[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 145 (Wednesday, September 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5414-S5415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11TH

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on another entirely different matter, 
for 18 years today's date has held a tragic meaning. September 11 is a 
day of mourning, a date stained by the terrorist murderers of so many 
innocent people in New York, Arlington, and Pennsylvania. With each 
passing day, the reality is still shocking, and the wounds are still 
painful.
  Each year we remember the innocent men, women, and children who lost 
their lives: workers rushing to meetings, vacationers headed home, 
emergency personnel whose quick response immortalized them as heroes. 
Each year we honor the memories of the heroes who sacrificed their 
lives to bring the perpetrators of this evil to justice and to prevent 
similar attacks.
  Our way of life was changed by 9/11. It changed our approach to 
security. It awakened us to determined new enemies.
  The dangers of radical Islamic terrorists remain real. Al-Qaida, its 
enablers, and its allies still plot against America from Afghanistan 
and Pakistan to Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Mali, and beyond. ISIS persists 
in Iraq and Syria through an underground network of terrorists who have 
not yet given up the fight. We cannot walk away from these dangers. We 
must not leave our work undone.

  Many nations have a stake in defeating the terrorists. NATO allies 
have been with the United States since the early hours of this fight. 
Eighteen years ago, this critical alliance invoked article V for the 
first time.

[[Page S5415]]

Since then, many NATO partners have fought side by side with us in 
Afghanistan, in Iraq, and in Syria.
  We are not--and need not be--the world's policeman. Winning this long 
war, like the Cold War, will require sustained efforts and 
contributions not only from the United States but from our allies and 
especially from local partners. For example, in Afghanistan the vast 
majority of the fighting is done by local security forces, but we must 
always remember the global coalition to defeat the terrorists will not 
lead itself.
  So, today, as we remember the tragedies of the past, we must renew 
our commitment to leading the fight for a better future. Today, may the 
memory of the nearly 3,000 victims who lost their lives on this day in 
2001 serve as a lasting reminder of what is at stake in the fight 
against terrorism and steel our resolve to continue the hard, necessary 
work of defending our homeland. May we always keep foremost in our 
thoughts all the U.S. servicemembers, intelligence officers, diplomats, 
and first responders who have given their lives in pursuit of our 
Nation's security.

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