Ahead of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 attacks by al-Qaeda, President Barack Obama on Friday said the US delivered justice to Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a covert American raid in Pakistan on May 2, and declared the terror network is on the path to defeat.
"The perpetrators of those (9/11) attacks wanted to terrorise us, but they are no match for our resilience. Today, our country is more secure and our enemies are weaker," Obama said in an op-ed published in USA Today.
Yet while the US has "delivered justice to Osama bin Laden and put al-Qaeda on the path to defeat, we must never waver in the task of protecting our nation," the President wrote.
"On a day when others sought to destroy, we choose to build. Once again, September 11 will be a National Day of Service and Remembrance... every American can make a commitment to honour the victims and heroes of 9/11 by serving our neighbours and communities," he said.
Obama said like every American, he will never forget how he heard the terrible news, on the car radio on his way to work in Chicago 10 years ago.
"Yet like a lot of younger Americans, our daughters have no memory of that day. Malia was just 3; Sasha was an infant. As they've grown, Michelle and I faced the same challenge as other parents in deciding how to talk with our children about 9/11," he said.
"One of the things we've told them is that the worst terrorist attack in American history also brought out the best in our country. Firefighters, police and first responders rushed into danger to save others," Obama said.
Americans came together in candlelight vigils, in houses of worship and on the steps of the US Capitol, he recalled.
Volunteers lined up to give blood and drove across the country to lend a hand.
Schoolchildren donated their savings, and communities, faith groups and businesses collected food and clothing, Obama noted.
"We were united, as Americans," he said, adding the last decade has been nothing but a challenging one for the US.
"But we have also seen the strength of the United States - in cities that have refused to give in to fear; in communities that have persevered through hard economic times; and, above all, in our men and women in uniform and their families who have borne an extraordinary burden for our security and our values."
