Alaska, US - President Joe Biden marked the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks alongside US servicemembers in Alaska while emphasizing the importance of national unity.
"I join you on this solemn day to renew our sacred vow, 'never forget,'" President Biden stated during his address.
Speaking at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base in Anchorage, he commended servicemembers for their courage during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"Hundreds of thousands of brave Americans deployed to Afghanistan to ensure the United States would not be attacked again, who served in Iraq, like many of you probably did, in war zones," he acknowledged. He also highlighted that the US Intelligence Community had reported the threat from al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan had reached an all-time low.
"The resolve of the American people has proved we never bow, we never bend, we never yield," President Biden emphasized. He also noted that he had ordered the end of US military operations in Afghanistan, leading to the Taliban taking control of the Afghan government.
"Our longest war is over, but the current commitment to preventing another attack on the United States and our allies will never rest," he affirmed. Recalling his visit to Ground Zero in Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks, President Biden described the devastation as resembling "the gates of hell."
"I remember standing there the next day and looking at the building. I felt like I was looking through the gates of hell; it looked so devastating," he recounted. At that time, he was a senator from Delaware and served as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The president also stressed the importance of national unity, especially in the face of growing political extremism.
"It's more important than ever that we come together around the principle of American democracy, regardless of our political backgrounds," he urged. "We must not succumb to the poisonous politics of difference and division; we must never allow ourselves to be pulled apart by petty manufactured grievances."
President Biden visited the military base after attending the G20 summit in New Delhi and visiting Vietnam. Some critics, including the Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox News, criticized him for not visiting New York City, the Pentagon, or Shanksville, Pennsylvania—the sites of the 9/11 attacks. However, Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff participated in commemorations at those locations.
In his speech, President Biden praised the generosity of Alaskans and Americans across the country during the 9/11 attacks.
"Alaskan communities opened their doors to stranded passengers," he recalled. "American flags sold out in every store and were placed in front of seemingly every home. We know that on this day, every American's heart was wounded. Yet, every big city, small town, suburb or rural town, tribal community—American hands went up, ready to help where they could."
During his time as a senator, President Biden supported the war in Afghanistan, although he later expressed reservations as vice president. As president, he sought to end US military involvement in Afghanistan, but his decision faced criticism and declining approval ratings as many Americans and allies faced difficulties during the Afghan government's collapse.
In his concluding remarks, President Biden urged the nation not to forget the day and its aftermath.
"Let us remember who we are as a nation," he concluded. "We never forget. We're never afraid. We endure, we overcome. We are the United States of America. And there is nothing, literally, historically, nothing has been beyond our capacity when we set our mind to it together."