The United States fell silent today, in memory of those who died on September 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked four commercial planes and killed 2,977 people in attacks on New York City, Washington DC and Pennsylvania.
During a memorial service at the Pentagon, where 184 people were killed when the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building, the President and his wife Melania joined a minute’s silence at 9.37am – the precise moment the plane struck.
Paying a specific tribute to those killed at the US defence headquarters, President Trump said: “For more than seven decades the Pentagon has stood as a global symbol of American might.
“Not only because of the great power contained in these walls but of the incredible character of the people who fill them.
“They secure our freedom, they defend our flag and they support our courageous troops all around the world.
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“Among the 184 brave Americans who perished on these grounds were young enlisted service members, dedicated civil servants and veterans who served our nation in Korea, Vietnam and in the Middle East.
“All of them love this country and pledge their very lives to protect them.
“That September morning they died as they had lived, as heroes. Doing their duty and protecting us and our country.
“We mourn them, we honour them and we pledge to never, ever forget them.”
The Commander in Chief then added: “The terrorists who attacked us thought they could insight fear and weaken our spirit but America cannot be intimidated and those who try will soon join the long list of languished enemies who dare to test our mettle.
“In the years after September 11 more than five million young men and women have joined the ranks of our military to defend our country against dark forces of evil.
“They are relentlessly pursuing and destroying the horrible, horrible enemies. Enemies we have never seen before.
“We are ensuring they never again have a safe haven to launch attacks against our country.
“We are making plain to these savage killers there are no dark corner out of our reach, no sanctuary beyond our grasp and nowhere to hide anywhere on this very large earth.”
Mr Trump’s remarks will be read not just as a warning to Islamic State, but also North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a week after he conducted the country’s sixth nuclear test.
The UN Security Council is set to vote on Monday on a watered-down US-drafted resolution to impose new sanctions on North Korea over the test, although it was unclear whether China and Russia would support it.
A US-drafted resolution originally calling for an oil embargo on the North, a halt to its key exports of textiles and subjecting leader Kim Jong Un to a financial and travel ban have been weakened, apparently to placate Russia and China which both have veto powers, diplomats said.
It no longer proposes blacklisting Kim and relaxes sanctions earlier proposed on oil and gas, a draft reviewed by Reuters shows. It still proposes a ban on textile exports.
North Korea warned the United States that it would pay a “due price” for spearheading efforts for fresh sanctions.