Schnabel thanks EU leaders for solidarity

Date: 12/09/02

ROCKWELL Schnabel, the United States ambassador to the Union, paid tribute to EU leaders yesterday for standing by America in the fight against terrorism.

His country was 'deeply touched by the displays of solidarity and sympathy taken in the days and weeks following the attacks' a year ago, he told the specially convened session of the European Parliament to mark the anniversary.

But he warned that the struggle against terrorism was not over and that the threat remains.

Coordination between the US and the EU and its member states was crucial; that partnership had to 'remain committed to a struggle that will require vigilance, perseverance and sacrifice for a long time to come', he added.

The speech in full: 'Let me start by thanking President Cox for convening the Parliament on this solemn occasion. And thank you also, Minister [Bertel] Haarder and President [Romano] Prodi, for your warm remarks on behalf of the European Union.

'One year ago today, terrorists attacked civilisation itself. While these were attacks in America, they were attacks on the world. Indeed, citizens from more than 90 countries, citizens of Europe and across the world, were killed on September 11th. It is each of those people we are honouring today.

'The international community's response to those horrible events demonstrated that we all understood the need to stand together to respond to and fight against the threat of further terrorism. As Americans, we were all deeply touched by the displays of solidarity and sympathy taken in the days and weeks following the attacks.

'As ambassador, I was honoured to deliver the books of condolences signed by all of you in the Parliament to our Speaker of the House.

'NATO immediately invoked Article 5 of its Charter, declaring an attack against one was an attack against all - an act unprecedented in its history.

'In the past year, sympathy and solidarity have been transformed into collective action to defeat terror.

• Over 16,000 troops from 20 nations have directly supported military operations in Afghanistan.
• Over 90 nations have moved to detain more than 2,400 terrorists.
• More than 160 nations have taken steps to freeze assets associated with terrorist groups and their supporters.

'And this collective action has resulted in gains for our common security.

'The Taliban regime that harboured al-Qaeda is gone, and al-Qaeda is on the run. Terrorist networks around the world have been disrupted and over $100 million in assets have been frozen.

'But as we all know, the struggle against terrorism is not over. The threat remains. And it remains a common threat. The figures from this week's survey by the German Marshall Fund showed that both the European and American publics rate international terrorism as the greatest single threat to our vital interests. We must continue to act on this common purpose.

'It is only natural that in the fight against terror, as with so many other issues we face, coordination between the US and the EU and its member states is crucial to success. As a native of Europe and a citizen of the United States, I know that the US-European partnership can change the world.

'Some say that the world changed on September 11th last year. But, working together, we have also changed the world since September 11th.

'Our task now is to continue that partnership and remain committed to a struggle that will require vigilance, perseverance and sacrifice for a long time to come.

'Partnership requires work. We can expect differences of opinion about how to achieve our common aims. These differences should not be ignored, but neither should they be exaggerated.

'As President Bush pledged last week - and as political leaders in Europe have said - we must continue to consult both within our own political systems and with our allies in this fight.

'What we cannot do is lose sight of our common interests and the continuing need we face to respond to the common threat of terrorism.

'In response to the 9/11 attacks, President Bush said that 'through the sacrifice of soldiers, the fierce brotherhood of fire- fighters and the bravery and generosity of ordinary citizens, we have glimpsed what a culture of responsibility could look like. We want to be a nation that serves goals larger than self. We must not let this opport-unity pass'.

'As President Bush's ambass-ador to the European Union, and an individual American who was in Washington DC on 9/11 and witnessed the horror of the terrorist attacks, let me tell you again how sincerely moved and grateful we are for the solidarity represented by this ceremony. It is an honour to be here with you today. Our work together goes on every day to ensure that the horrific events of one year ago are not repeated on any scale - in America, in Europe - or anywhere else in the world. Thank you.

• Donald Rumsfeld on the message of 11 September

Rockwell Schnabel, the US Ambassador to the European Union, paid tribute to EU leaders on 11 September 2002 for standing by America in the fight against terrorism.