Voorzitter Europarlement Buzek over de tiende verjaardag van 11 september 2001 (en)

"Terrorism was not born on 9/11 and it is not over with the death of Osama, but the world has changed in the last decade, and for the better. […] Over the last 10 years, we have often been confronted with the question of the delicate trade-off between freedom and security", said President Buzek.

Prior to the 10th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks [on Sunday], the President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek stated:

"The attacks of 11 September 2001 shook the world order murdering almost 3 000 people from over 70 nations. The attacks opened an era which symbolically ended on 2 May 2011 with the death of Osama bin Laden in the compound of Abbottabad Pakistan. Terrorism was not born on 9/11 and it is not over with the death of Osama, but the world has changed in the last decade, and for the better.

We have learnt the weaknesses of our enemy, its mentality, its techniques and its murderous credo. We have also grown stronger in our beliefs, as we know that no attack will be able to shake our convictions in the respect for fundamental liberties, for human dignity, for religious pluralism and justice. No terrorist or any criminal organisation is able to weaken our faith in the values which built our united Europe.

Terrorism is an attack on all of us, an attack on the very fabric of our democratic society. It can never be justified. Let me underline, Europe, the United States, together with our international partners, will always stand united in the fight against terrorism of all kinds. The International Community is fighting terrorist activities on a daily basis and has prevented many attacks.

Over the last 10 years, we have often been confronted with the question of the delicate trade-off between freedom and security. We should never give in to the temptation of sacrificing the former at the altar of the latter: if we did, what we are trying to secure would be void of value. It is the duty of all those that believe in democracy to preserve the highest possible standards of individual liberty.

I believe the EU's biggest challenge in the fight against terrorism in the next decade will be state and institution building. Terrorism proliferates in failed states, it in turns affects the neighbouring countries and can destabilise entire regions. We see this in Somalia, in the Sahel region and in Yemen. The situation in Pakistan is also of grave concern. In Pakistan alone between 2003 and 2011 some 37.000 people have been killed in terrorist acts.

This reminds us that those who commit terrorists act do not discriminate. Terrorist attacks kill people all of religions and of none. Al-Qaida has been the greatest threat against the communities it claims to represent.

On behalf of the European Parliament, our thoughts are with the families and victims of the innocent men and women who so tragically lost their life in the morning of 11 September 2001. Our thoughts are with all the families who have lost loved ones in terrorist attacks.

We salute the finest and bravest men and women who have risked and lost their lives in rescue operations and to all those who everyday put their life in peril to make ours safer."