9/11 Ceremonies in Photos

President, VP, and First Lady mark 9/11 anniversary

(NEWSER) - President Obama laid a wreath at the Pentagon; Michelle Obama joined Laura Bush at the Flight 93 crash site; Vice President Biden went to Ground Zero. Their comments on the 9/11 anniversary, via the Wall Street Journal and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette :

• President Obama: Americans “are not—and never will be—at war with Islam. It was not a religion that attacked us that September day. It was al-Qaeda, a sorry band of men which perverts religion,” he said, adding that the best way to honor the victims is to “stay true to our traditions here at home as a diverse and tolerant nation.”

(NEWSER) - Colin Powell today honored the "gallant heroes" of United Flight 93 who fought back against their hijackers 8 years ago today. At a ceremony in Shanksville, Pa., where the plane went down, he likened them to the "citizen soldiers" who have fought for the US since its inception. "They refused to let it just happen," he said. Bells tolled for the 40 passengers and crew who were killed, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. More»

(AP) - Eight years after the 9/11 attacks, President Obama said the nation "will never falter" in its pursuit of al-Qaeda and its allies. Obama placed a wreath under rainy skies at the Pentagon today in memory of those who died there on Sept. 11, 2001. The president said the nation came together as one after the terror attacks, "united not only in our grief but in our resolve to stand up for the country we love." More»

Country, relatives mark anniversary of 9/11 attacks

(NEWSER) - Relatives gathered at a park near Ground Zero to remember the victims of the World Trade Center attacks today—the first anniversary without a clear blue sky, notes the New York Daily News. It was also the first time the memorial was moved away from the footprints of the towers. "Just so long as we continue to do something special every year," said one victim's aunt. More»

Damages determined for 9/11 attacks

(NEWSER) - Somebody tell al-Qaeda to get out its checkbook. A federal judge yesterday ruled that the terrorist organization owes $9.3 billion for the damage caused to businesses and properties in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, reports the AP . Several insurance companies started their suit in 2003 versus a variety of defendants, seeking compensation for the attack on the World Trade Center. The judge determined actual damages, then tripled them for punitive compensation. More»