Saturday, 12 September 2009

US Celebrates Patriot Day

Written by DAP NEWS -- Saturday, 12 September 2009

The US today marked Patriot Day, the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US that brought down the World Trade towers in New York and damaged the pentagon in Washington DC. The US Embassy in Cambodia said there would be no events to make the occasion in Cambodia.

Al Qaeda, an international Islamic terrorist organization headed by Osama Bin Laden, who has been hiding out in Afghanistan since 2001, has been blamed for the attacks.

The US Embassy did make an official statement. US leaders and ordinary Americans have alike expre- ssed their great sorrow. John Johnson, spokesperson for the US embassy in Cambodia, through Cambodian public officer Chrea Vanarith, told DAP News Cambodia that today there will be “no celebration or statement for the US Embassy for Cambodia.”

Patriot Day sees American people remember the nearly 3,000 Americans who died in the 9/11 attacks. All school students must dress in red and white in class and pray for the souls were passed away.

The National Museum in New York displayed films of the event.

Al Qaeda and the Taliban have struggled against the US in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The US Government has tried to assassinate the leaders of both groups.

Bin Laden has so far evaded US forces. The war in Afghanistan has been ongoing since 2003, when the Bush Government tried to subdue the country. No end to the conflict is yet in sight.

Iraq was demed more of a success, with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein captured and executed by Irawi authorities. The US has plans to withdraw its armed forces from Iraq.

Current US President Barack Obama has announced the US will send over 17,000 soldiers to Afgh-anistan and will withdraw the US soldiers from Iraq in 2010.

Amount US$17,000 to US$27,000 billion were expended in the wars.

US casualties in Iraq and Afg-hanistan number about 7,000 people, of which at least 4,261 US soldiers died.

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