Amman, September 11, 2021
In a private ceremony on Thursday afternoon at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, U.S.
Ambassador to Jordan Henry T. Wooster commemorated the 20th anniversary of the
September 11 terrorist attacks perpetrated by the Al Qaeda terrorist group. The
Ambassador led a moment of silence in honor of the 2,977 innocent people, including
Jordanians Robert Elias Talhami and Ramzi Dowany, who were killed in the attacks. The
ceremony concluded in the lowering of the American flag to half-mast, in the words of
Ambassador Wooster, “to remind ourselves that even as life continues, the memories of
those taken from us sanctify our ongoing efforts towards a better tomorrow for
ourselves, and for future generations.” Embassy employees, family members of the
Jordanian victims, and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Jordan Armed Forces attended the ceremony.
In his remarks, Ambassador Wooster noted only days after the attack on September 11,
2001, the United States began the operations in Afghanistan that resulted in the death
of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011 in Pakistan. The Ambassador
acknowledged Jordan’s support in that effort, as well as the loss of two Jordanian
officers in Afghanistan. “Our coordinated response, in Afghanistan and across the globe,
thwarted efforts by Al Qaeda and similar groups, like ISIS, to slaughter innocent people.”
Reflecting on the deaths of 13 U.S. military service members killed during the
evacuation of American citizens and partners in Afghanistan, Ambassador Wooster
observed “Most were infants on 9/11. Each had dreams. Every one of them
volunteered to serve as a Marine, a Sailor, or a Soldier. Most had spent time in
Jordan—and indeed most of them deployed to Afghanistan from Jordan. Their personal
stories and their courage remind us of what is great about America. The grief of their
families and friends, meanwhile, remind us of the cost terrorism imposes on us.”
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