President Obama marked the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks Tuesday morning during a ceremony at the Pentagon memorial, where he told the families who lost loved ones there that the tragic day brought the country together.
“Eleven years ago, memorial services were held for Americans of different races and creeds, backgrounds and beliefs. And yet, instead of turning us against each other, tragedy has brought us together,” Obama said. “I've always said that our fight is with al Qaeda and its affiliates, not with Islam or any other religion. This country was built as a beacon of freedom and tolerance. That’s what's made us strong, now and forever.”
Obama and first lady Michelle Obama attended the Pentagon ceremony, where service members joined the families of the 184 who died at the Pentagon on 9/11.
Obama arrived with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey in the memorial garden, and he placed a wreath of white flowers on a stand above a stone engraved with the date and time of the attack, according to the pool report. An American flag was draped over the spot where the Pentagon was hit.
For more on Obama's remarks, click here.
