin Laden was killed earlier this year in an attack on his compound in Pakistan and his network has been splintered and weakened by repeated attacks by allied western forces in recent years.
Related Stories
Motorcycle ride kicks off 9/11 memorial observances 2011-08-25 17:42
9/11 1st responders frown on exclusion from 10th anniversary 2011-08-25 15:06
Hot Topics
Libya conflict, Gaddafi, Oil spill, Palace Museum scandal, Inflation, Japan's new PM, Trapped miners, Mooncake tax, Weekly photos, Hurricane Irene
Editor's Picks
A Mid-Autumn reunion in prison |
Tibetan children in Beijing for free surgery |
Medvedev demands improvement of air safety |
Japan PM visits disaster-hit areas, thanks military |
Dim Olympic hope for China after loss to Aussie |
Rain washes out second day in a row at US Open |